Lizzie Borden

The hatchet that was used to kill the Bordens is now in the Lizzy Borden museum in Fall River, MA. It was found in the celler of the Borden's house with traces of blood and a broken handle.

Lizzie and her older sister Emma posted a reward ($5000, a substantial sum in that time period) and vowed to find their parent's killer. There is no proof that, aside from the reward, either sister made any effort to detect the guilty.

Lizzie Borden was no 'Cinderella' by any stretch of the imagination. She was a double murderer, who thanks to a biased jury, was turned loose to spend her father's hard earned money.

The nature of the relationship between Borden and O'Neil may differ depending on who you ask. My own opinion, based on my research, is that it is very possible the friendship between the two women may have been romantic (sexual). It has been speculated that this "friendship" was the catalyst for the falling out of Lizzie and older sister Emma Borden. Emma moved out of Maplecroft, and the two remained estranged for the rest of their lives. At the time of their deaths, just weeks apart, Lizzie, or "Lizbeth" as she liked to be called, had spent a great portion of her inheritance, while Emma, who lived a very simple and fugal life, retained the bulk of her father's money plus interest.

The combination of Lizzie's inappropriate relationship with the actress O'Neil and suspicion of her sister's guilt in the murder of the elder Bordens, it is not at all surprising that there was a rift between the siblings that was irreparable.

Andrew Jackson Borden.

For the preliminary hearing* the presiding judge was Josiah Coleman Blaisdell. For the actual murder trial there were three judges:Chief Justice Albert Mason, Asst Chief Justice Caleb Blodgett and Asst Chief Justice Justin Dewey.

*The prelim hearing, also known as a probable cause hearing is standard procedure in the American judicial system. Before a person is formally tried for a crime there must be a hearing to descern if evidence exists, enough so that a jury could reach a verdict.

It is not true that Lizzie Borden 'gave her mother 40 wacks', in truth Abby Borden received 19 blows, mostly to the back of her head and neck. Andrew recieved less, obviously the killer had more rage toward Abby than her miserly husband Andrew.

Lizzie had one sister, older by a decade. Emma Borden practically raised Lizzie after their mother's death when Lizzie was 3. Although Andrew Borden married again, Lizzie never had a close relationship with her step-mother Abbey. Until the elder Borden's murders in 1892, Lizzie called Abbey 'Mrs. Borden'.

There was also the rumor of an illegitimate son from an indescretion of Andrew Borden but this may or may not have been a fact. If he did have a son, this offspring was not mentioned or provided for in his last will and testiment.

acally I'm answering the question to what does the name Lizzie mean and Lizzie means a grace of god but Lizzie is a nice person and you should be friends with any lizzies cuz the name Lizzie rocks and yea

As was typical of a single woman during the Victorian era, she was active in her church and local charity work, she lived with her father as did Lizzie's older sister Emma. Both were unmarried and it was almost unheard of for unmarried women to have their own residence.

She enjoyed fishing at the family's other property located outside of town several miles. She made sociel calls on friends and neighbors and occasionally to shut-in's or ailing members of her church.

What is key to note about Lizzie, not just what she liked to do, but what she would have liked to do. Her stingy, miserly father would not spring for a larger home with electricity and indoor plumbing. She wanted to travel, although barely two years before the murders she travelled to Europe, payed for by her father.

Lizzie Borden was born on July 19, 1860.
Lizzy Borden was born on December 20, 1976, in Huntington Beach, California, USA.

Years after the Borden murder trial, Lizzy (now calling herself Lizbeth) had an inappropriate relationship with an actress named Nance O'Neil. Lizzy (or Lizbeth) cared not one bit if the whole world knew about their affair, but it was the final straw for older sister Emma. She bought her own house, and for the rest of their lives the rift between the sisters never was mended.

There was the added strain of Emma wanting to sell her half interest in the A.J. Borden Building. Lizbeth bought her out, feeling that a Borden should own the Borden Building.

At the time of their deaths, Emma's half of the Borden estate and holdings was at least double what Lizzy's was. Lizzy was busy spending hers. Emma led a quiet and simple life after her parent's murders.

The topic of an illegitimate son has circulated since 1892 but there is little if not evidence one way or another.

Lizzy McGuire did go to jail for 90 days for a lot of mistakes.

I don't think so. If they are related it may be so distant that nobody noticed the connection. The Borden Co. founded by Gail Borden, Jr. born in 1801 and died in 1874, was not only dairy products, but adhesives, certain chemicals, ect. Borden, Jr. was born in Norwich, NY, expanded the original company many times over.

The Borden's summer home was located at 1205 Gardner's Neck Rd., Swansea, MA.

Supposedly red hair.

It is possible that Lizzie completely disrobed before she attacked her parents, which would have prevented any blood on her clothes, and then hurriedly bathed to remove the blood from her skin and hair.

//The theory that Lizzie attacked her step-mother and father while in the nude is highly improbable. The Victorian era, at least in America, was a time period that was extremely prudish, the 'sex' word was taboo in and of itself. Lizzie was a well brought up lady, and would have thought it scandalous to show a little ankle. Women did not menstrate, they refered to it as a 'flea bite'. It is completely absurd that Lizzie would approach her father without benefit of clothing. Nor would she have disrobed in front of her step-mother.

The explaination of no blood evidence was revealed shortly after the murders. Alice Russell, friend of Lizzie and Emma Borden, stayed with the sisters in the house on 2nd street. According to Alice, Lizzie burned a dress in the kitchen's woodstove, claiming she got paint on it. This is also unlikely. Any clothing ruined would have been cut up and used as rags, nothing going to waste.

Lizzie Andrew Borden was tried and acquitted of the axe murders of her father and stepmother which occurred on a sweltering August morning in 1892.

The cast of Lizzie Borden Had an Axe - 2004 includes: Dean Alioto Edwin Beschler Bryan Delorenzo as Reenactment Kelsey Erisman as Reenactment Richard Faymonville as Reenactment Cheryl Finlayson as Bridget Caroline Goldrick as Reenactment Rachel Hambly as Reenactment Portland Helmich Kat Koorey as Herself - Assistant Editor Stefani Koorey as Herself - Editor and Publisher Tom Lange as Himself - Homicide Investigator Michael Martins as Himself - Fall River Historical Society Bill Masterton as Himself - Author John Micheal Dupuis as Reenactment Linda Monchik Shandy Monte as Reenactment Lark Oxler as Lizzie Borden Bill Pavao as Himself - Museum Curator Leonard Rebello as Himself - Author Jackson Royal as Reenactment Alyson Taylor as Reenactment Mark Van Savage Michael Vigoda as Reenactment Michael Vitullo as himself Geneva West as Reenactment

She had several bioghraphers one went by the name of Even Hunter, the other David Rehkak.

She also wrote her memoirs with a ghost writer but I'll do some more digging to see if I can find his/her name.

I have read extensively on the life and alleged crimes of Lizzie Borden, and never have I come across any info on her being at a mental hospital.

To make a long story short, Lizzie Borden was found not guilty because she was a young woman of good breeding in an age that viewed women as meek, mild and unable to have an original thought on her own.

The Victorian Age looked at women differently than today. The jury (made up of 12 men) could not imagine that this quiet Sunday school teacher, probably friends with their wives or daughters, could pick up an ax and do violence to her own parents.

Unfortunately, because of the 'non-guilty' verdict, people seem to think that the Lizzie Borden case is still a mystery. The only mystery is how those 12 men could have been so clueless. There is no mystery. The evidence was overwhelming, physical and circumstantial. But Lizzie found out the hard way, just because she had her father's money, she most certainly did not live happilly ever after. She was scorned by her former friends and most everyone else in Fall River, MA, where she lived her whole life.

In the years after her trail and aquittal, Miss Borden was no stranger to trouble. Almost arrested for shoplifting, she narrowly averted another scandal. And her relationship with an actress, most felt it inappropriate including her sister Emma, had tongues wagging from Boston to New York City.

She was also astranged from her sister, whom was her only sibling, and she led a mostly isolated and lonely life. For years, she lived alone until her death from complications from gall bladder surgery.

Dakoa BoozyMrs. SmithLanguage Arts6 November 2014Summary:The article "Lizzie Borden, Murderer *", written by James Kirby Martin, Randy, is about a young girl accused of murdering her wealthy father and stepmother. In the article, it tells how there was local gossip about Lizzie's father. It also tells how Lizzie and Emma resent their stepmother and fathers "penny-pinching" ways. Lizzie felt more alienated from the world because there weren't many opportunities for her to meet a wealthy guy. Lizzie and Emma always wanted to live in the "Hills", a neighborhood where all the wealthy people lived. A couple days before Lizzie's father and stepmother got murdered, the father changed his will. All the evidence pointed towards Lizzie for the murders. But because she was a young women who had a good background she was found innocent. A jury of all men found her innocent because they didn't think a young women was capable of committing a double murder.Reaction:In my opinion, Lizzie should have been convicted of both murders. All the evidence pointed towards her. The only reason she wasn't convicted of the double murder is because the jury didn't think she was capable. So basically if a women comes from a good background and isinvolved with the community she can kill two innocent people and get away with it

"Lizzie Borden took an axe/ gave her mother forty whacks/ when she saw what she had done/ she gave her father forty one." On August 4th of 1892, Andrew Jackson Borden and his wife Abby were brutally murdered with a hatchet, (considered to be the most likely instrument of death), in their own home. No one knows for certain who actually killed the Borden's but Andrew's beloved daughter Lizzie was the only one ever arrested and charged with the crime. There were several reasons why she was the one charged for the murder. The first is that she was home at the time of the murders. Her sister Emma was not. The family maid, Bridget, (Maggie), Sullivan was also in the house but after questioning her the authorities did not consider her to be a likely suspect.

At the inquest Lizzie's testimony struck the District attorney, Hosea Knowlten, as highly suspicious. For one thing she kept giving different answers to simple questions. When asked where she was when her father came home that day, Lizzie at first answered in the kitchen reading a Harpers magazine. When the District Attorney then asked if she was sure she was in the kitchen she changed her answer saying she wasn't sure and it might have been in the dining room. Just a few minutes after that the same question was phrased in a slightly different way and Lizzie then answered that she was upstairs in her bedroom but just a split second later amended that answer and said she was on the stairs. This looked suspicious because Lizzie's step mother Abby was upstairs in her bedroom all ready dead when Lizzie said she was upstairs in the bedroom and then quickly modified that story to mean the stairway. Within just minutes of testimony Lizzie had given several different answers to the same question. During that inquest Lizzie Borden continued to answer evasively or suspiciously claiming confusion. The transcripts to this testimony reveal District Attorney Knowlton's obvious suspicions as the testimony went on. This testimony was what convinced Knowlton to charge Lizzie with the murders. However, since she had not been charged of any crime at the time of the inquest, she was not allowed to have a lawyer present. Therefore no legal advice as to her rights had been given by any defending lawyer, nor the court nor by the District Attorney. Both the court and Knowlton had assumed the other had already done this. Because of this, her testimony at the inquest was not allowed into evidence at her trial. It should also be pointed out that if Lizzie Borden did kill her father and step mother there was no blood on her nor her clothes when the police arrived.

It was not solely on her testimony at the inquest that led to her arrest and trial. She did have motive as her father had recently given property to his wifes family and Lizzie had made it clear that she disagreed with this decision believing the property should have been given to her and her sister. Lizzie also did not much care for her step mother Abby at all. Knowlten had made clear at the trial that he was asking for the death penalty if a conviction was rendered by the jury. At this time the electric chair was the newly invented device used for execution and had she been convicted she would have been the first woman to be executed by electric chair. Since, at the time of her trial, women were not allowed to serve on a jury, it was twelve men who heard the circumstantial evidence and who were expected to either acquit or render a guilty verdict which would send her to her death. It is believed that because it was a jury of twelve men, they were unwilling to condemn this woman to death and so acquitted her instead. However, there are others who believe they just did not believe she was guilty nor capable of brutally killing her father that no one doubted she loved.

If she was indeed guilty then there were two crucial mistakes the District Attorney had made. The first was by not apprising Lizzie of her rights before leading her into damaging testimony. This was a violation of her rights and ultimately prevented the prosecution from using it against her at trial. The second mistake was by asking for the death penalty which meant a particularly hard decision for a jury to make in terms of convicting Lizzie Borden based solely on circumstantial evidence. In terms of the juries decision to acquit, given that the damaging testimony she gave at the inquest was information not privy to the jury, it seems the acquittal was justified as there was indeed reasonable doubt. Simply being home at the time of the murder and not liking a step mother and not being happy with her father for giving away family property to a family she considered not to be family is hardly damaging evidence for a jury to convict a woman of murder and send to her death.