News Snippet

[mbhenty]

A little news snippet.

Taken from the Fall River Hearld News from 1932. Maplecorft, five years after Lizzie had passed on.

(Click to make the image Huuuuuuge.)

[mbhenty]

I forgot the mention.

I believe that Maplecroft was empty at the time of the attempted break-in. After Lizzie died her estate took 5 years to process.

Herman and Fannie David were the new owners of Maplecroft after Lizzie. They purchased the house in 1933.

[mbhenty]

You say you need a cow for your dairy needs. Just visit Andy Borden. He'll help you out

[mbhenty]

Tall fences make for a happy life. Or does it
.
.
.

[camgarsky4]

MB -- fun articles!

Found a similar article from the same time.....this one makes it more clear who is AJB's cow providing partner.....George B. Fish.
Could this be the same George B. Fish who thought Lizzie and Morse co-conspired to bring about the demise of the elder Borden's?

Screenshot 2024-01-08 232721.png

[mbhenty]

Yes, probably one and the same. Husband to Abby's elder sister Priscilla.

It is interesting to note that his name has been spelled differently by scholars of the case.

In his book, Leonard Rebello referred to Fish as "George H Fish. While in Edwin Porter's book he is referred to as G.F. Fish.

I believe the Fish clan was living in Connecticut at the time of the murders.

In any event. After Abby and Borden were slain Fish and his wife died like 2 years later and 3 weeks apart from one another.

And that's no fish story.

[Kat]

This is a good section for you, and thanks for the snippets!
I never knew Mr Fish worked with or for Andrew Borden- It says to inquire “on the premises” so that means Fish spent time at the farm.

BTW do you know the year of the fence with Swift?

[mbhenty]

Sorry No Kat. I don't know when the fence went up. But if you look at the photo below... way over to the right is the Davenport House where I once lived. If you look closely you can see a fence. That is a Tall fence. Uncommonly tall, around 8 feet. So it appears that she had a very tall fence separating the Davenport back yard and hers. But in this picture there does not appear to be a fence between Maplecroft and the Swift property... unless it starts further back and you can't see it. That means she erected a fence in front of her wonderful granite wall. There must have been a serious issue for her to do so..... poor thing.

It is worth noting that many years later I put up a 6 foot fence on my side of Lizzie's granite wall to block my sight of Robert Dube, who owned Maplecorft and who caused me tons of grief, not to mention buko-dollars in lawyer's fees.

[Kat]

Is that the Swift house where we are standing? I don’t remember it that close to Lizzie’s, in yr picture?
Here is the rear of Maplecroft, to the right, from the adjacent property, with a short iron fence in modern days (is that hers?), and a good view of the stone wall (it’s nice-looking) in the back, and that must be Lizzie’s tall cement or iron post right in front of us? What is that- is it out of context?

[mbhenty]

Yes:

You are standing in the Swift driveway. The once Swift house is just behind you. The corner of the building you see is the Swift garage. You are looking over at the west side off Maplecorft over Lizzie's iron fence. Yes, that is the fence Lizzie put up. That tall gray post you see is probably a support for Lizzie's tall 8 foot fence. To the top of the ball is nearly 9 feet. It is wood. Hard to believe it is still there. (Old growth. Cedar?). As of a year or two back that fence post was still there. (click on photo to make enormous. )

If you look at the old photo I posted in the thread above, the driveway is between the two buildings, just to the left of the tree. You are standing about 30 feet up the driveway from that tree, which is no longer there. (I was there when that tree got very old and toppled over.) I, on the otherhand, am in the house drinking a Jack Daniels along with some goat cheese watching Gunsmoke on my small screen TV and trying to forget an old girlfriend.

[mbhenty]

Just noticed....

If you look at the picture you posted, Kat, to the left of the post is a tree. That tree is on the Swift property. Today it is gone. Although the stub trunk is still there. I can't believe they took it down without disturbing that old fence post. If I am not mistaken, the old wood post supports the end of the Iron fence.

[mbhenty]

Below is a photo of Lizzie's east fence, along the Davenport property. This fence was nearly on the ground over 10 years ago. You can see the corner post where it is supported by two galvanized steel pipes to help hold it up. I put those up. Also, along the fence are some iron braces set off from the main run of the fence, on an angle, to support the fence and hold it upright. They were all rotted and not doing their job. I embedded some bricks in the ground to support their weight, in turn, holding the fence up. It was a temporary fix. As of last year the fence was still holding, although in need of some serious restoration. The post by the sidewalk has rotted right off at the base.

In one of the pictures below you can see a stick, one of two or three that I had put in place to hold the fence up once it fell.

In the last photo, if you look closely, you can see the two stakes or pipes I drove into the ground to support the rotted fence post. (galvanize pipe.)

[mbhenty]

I wonder which room he held his little vigils in

[Kat]

Thank you so much for the death date of Zephaniah Borden- I did not have that yet in the Borden Genealogy. He was born July 18, 1814 and if his funeral was in February and he was considered 69 1/2, then we now have death date of Feb 1884. If you don’t mind, I will use this snippet in the Heritage Project here in it’s own Forum.

[Kat]

Looking back at the Swift/Borden lots pic, now I can see there are actually 2 trees there when we were there, and in yr double picture the stump of the small one seems to reveal itself.

Was that little decorative retaining wall in the front of yr old property built by Lizbeth, do you know, or come with her purchase? It’s very nice- I didn’t notice it before.
It’s a good thing it’s there or the hospital visitors would be using the front lawn for parking!

[mbhenty]

Yes, I put up that little wall while I was renovating the place.

People from the hospital did not park their cars there, but after I put up the wall, they would park their tosh's and have a cigarette. I would need to chase them away since they always left a mess. Some of them nurses. Another big problem I had was that they would park their cars right in the driveway. And we could not get out of the yard to drive to work. I had many cars towed away. It was funny to see them come out and find their car gone. There was no way you could miss the driveway. Still If they were to ask I would have told them, "Lizzie did it."


"Hey you! Don't forget your drink!"

You can see that the yard use to slope down to the sidewalk.

[Kat]

You are an Artisan! And it suits the street and likens to that rear stone wall Lizzie had built.
And really, thanks again for the Laddy death date.

[mbhenty]

You are welcomed Kat. Serendipity, I suppose.

Here's another snippet. For all those who think that Andrew was a "mean old skinflint miser."

Here we find that Andrew is building a house for one of his workers. The fellow responsible for the upkeep of the Swansea farm and his family. What sort of skinflint does that? Has your employer built you a house to live in? Yes, yes, I know. Borden still retained the rights to the property. But just the same. Misers do not do that. (Although, I am sure there was a profit in it for Borden. And perhaps common practice in those times. Considering rich Mill Barons built city blocks of tenement houses for their workers.)

The house still stands today. And for all those who have driven down to the Borden Swansea Farm House, you have driven right by it, unaware. It's just about 1/5 of a mile up from the Borden Farm house on another plot of land owned by Borden, but across the street (Gardner's Neck Road).

So you see, there are two Borden farm houses. The small cottage still stands today.

[Kat]

Thank you! Do you possibly know the date of the 2 news items?
What is 1/2 a story?
Do you think that section of building that is set back on the far right, was a later addition? I don’t guess it’s the “Ell” they are referring to…

[mbhenty]

Yes Kat:

The house was built in the early 1880s. The newspaper report is from 1883, I believe.

And no, it was not built with that small extension. That was added on much later. Such homes were almost always built as one main building. If you wanted more room you just built it bigger. It was not the practice to incorporate "extensions" in the original plans.

Also, if you see the slant to the roof on the back, behind the solar panels. That is also an extension, as are most Cape Cod style homes with dormers. (Although some time later such capes were built with dormers, or given a "dormer style" in their original house plans.) The back roof almost certainly sloped at an angle like the front roof. That was also an extension added later on. A dormer extension. Originally the house was much smaller.

Not certain if Borden originally built the house with an in-ground swimming pool and marshmallow roasting pit? More research would be needed

[mbhenty]

Let's take another look at the small Cape Cod home built by Andrew Borden. It was built right next door to the train tracks and train station.

Over the years the place has undergone extensive small changes.

As I mentioned above, there was the dormer out the back.

Then if you look at the extension you will discover that it is an extension with an extension, with an extension.

The first one is the center portion, with the sloping roof end and chimney. Then in front of it is another extension. An entry? This could have been a porch at one time and enclosed. Then there's the portion that jets out in the back, built on posts. This also could have been a porch at one time and enclosed. Enclosing a porch was a cheap way to add a room.

So you see, this little house had four little extensions added over its lifetime.

[mbhenty]

Below is an 1895 map of Garner's Neck Road, where Borden had his farms. Towards the middle of the map on the left side of the road you can see the "A.J. Borden" farm. This is the main farm house.

Upper-center you can see the railroad tracks cutting across the map. Just below it, on the right side of the road is again, "A.J. Borden". (When this map was made Borden was already dead).

Just below Borden's name is a dotted track leading down towards the water. This is Hetherington Drive today. Just below it is a house with a barn behind it right up to the road. (building with a cross in it is the barn) It is interesting to note that one of the extensions to the house mentioned in the post above is actually in place, although I still contend that it was not original to the house. I think it must have been added roughly 10 years later since this map is 1895 and the house was built in 1883. Then again, I could be wrong. It has happened before.

(Another contention of mine is the reference to Borden's upper and lower farms. Some appear to think that the upper farm was the farm Borden had off Warren Road across town. I always believed that the upper farm and lower farms was reference to the two plot of lands Borden owned on Gardner's Neck. The lower farm being the main farm house and the upper farm, on the upper portion of Gardner's Neck Road, the one with the little Cape home in the posts above.)

And just to the lower left, where you see that little spit of land, little hook of land and open pond. Just off that is where my sailboat sits in Cedar Cove on the Coles River. I must have been away, since you don't see my boat on the map.

[mbhenty]

In Andrew Borden's day there were three Andrew Bordens living in Fall River. One of them lived just a little over two blocks from Maplecorft in a house on Rock Street named "The moorings".

Then there was this Andrew Borden who lived in the South End of the city. A sad story unfolding into a tragic end.

[mbhenty]

Here's a curious tidbit.

This news clip was taken from the 1867 Fall River newspaper. This article was published 5 years before Borden purchase the Second Street house. It appears that Borden had an interest for Second Street since before he even lived there he owned property on Second Street. Hmm, I wonder where?

[mbhenty]

It appears that Borden had interest in and around the old neighborhood.

Here's a clip from 1866.

[mbhenty]

And here's another... SOLD to the man with all the money.

This sale was from the same time period as the property above. Good size property. And it was just about 2 to 3 hundred feet from 93 Second Street. Circa 1865. About 7 years before he moved to Second Street.

[mbhenty]

Here we find how much Borden paid for the Trafton House, or 93 Second Street, where he eventually moved to. (1872)

[mbhenty]

Sound like a good time for all...

[mbhenty]

Wonder what this was all about

In any event, it happened to a 23 year old Lizzie according to the newspaper's date. The things they printed

[mbhenty]

Borden had property everywhere.

Many of his properties must have been compulsory and financial opportunities in Borden's enterprising way of thinking. An unavoidable, suitable purchase to turn over in the future and make a handsome profit. Why else would a banker need a farm. It's what frugal bankers did. Acquire property.

In the report below the substance of the notice has nothing to do with Borden. Just that his property is next to the one that is for sale. And evidence of Borden owning property on what is today known as Old Warren Road in the 1870s. To Andrew Borden, it was indeed a small world after all.

[mbhenty]

I read The Sun also Rises by Ernest Hemingway three times, trying to discover what it was critics found so brilliant. I first read it in the 70s, once in the 90s and quite recently in 2005.

Each reader to his author, I suppose, but I found the book and story one of the dullest reads ever. What was I missing? Perhaps if I read it again and again I will discover the brilliance behind Hemingway. Nope. Boring story; boring spoiled drunk characters, and boring writing style.

In reading other Hemingway titles they all read the same. (For Whom The Bell Tolls. Evidently, not for me!)

Then I realized what was wrong. Hemingway was not so much a writer but a reporter. That is how he began his career. And it carried over to his writing. Precise, to the point, short, and tedious. Although there was no mistaking who or what he was talking about, unlike the news snippet below.

Written in Hemingway manner, the account by the writer below is "newspaperish." ( It may work in a newspaper but does nothing for me in a novel.)

If you read quickly you would think that it was Borden who was injured and not the horse. And it was Borden that they had to put down. Ostensibly, the writing of a genuine reporter. Unclear and confusing. Although my editor tells me it is not the authors writing style but my reading style that's in error. She may be right.

In any event, here's the snippet.

[Kat]

I’ve enjoyed yr snippets. Cool!
But, *Ach, Mon*! I would like at least the year on some of these, like the suicide and the clambake…plz?
(What a juxtaposition)
*I’m Scottish

And as for the addition to the addition to the addition of the house, I’ve never seen anything like it! Thanks for explaining what I was looking at!

[mbhenty]

Here we find that Borden has released his interest in the Borden-Almy Furniture Company, 1878, but retains the service of undertaking.

[mbhenty]

It is interesting to note that Andrew Borden's father Abraham, Lizzie's grandfather, died only 10 years before Andrew. The old fellow lived to the ripe old age of 84 and outlived his wife by almost 30 years. Thus, if Borden was not killed by , he could have lived another ten to fifteen years if measured by how long granddad hung around.

That would make Lizzie in her middle forties and still living on second street. I can see why the old fellow had to be snuffed out.

[mbhenty]

Hmmm, Mr. Borden should take a taxi and give up driving.

But tell that to the horse.

Funny how the horse found his way home. Borden must have been turning from Cottage Street onto 2nd. (just a guess.). This would give the horse a straight run home.

I have included the 1877 Fall River map below. This was the year the newspaper report of Borden's accident occurred.

If you look way over to the right on the map you can locate Cottage Street. And way over to the left, Just left of the church, St. Mary's, center left, you can see 2nd Street. Just above the letters ST in the street is the Borden home at number 93 Second. "

[mbhenty]

Here's another account of the snippet above.

Can you picture Borden on the ground holding onto the reins after being tossed to the ground and being towed along?

Whoa! You go Andrew

Minor injuries. At 55 years of age he must have been one tuff dude

[Kat]

It’s starting to sound like AJB isn’t very good at driving at all.
Morse was needed- he grabs and stops horses!

[mbhenty]

I was watching this murder program on that "Scam Box" called TV, where they have 10 minutes of programing and 30 minutes of commercials; where they unethically push drugs and promote addicts for profit; there was this fellow who was trying to kill his wife. One attempt he made was to remove all the lug nuts on one wheel on his wife's car, except for one nut, so the wheels would fall off and she would crash and die... I suppose. Of course eventually he killed her than stole her car and tried getting away. Fortunately the car had Onstar and they tracked and caught up to him.

This Andrew Borden mishap was probably John Morse's attempt to do the same; loosening the hub nut on the wagon wheel so it could fall off. Hmmm?

[mbhenty]

Lucky that Borden's building did not burn down half the city in the report below.

It was going to cost 50 dollars to repair the damages caused by the fire.

Funny.

I purchased two small boxes of stainless steel trim screws the other day and that cost me 52 dollars.

The fire happened in a water closet.

I would say someone was conducting their bodily business while smoking, heh?

[camgarsky4]

Kat - here are the dates for the suicide and clambake articles.

Screenshot 2024-01-26 230403.png

Screenshot 2024-01-26 230244.png

[Kat]

Thank you