"Miss Carrie Poole, mad"

[camgarsky4]

Original opening post has been updated to include address information provided by the 1887, 1889, 1891 and 1892 New Bedford City Directories. These are the years between 1880-1893 that we have been able to locate digitally.

Thanks Cagney!
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Knowlton Papers - Pages 182-184. Document HK 182. Based on chronological placement by editors, list was written mid-May, 1893.
These pages contain a witness list that Knowlton handwrote in preparation for the trial which took place the following month.
The following handwritten note was on the reverse side of the list.
"Miss Carrie Poole, mad"

Was this note by Knowlton suggesting that Carrie Pool (correct spelling) was insane or had some other chronic/lifelong mental handicap?
I think the answer is no.

What might Carrie Pool have testified about at Lizzie’s trial?
Knowlton would have asked Carrie to describe conversations she had with Lizzie regarding the Borden family relationships and Lizzie’s concerns about Andrews ‘estate planning’ consequences. Carrie’s sister, Augusta Tripp, testified at the inquest that Carrie had these conversations with Lizzie.

Augusta D. Tripp Inquest testimony Page 141.
Q. Did Lizzie say to you she did not know that either Emma or she would get anything in the event of her father’s death?
A. I did not hear her say so.
Q. Who told you she said so?
A. I think my invalid sister told me so.
Q. What is her name?
A. Miss Carrie M. Poole (sic), she is very feeble, she lives on Madison street, New Bedford, she is very feeble indeed.

What do we know about Carrie?
Carrie, born Oct. 23, 1860 (just 3 months after Lizzie), was raised in Westport, Ma., a small village ~10 miles from Fall River. She was the youngest of two daughters born to Nancy H. Pool; the older daughter being Augusta Tripp (inquest witness). During her Westport years, Carrie lived with her sister and mother in the home of her grandfather (George H. Gifford). This living arrangement changed with her sister’s marriage in 1881 and her grandfathers death, a year later, in 1882.

At that point, around 1882/83, Carrie, Nancy, and Nancy's cousin, Frank S. Davis, moved to New Bedford. They resided at a number of addresses in New Bedford, including 192 Grinnell Street, 107 Fourth, and 239 Acushnet. The George W. Howland family also resided in each of these locations with the Pool's. It is likely that in May, 1891, the Howland's, Carrie and Nancy (Frank died 1888) moved to 20 Madison Street. It was at this location which Lizzie visited two weeks prior to the Borden murders.

Carrie died from tuberculosis June 18, 1893, ironically as Lizzie's trial was drawing to a close. The trial and Carrie's death both occurred in New Bedford.

Now, back to Knowlton’s “mad” notation about Carrie.

To start, it is noted that the witness list was written just a month before Carrie’s death and the trial. At that point in time, Carrie was in the most dire conditions that tuberculosis can place upon its victim. So the context of the word ‘mad’, could merely be that she was delirious from the disease or the medical treatment of the disease, making her unable to be a witness in the trial.

Second, Carrie lived at 20 Madison Street. The notation, “mad”, could be short for Madison, as a notation as to where she could be found for an interview.

Setting aside both of these two plausible explanations for Knowlton’s notation, do we have any clues that Carrie might have been insane or anything comparable?

We don’t have volumes of documentation of Carrie’s life….but we do have a handful of interesting insights of her personal history that indicate Carrie participated in many of the ‘normal’ aspects of life and did not appear to be limited by a mental or physical handicap for the majority of her life.

#1 Carrie attended school.
1870 U.S. Census lists Augusta and Carrie Pool as attending school.


#2 Disability not recorded when status requested.
1880 U.S. Census, which specifically gathered information about idiotic, insane and disabled residents, does not have any notations indicating Carrie had any of these issues.

Column 18. Idiotic Column 19. Insane Column 20. Crippled/Paralyzed
click on image to enlarge

Screenshot 2024-07-09 164535.png

#3 Carrie was employed.
“She was for five or six years in the employ of H.S. Hutchinson & Co.”
Source: New Bedford Evening Standard. June 21, 1893.

Screenshot 2024-07-10 175845.png

1892 New Bedford city directory

Screenshot 2024-07-10 175538.png

Lizzie Inquest testimony
Q. Did you buy a dress pattern in New Bedford?
A. A dress pattern?
Q. Yes.
A. I think I did.
Q. Where did you buy it?
A. I don't know the name of the store.
Q. On the principal street there?
A. I think it was on the street that Hutchinson's bookstore is on. I am not positive.
Q. What kind of a one was it, please?
A. It was a pink stripe and a white stripe, and a blue stripe corded gingham.
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Is there a reason that Lizzie specifically remembered Hutchinson’s bookstore location and name? Neither she or Nancy Pool mention book shopping during Lizzie’s New Bedford visit. To me, it is clear that Lizzie knew of this bookstore because her friend Carrie worked there and presumably was mentioned in conversation and Lizzie likely calling on the bookstore during previous visits to the Pool’s and New Bedford.


#4 Carrie was active in civic organizations

Screenshot 2024-07-09 165003.png

[CagneyBT]

hi Cam!

I don't believe that Carrie Poole was insane at all, and I think your research bears that out. Good job!

Knowlton's notation of "mad" was most likely a reference to her address at 20 Madison St, not her state of mind.

As early as August 1892, Carrie was "very feeble indeed," according to Augusta Tripp's inquest testimony. Carrie was debilitated by the ravages of pulmonary tuberculosis. By the time of the trial in June 1893, she was in the final stages of the disease. The average life span of someone with tuberculosis was three years, and there was no treatment. It was also extremely contagious. For that reason alone, Carrie wouldn't have been allowed to set foot in the courtroom, even if she was physically able to testify.

Another hurdle facing Knowlton was the time issue; Remember that Anna Borden's testimony had been excluded because it was too remote in time in relation to the murders (comments by Lizzie made to her in 1890). The court likely would have ruled against allowing Carrie's testimony for the same reason. Augusta Tripp couldn't pinpoint when Carrie had her conversations with Lizzie or when Augusta herself had learned of them. She stated at the inquest that "those things were years back, and thinking they never would come up, I can't recollect word for word things that occured years ago."

I think these factors explain why Carrie wasn't called as a witness.

I didn't know that Carrie worked at Hutchinson's bookstore. It makes sense why Lizzie used it as a sort of landmark in relation to the clothing store she visited in New Bedford. Do we know what years Carrie worked there? That could provide a time frame as to when Carrie and Lizzie possibly chatted about the Borden family relations.

[camgarsky4]

It seems most likely that Carrie and Nancy moved to New Bedford late 1892 or early 1893, less than a year after George Gifford died and his home sold.

We know Carrie was ill when Lizzie visited July, 1892. Carrie's housemate and second cousin, Frank, died from tuberculosis in the Spring, 1888. This would make Nancy and Carrie hyper aware of the symptoms. Due to the contagious nature of TB, if they suspected Carrie was ill, Nancy would have isolated her sooner rather than later.

My best guess is that Carrie worked the 5-6 years at Hutchinson during the time frame of 1883 - 1891. I would lean toward the later portion of the range since its the job noted in her obit.

I've posted previously that I think the Pool sisters had an alternating visit arrangement with Lizzie. One year with Borden's, next at the Pool/Tripp's. Nancy mentions in Jennings (page 251) that the last time Lizzie visited her in New Bedford was two years previous. That would be 1890...same year as the Europe trip. With no reason to lie, Lizzie testified that prior to the July '92 New Bedford visit, her last overnight visit anywhere was her trip to Europe.

If everyone is 'spot on' with their recollections, the combination of all that suggests to me that Lizzie and Carrie talked family in the Spring, 1890. Lizzie's discontent at that time would match up well with what it appears Anna Borden was planning to testify regarding the Europe trip and Lizzie's comments about her family.

[CagneyBT]

These are the listings for the Pools in the available New Bedford city directories:

PoolNewBedfordCityDirectory1887.png

PoolNewBedfordCityDirectory1889.png

PoolNewBedfordCityDirectory1891.png

PoolNewBedfordFairhavenDirectory1892.png

PoolNewBedfordDirectory1893.png

Hutchinson's book & stationary store was located at 194 Union St. The work address for Carrie in the 1891 & 1892 directories is No. 9 Eighth St. There was a J.C. Shaw, M.D. who had an office & residence at that address.

According to Jennings, Nancy Pool told him that Lizzie last visited two years previously. That would have been in 1890, the year Lizzie went to Europe.

If these dates are correct, then Carrie's testimony, like Anna Borden's, would have been excluded as being too remote in time.

[camgarsky4]

Opening post has been updated to reflect the additional city directory information Cagney has provided.

[CagneyBT]

It seems to be a common misconception (one I had also shared) that Nancy & Carrie Pool and a man named George W. Howland were the only residents at 20 Madison St. in 1892.

But the Pools and George W. Howland's relationship was familial, and the household was much larger than previously thought.

George W. Howland and his family shared the same residences as Nancy & Carrie Pool at 192 Grinnell, 107 Fourth, 239 Acushnet St., and 20 Madison St. during the years 1887-1893. The Howlands & the Pools lived as one family unit.

George Howland was married to Jennie Louise Pool in July 1885. Jennie was a cousin to both Nancy & Edwin Pool. At the time of their marriage, George was a mariner and Jennie was a teacher. Jennie's sister, Mary Pool, also resided in New Bedford at 87 Grinnell St.; she was married to John S. Davis, who was a cousin of Frank Davis. Frank lived with Nancy & Carrie and the Howlands at 192 Grinnell St.; he died of pulmonary tuberculosis in 1888.

George's mother, Susan Grinnell Howland, also lived in the household. She died in July 1891 at 239 Acushnet St.

George and Jennie had three sons: Myron Howland, b. 1886 at 192 Grinnell St.; Roy B. Howland, b. 1891 at 239 Achushnet St.-d.1894; George Howland, Jr. b. 1894.

In Nancy Pool's interview with Andrew J. Jennings, she relates the family activites during Lizzie's visit in July 1892:
"Sat. morning after breakfast she (Lizzie) went down street & when she came home she brot home this dress pattern & bunch of sweet peas. Know it was Sat because she said bot them because our are wilted & they will be pretty for Sunday. Sat afternoon we went to Fairhaven & took little boy with me -- think when we came home I got something at Market -- She (Lizzie) wasn't out of my sight as walked -- told me about getting Frank's pills."

I believe the little boy Nancy referred to was Myron Howland, who would have been five or six years old at the time. (His father, George, was born in Fairhaven).

Jennie Howland had a nephew named named Frank E. Davis, but he died in 1882. Another nephew, Everett Francis Davis, was "feeble-minded." He was 19 years old in 1892. He may have been referred to informally as "Frank." Is he the mysterious individual who required the pills?

George W. Howland later became a sexton at the North Congregational Church in New Bedford. He died of pulmonary tuberculosis in April of 1895. The Howland family appeared in dire financial straits as the church threw a benefit concert for the family prior to his death:

GWHowlandbenefit.png

GWHowlandfuneralEveningStandardApril51895.png

Nancy Pool & her daughter, Augusta Pool Tripp, remained close to the Howland family after George's death.

HowlandPoolFRDENDec1908.jpg

HowlandPoolTheEveningHeraldSept1910.jpg

HowlandPoolFRDENNov1922.jpg

I wonder if Lizzie enjoyed visiting the Pools because the household, with the two young Howland children, was obviously lively, close-knit and normal...a far cry from the dreariness of Second St.

[camgarsky4]

Hot & cold water.....another reason Lizzie might have been drawn to visit the Pool's!

click on image to enlarge.

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