Edwin H. Porter

[Airmid]

I would very much like to know a bit more about Porter. All I know is that he was born in 1864 and died in 1904.
Does any of you have a bit more information about him? Was he married? Where did he live? Who were his parents? Any other biographical information?

Thanks,
Airmd.

[joe]

Hi Airmid,
1900 Federal Census for Fall River shows Ed Porter as being born in Kentucky in 1865. Wife is Winnifred. Two daughters: Florence and Winnifred. His occupation is "Reporter". Looks like they lived at 702 S. Main St.

Info from Ancestry.com:
ID: I0160
Name: Edwin H PORTER
Sex: M
Birth: 29 DEC 1863 in Thompkinsville, KY
Death: in Massachusetts
Father: Columbus P PORTER b: 7 OCT 1836 in Patrick County Virginia
Mother: MARGARET b: 2 SEP 1847 in Va
(Ancestry contributer is Paula Danley email pdanley@houston.rr.com)

[Airmid]

Wow thanks Joe! That was exactly what I was looking for.

I think I found him now too on Familysearch.org. If their information is correct, his father was a jailer. But I don't know what to make of the prisoners being part of the household!
I'm including a partial screenshot.

Airmid.

[Harry]

This scan is from the Knowlton Papers (Glossary A)

"PORTER, EDWIN H. 1864 - 1904: born in Glasgow, Kentucky, son of Columbus and Margaret (Davis) Porter. Educated in the public schools of his native Glasgow, he was first employed as a teacher and, later, learned the trade of typesetting. He traveled extensively and for a time was employed by the Providence Telegram in Providence, Rhode Island. From there he went to Fall River, Massachusetts, to become city editor of the Tribune until its dissolution. He was then engaged by the Daily Globe, where he was on staff for a time with Thatcher T. Thurston. His specialty was police work and he became the correspondent to the Boston Herald for his district. He married Miss Winnie Leonard of Fall River in 1891. At the conclusion of the Borden murder trial, his book, The Fall River Tragedy: A History of the Borden Murders was published. He was in the city of Fall River at the time of his death."

At the time of the murders he resided at 10 Rodman (renumbered to 111 in 1896), which is about a block and a half south of 92 Second. The 1896 Fall River City Directory still shows him working for the FR Daily Globe as a reporter. At the time of his death, as Joe said, he lived on South Main.

Len Rebello wrote a very interesting piece on him in the January 1994 LBQ. In part it reads:

"There have been accounts that Porter left Fall River in haste after his book was published. Porter supposedly disappeared from sight and was never to be heard of again. Arnold Brown in Lizzie Borden: The Legend, the Truth, the Final Chapter, wrote: "Porter himself, like most everyone connected with the case, disappeared from sight" (p. 106). Brown further made the assumption that Porter was "paid to disappear, just as legend says Bridget Sullivan was. (Porter) was never heard from again" (Brown, p. 106). Was Porter's presumed and imagined disappearance a mystery that somehow implied Lizzie's involvement to suppress the book?
Edwin H. Porter and his family, like Miss Borden of Maplecroft, never left Fall River as some writers and Borden enthusiasts would have us believe.

Porter continued to work as a reporter for the Fall River Daily Globe and correspondent for The Boston Herald. At this time, he and his family lived at 704 South Main Street. Porter may have disappeared occasionally but for a viable reason. He had contracted tuberculosis (according to his Death Certificate) and, according to his obituary had sought treatment several times at the state sanitarium at Rutland.

Only his family and most intimate friends knew of his illness. When not confined to his home, Porter continued to work for the Globe and did so until his health had worsened on New Year's Day in 1904. Edwin H. Porter died at his home in Fall River on Sunday, February 28, 1904. He was thirty-nine years old. Surviving him were his widow, Winifred, and two daughters, Florence (12) and Winifred (5). ..... He was buried at St. Patrick's Cemetery in Fall River."

Rebello goes on to say Porter's daughter, Winifred, also contracted T.B. and passed away in 1919 at the age of 20.

[Airmid]

What a wealth of information! Thanks, Harry!
Poor Porter, I really feel sorry for him.

[RayS]

From the Civil War Era to the late 1940s TB was the biggest cause of death. It usually took people in their late 20s to 40s.
It is a "social disease" spread by germs and the result of poor nutrition, usually. But I'm not a dr. "Poverty" was the likely indicator for a victim.
The invention or discovery of antibiotics helped to cure it (BCG ?).

[RayS]

This scan is from the Knowlton Papers (Glossary A)
...
Len Rebello wrote a very interesting piece on him in the January 1994 LBQ. In part it reads:

"There have been accounts that Porter left Fall River in haste after his book was published. Porter supposedly disappeared from sight and was never to be heard of again. Arnold Brown in Lizzie Borden: The Legend, the Truth, the Final Chapter, wrote: "Porter himself, like most everyone connected with the case, disappeared from sight" (p. 106). Brown further made the assumption that Porter was "paid to disappear, just as legend says Bridget Sullivan was. (Porter) was never heard from again" (Brown, p. 106). Was Porter's presumed and imagined disappearance a mystery that somehow implied Lizzie's involvement to suppress the book?
Edwin H. Porter and his family, like Miss Borden of Maplecroft, never left Fall River as some writers and Borden enthusiasts would have us believe.

Porter continued to work as a reporter for the Fall River Daily Globe and correspondent for The Boston Herald. At this time, he and his family lived at 704 South Main Street. Porter may have disappeared occasionally but for a viable reason. He had contracted tuberculosis (according to his Death Certificate) and, according to his obituary had sought treatment several times at the state sanitarium at Rutland.

Only his family and most intimate friends knew of his illness. When not confined to his home, Porter continued to work for the Globe and did so until his health had worsened on New Year's Day in 1904. Edwin H. Porter died at his home in Fall River on Sunday, February 28, 1904. He was thirty-nine years old. Surviving him were his widow, Winifred, and two daughters, Florence (12) and Winifred (5). ..... He was buried at St. Patrick's Cemetery in Fall River."

Rebello goes on to say Porter's daughter, Winifred, also contracted T.B. and passed away in 1919 at the age of 20.

I guess that Arnold Brown, like other writers, wasn't perfect? That quote fails to mention if his byline disappeared or if Porter used a pen name. Local gossip isn't always right.

1893 saw the worst depression in American history (until the Great Depression of 1927-1949). There is documentary proof for the suppression and persecution of Asa Mercer for his "Banditti of the Plains". The printing shop was burned, copies confiscated by the sheriff. But somebody broke into the jail and stole hundreds of copies. It has now been reprinted, like Edwin Porter's work. Its disappearance was attributed to buying up and destroying every copy that could be found. I believe this, given the fact of Mercer's book getting the same treatment.
In the 1920s a college professor wrote a book critical of President Harding. The FBI raided stores to confiscate copies, the Secret Service invaded the professor's home to grab writings, first manhandling the professor. He fled to Canada until it was safe to return.
Sort of like what happened in Germany after Hitler gained power.

[shakiboo]

Our government has been responsible for alot of shameful events in the past, some of which we know about, makes you wonder what they've done that we don't know about.......

[RayS]

Our government has been responsible for alot of shameful events in the past, some of which we know about, makes you wonder what they've done that we don't know about.......

Our "government" is merely the name for the political clique that currently controls power. Do you follow your own local news? The papers will only print a neutral account: "Zoning Board Grant Variance ..."

Note how nobody here went after Pearson for his "Legends of Lizzie". Arnold Brown did list the people who helped him in "Acknowledgments".
Errare humanus est.

[mbhenty]

Thanks for the information about Porter Harry:

You know, that whole Porter thing, his book's publication, his health, missing grave marker etc. is all very strange and fascinates me. More than likely there is much to it that we will never know.

Porter sat on a gold mine. Being from Fall River, the main newspaper man on the case and writing published account in good order, it's a mystery why he did not run with it. I always felt that using a small time publisher in Fall River was a mistake on Edwin's part. He should have shopped around for a big time publisher in New York or Boston, someone who would have promoted and pedaled the book for him. The book was put together very well. But common to the way things were done in Fall River, the use of very inferior stock was an unfortunate outcome in the survival of the book.

Though I give great credit to Mr Rebello for trying to discover how many copies of the book survived, I think it is highly unlikely we will ever know since copies lie undiscovered in private libraries.

Hope all is well Harry. Thanks again..........MB

[snokkums]

Edwin Porter. I am at a lose here. Can someone remind me who he is please.

[theebmonique]

Snok...scroll back and read Harry's post. It tells quite a bit about Mr. Porter.





TRacy...

[Kat]

The Porter book is a download at the website.

http://lizzieandrewborden.com/Resources ... dBooks.htm

[patsy]

Just another incorrect story that goes around about Porter leaving and never being heard of again.