Lizzie Borden Society Forum

While visiting Abe books online, I saw some other Pearson books I hadn't heard of before. Has anyone got any info on these?

"Queer Books"
"Books in Black or Red"
"The Autobiography of a Criminal - Henry Tufts"
"Murders that Baffled the Experts" (1967 Signet paperback)
"Five Murders (with a final note on the Bordens) - 1960-ish paperback (is this really "Studies in Murder"?)

There was no description of the content of the books - only physical details.

I know you are interested in Pearson's writings even on other cases, but here are annotations on books of his which do deal with the Borden case: from Resources, LABVM/L:

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

"Pearson, Edmund Lester. 'The Borden Case.' Studies in Murder. Garden City, NY: Garden City Publishing Co., Inc., 1924. 3-120. Rpt. in Studies in Murder. NY: The Modern Library, 1938. 3-119. Rpt. in Crimes that Shocked America. Eds. Brant House and Anthony Boucher. NY: Ace Books, 1961. 39-105. Rpt. in Unsolved! Classic True Murder Cases. Ed. Richard Glyn Jones. NY: Peter Bedrick Books, 1987. 187-271.
Considered one the best writers on the Borden murders, as well as the most prolific, "the Borden Case" is Pearson's first work on the subject. After a careful analysis of the murder events and the trial, Pearson offers a strong argument for Lizzie's guilt."

"Pearson, Edmund Lester. 'The Bordens: A Postscript.' Murder at Smutty Nose: and Other Murders. Garden City, NY: Doubleday, 1927. 291-302. Rpt. in NY: The Sun Dial Press, Inc., 1938. 291-302.
More personal account of Pearson's own reactions to the case and comments to his books."

"Pearson, Edmund Lester. 'A Postscript: The End of the Borden Case.' Five Murders. Garden City, NY: Doubleday, Doran & Co., 1928. 263-294. A condensation of the article appears as "The End of the Borden Case." Forum (March 1928): 370-390.
This article was written after Lizzie's death, and includes details of Lizzie's life following her acquittal, as well as interesting tidbits of gossip and rumor."

"Pearson, Edmund Lester. 'Rules for Murderesses.' Investigation of the Devil. NY: Scribner's, 1930. 239-331.
Lizzie is mentioned as an example of a woman who had no romantic entanglements, thus escaping the hazard of Rule 3: 'Even in the murder of a father or mother the astute murderess will take care that no lover appears upon the scene.' "

We have Studies In Murder, Murder At Smutty Nose, and Masterpieces of Murder, edited by Gross, which is a compilation of Pearson's essays.
So, yes, Virginia, there is a book called Five Murders.
And I say it thusly, because Masterpieces of Murder was given me by Stef as a birthday gift last year. It's GOOD!

The chapter, "Legends of Lizzie" appears in Masterpieces of Murder (1963) and More Studies In Murder (1936).
I have a copy of the chapter "The Final Word- The End of the Borden Case" from Five Murders (1928).

Thanks for the great and lengthy post, Kat! Looks like I've got some Pearson shopping to do.

I'm currently reading "Masterpieces in Murder", and I agree - it is so good! I am almost to the last page of the Dr. Webster story.

I'm also learning about Pearson. Reading the two intros, I did not know how well respected he was. They do admit he would omit evidence here and there in the Borden case as Radin pointed out when he wrote, but the authors of the intros attribute it to more that Pearson really believed in his theory - he wasn't doing it to just make stuff up. He was utterly convinced Lizzie did it.

Gee, it seems like in every chapter they feature in this book, Pearson is making at least one reference to Lizzie. ... And I thought we were obsessed.

He's very good, tho. I ordered his "Smuttynose" book today. I was browsing a rare book shop earlier and I found a couple of true crime anthologies by Radin. I can't wait to get into those, too.