Lizzie Borden Society Forum

This is a partial from a story appearing in the Barton County Democract , (Barton Kansas), August 18, 1882. Speaking of Bridget....."she said to the officer who accompanied her to the police headquarters "the murderer ought to clear me". When she was asked later what she meant she broke down and was unable to go on." That seems that she had to know WHO the murderer was, if she knew they were able to "clear" her? No?

Yes, those words certainly indicate she knew who the murderer was...the problem being anything printed in newspapers of that period is questionable. Journalism in the 1890s was about like the internet is now – unreliable, biased and sensationalistic. I've not read that quote before, but it's certainly thought provoking if factual. I'd also be interested in knowing the entire context.

Very interesting, BOBO. I have not run across that quote, either. It is a very telling quote, if Bridget actually said this. I would also be interested in knowing the entire context of that newspaper articule.

I haven't come across it either. If it's not a journalist with a very active imagination it still needn't implicate Lizzie, of course. It could mean an anonymous stranger with an axe who killed Mr and Mrs Borden but would not let her be arrested because, well, he wouldn't. She was so frightened that she wouldn't sleep in the Borden house, but that surely didn't mean that was because she was terrified of Lizzie being there. She was just frightened, in general.

I remember reading ages ago, don't know where, that one officer who escorted her to and fro when she was being questioned by detectives thought she might open up with him as he was Irish. However, he was reported to have said that she was open but only up to a point. He couldn't get anything useful out of her.

BOBO, is the entire article online? It would be interesting to know something more about the newspaper, too.

If Bridget was so frightened, why did she continue up those front stairs, right into that dark guest room without Mrs Churchill?
Mr. Sawyer didn’t even feel safe in the back hall area, and locked the door leading down to the cellar, and would step outside part of the time because he was uneasy.

Mrs. Churchill said she would go upstairs with me. As I went upstairs, I saw the body under the bed. I ran right into the room and stood at the foot of the bed. The door of the room was open. I did not stop or make any examination. Mrs. Churchill did not go in the room. We came right down. Miss Lizzie was in the dining room, lying on the lounge; Miss Russell was there.