Boston Post Interview with Lizzie's Friend Mrs. Brigham

[irishlass78]

From The Boston Post, Saturday, Aug. 20, 1892

MRS. BRIGHAM TALKS. Lizzie's Closest Friend Tells of the Borden Home Life cause the hand of the law laid upon her friend would not permit her to return to the world. Next to Lizzie Borden speaking for herself, therefore, Mrs. Brigham can best of all others now living, speak for her. Thus far she has remained silent—has spoken to no one for publication; but today, moved, as she said, by a desire to set her friend right as against the calumnies that have been uttered against her, she granted me an interview, which extended through two hours.

“I will tell you all that I know,” she began, “concerning the incidents of Lizzie’s recent life that bears upon this frightful tragedy. But first I wish you would stamp as a lie the allegation that Lizzie was not happy with her father and mother—her step-mother I mean. She has told me many times that these latter years of her life have been her happiest. The story that she would not sit at the table with her father is a falsehood of the blackest sort. It has long been understood and accepted in the house that she could take her breakfast when she wished, and the family did not wait for her if she was not up. She would come down when she was ready, and either prepare her own breakfast or Bridget would make her some toast. I know of many other women who do the same, and it was never thought remarkable until this happened.".

Fall River , Aug. 19.—Lizzie Borden’s closest friend in Fall River is Mrs. Brigham, who lives on Lincoln avenue—a handsome residence in the North End, the fashionable end of town. Mrs. Brigham has been the companion of Lizzie Borden through every period of her life. They went to the old Canal Street Primary School together; they were playmates as children, companions as young girls and close friends as grown women. Mrs. Brigham arrived at the Borden house as soon after hearing of the tragedy as she could; she was there much of the time during the period that the house was under guard; she was Lizzie’s companion and support during all those trips to the police courts ; was with her at the time she was arrested..."It has been said that Mr. Borden was angry with and did not speak to Lizzie upon her return from Europe. That, too, is simply a falsehood, distorted out of {?} that were as contrary to the statement as could be. On the night Lizzie arrived the family had given her up and Mr. and Mrs. Borden had gone to bed. Lizzie was very tired and only spoke a few words to Emma that night and retired. The next morning Mr. Borden found her steamer chair{?} in the hall and bounded up the stairs three at a time to see and greet her, and Lizzie told me that her hand ached all day he pressed it so hard. Going down town he met a man who said to him: ‘Well, I would guess that some one had come home judging from your bright face this morning.’

Mr. Borden Loved Lizzie. “Mr. Borden was, as they say, not a demonstrative man, but he loved his daughters and showed it at such times when they came back after being away. He did not like them to be away from home. I could give you very many illustrations of this, showing Lizzie's kind consideration for her father and his for her, For instance, both of the girls would have much preferred to live in this part of town to where they did, and often expressed the wish of course, but said that it was better for their father,{and}? convenient to live where they did, as it was near his business interests, and so they did not urge it. On the other hand, the father, knowing {illegible} idler of the wish, told them only a short time ago to look for a house in this neighborhood. Now as to Mrs. Borden. While she was a very good woman, she was not at all affectionate or {illegible} to draw the children to her. She was simply mild and good, and so long as things went smoothly she would have very little to say about the house. So that this should not be taken as proof of any bitterness of feeling between, them, for there was none.Lizzie Borden was a kind and generous girl-very generous—who would do anything in the world for anyone she thought much of. Whenever there were subscriptions to be made up she contributed liberally, and I have seen her assume debts at the church all herself.. These stories of her being skimped for money are equally false with the others. While her income was scarcely in keeping with the wealth of her father, she had more money than she needed. She had the best of clothes,, her room was fitted luxuriously as a parlor and bedroom, and she bought books by the set rather than by the volume.

About the Marion Trip. Now let me tell you about the arrangements for her outing at Marion just previous to the tragedy. I was invited to be of that party, and like her I could not go with those who went first, although the fact that she couldn't has been spoken of as so {Illegible}. She couldn’t go because her father and mother were going to Swansea. Her mother was depending upon a certain woman to go with her as companion, as Mr. Borden spent so much time in town that she would not remain over there alone. They found they couldn’t get the woman and so gave up the idea, and Mrs. Borden told Lizzie to go on with her plans. Previous to this, Lizzie had promised to act as substitute for the secretary of tho Christian Endeavor Society at their meeting on Sunday—It was an important consecration and business meeting. Had it not been for this, she would have gone to Marion on Saturday, but she would not break her word. It was early in the week when her mother told her she might go on with her plans, and she determined to visit her mother's cousin, Mrs. Morse, at Warren, for a couple of days, and wrote her to that effect. She was taken violently ill on Tuesday morning, and Wednesday morning, not feeling well enough, she wrote to Mrs. Morse that she could not come. Now, no one can ever convince me that a woman who had thus given up her own plans for a week to keep her word with the Christian Endeavor Society, and who had foregone her pleasure to serve her father and mother, could be plotting murder in her heart.”

And as to insanity? ” “There has never been a trace of it about her. She was a girl of very even temper. She never became excited. She had ideas, spoke them quietly and clearly. She could not be insane for the instant of committing the murder, and then return to her own normal self instantly—and after each of the two murders, for I think Mrs. Borden was murdered first, as do the others Her conduct since the murder has been just what anyone who knew her would expect. They speak of her dry eyes. Is it not all too awful to cry about? We might weep, as all of us have, for the death of Mr. and Mrs. Borden, but this, this is too terrible; even I cannot weep in face of it. Her pride was {illegible} at the first sign of suspicion being directed against her, and the horror of it {illegible} as she is.” “To the whole world it is a mystery how these murders could have been committed and the perpetrators escape without leaving the slightest evidence behind” I said. “To Lizzie Borden, leaving her father asleep on the lounge, and after a few minutes {illegible} to find him butchered, it is even a more astounding mystery.". Has she expressed no idea as to how or by whom it was committed?” “I know what she thinks, but she has, of course, been closely questioned about that at the inquest, and I would not care to say anything about it before the hearing."

“Does she suspect anyone ?” “No, I can say that she suspects no one.” “Can you tell me how the murders might have been committed?” “I do not wish to add to the many theories which have been discussed, but I know that Lizzie herself has often spoken to her mother about the arrangement of the rooms and halls of the house, and how anyone might come in and go all over the house without anyone knowing it. Members of the family have often done so and spoken of it. The house is a very solid old building and any noise or jar is not easily heard. A man could have entered by the cellar way or the side door, gone up stairs and killed Mrs. Borden and afterwards gone down and hidden in the parlor, which was rarely entered by any of the family. From there he could see anyone in the sitting room and, taking opportunity, have killed Mr. Borden and passed out either by the cellar way or (which would have been easier) turned the spring latch and walked out of the front door and down street, as would a caller at the house.” “Knowing the family and its history as you do, have you no theory as to who committed this murder?” “No, I have not. Mr. Borden was a man who spoke his mind very freely to anyone, and if they attempted to reply he would shut his teeth and walk away. Of course he had enemies, but none that I could suspect of such a deed.”

“Have you any idea of the character of the testimony given by Bridget Sullivan, which they say was chiefly the cause of determining the arrest of Lizzie?” “1 have not. Bridget—they called her Maggie—has been with the Bordens for four years; a faithful servant, of whom they thought very much. They believe that if she said anything {illegible} upon Lizzie that she was confused during the examination. Emma visited me since Lizzie’s arrest. Neither of them have said one word against her. “Emma said: ‘Poor Maggie, no wonder she wants to get away from the house. No matter what comes or this I will never say one word against Maggie. She has been a good girl. She was frightened—that is what is the matter. I am sure Lizzie was, and it would not be strange if she said conflicting things.’ Why, she was dazed and half fainting at the time she discovered her father’s body, and says she could not {illegible} a straight story of what took place. From that time on her mind was in the same condition—dazed—that is the word. She was wrought up to the highest tension, in a constant state of ignorance of what was corning next. Whatever she may have said in that condition, would it be strange if it conflicted at times, and would it lie any more so if Maggie’s did? No, it is all a horrible mystery, but Lizzie Borden will soon be proven guiltless.” Mrs. Brigham will visit Lizzie at the jail tomorrow.

[MysteryReader]

I will have to check my book Parallel Lives but wasn't Mrs. Brigham one of those that turned her back on Lizzie? I think one was her good friend Alice.