Lizzie Borden Society Forum

Hi! This question is to any and all Borden murder historians and sleuths.

As I'm digging deeper into this fascinating puzzle, I'm getting ready to invest in more literature. The Knowlton Papers are available on Amazon for $275. In your opinion, is the information contained unique and key to researching this topic?

thanks in advance for your advise!

The best person to answer your question is mbhenty. He has an extensive collection of books on the Borden case, and he is very generous with sharing information with us and giving out details that you may never find in a book.

There's a deal on EBAY as we speak, camgarsky4

There's a copy for sale in excellent condition on eBay. These things are swept up quickly when posted for a decent price, which this one is.

Well worth it for 75 dollars.

Yep 75 dollars on eBay.

Good luck camgarsky4

Link below.


https://www.ebay.com/itm/The-Commonweal ... Swr~hfOHuS

Any serious student of the Borden Case can not avoid not delving into the Knowlton Papers.

It is full of pretrial correspondence between Attorney General Albert Pillsbury and Prosecuting Attorney Hosea Knowlton. It is also full of conspiracy and sleuth suggestions sent in by the public which makes for interesting if not entertaining reading.

Though not rare the book is scarce and out of print. (The original and onlyl run was 1100 copies)

You find them for sale for all sorts of money. Two hundred and seventy five dollars is pricy. I would wait and search for one much cheaper. They are usually found beat up. The copy in the post above is in very nice fine condition. And for 75 dollars it will be difficult to find it cheaper. Though one never knows. But if you were considering paying 275 I would certainly grab the one on eBay.

Here's an example of the quirky letters found in the Knowlton Papers.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------

HK005
Letter, handwritten in ink.

Worcester, Mass.
535 Main St.
August 10th 1-92
To The District-Attorneys -General of Fall River, Mass.
Mr. Pillsbury and Knowlton
Dear Sirs-
I am A Business Medium located in this City since 1882. I have met dur-
ing the last 10 years many People in trouble about various things and have
done them I trust a good deal of good, so it seemed to me from the Way
They Talked. Now I frequently have some very good visions. In thinking
recently about The Mr and Mrs Borden Murder that has startled the
entire Community & World, I talked the Matter over to some extent on
Tuesday afternoon The 9th Inst. to my Wife Who has the name of an
Excellent Clairvoyant or Spiritual Seer. After thinking It over and over
Who could have been Guilty of such a Terrible Crime and the True
Motive I laid myself down on the Bed to take a rest and soon fell fast
asleep I dreamed or saw in a vision as They are Wont to call it sometimes.
I will now try and relate what I saw. Was taken in the spirit to a House it
seemed to be in Fallriver went into a nice Square Room & met a lady that
I had never seen before. She was a thin faced woman average size I talked
with Her. While Talking a Door opened & I saw a man with a Hatchet
raised. When I looked again the Door closed partly but I could distinctly
see the man and would know Him right off should I ever see Him again.
The next thing I see was the Dress of the lady. In the Room she had on it
seemed a Print Dress with Dark figures on it the features of the lady was
grivious sort of long instead of fat face with Dark Eyes- the voice said to
me this woman was Murdered first the Man last with Hatchet & knife The
voice still further said to me come with Me I followed to the West side of
the House. She took me to a Place like A Henery Coop. I looked in and
saw in one corner of the Coop A Box of iron sort of Pig iron in another
corner of it was something like a Mattress half filled with Hair on one side
of the Mattress She drew out a long rusty knife with long round handle
bound with brass wire. The knife was an unusual ugly looking - the brass
on it run length wise on the handle - still further a voice said to me "Oh"
this is some of my Daughters plotting with Uncle Morse & the strange
man "Oh" My Daughter did this. Lizzie put her fist to my Mouth When I
tried hard to call some one it now seems to me that after having such a
wonderful Experience Spiritually as the above account that it may lead to
some clue of the Murder. I give the facts to you Gentlemen as I have
relived them. Some will say "Oh" it is only a dream. Well even so consid-
er the Matter and please look in the very perculiar place where I was
taken and if there is anything found like What has been described then it
will no doubt be the means of hunting up the Guilty Parties the
Intelligences say that 3 three Persons know who committed the Double
Murder and that the Mayor of the City of Fall River should at once offer a
Reward of one thousand Dollars, independent of the one offered by the
sisters Emma & Lizzie Borden. Should you Gentlemen think at any time
that My presence in Fall River would aid you and the Officers I will come
at once and do all that I possibly can for you as a Medium to unravel this
great Mystery I am yours Most Respectfully,
J. Burns Strand
Trance Medium and Physician

Thank you MB; I appreciate you stepping in here. I knew you could answer camgarsky4's question much better than I could.

MB -- thanks for the lead!

Just ordered it and said would be here the 29th. I'm "only' in my 50's, but very old school with social media. So this was my first ever Ebay purchase....wife had to give me a little help. Ah well....thanks to you, her and twins!

Tomorrow I should be receiving the newer book "Case Against Lizzie Borden". Really looking forward to fully immersing myself in this case. It has only been a few weeks and these Borden characters are really latching on to me! :)

MB, probably will be getting your fiction version soon.....guessing it will be a very fun read.

I am so happy for you, camgarsky4! Your welcome for my very small part in this thread. I give full credit to MB on his participation in helping you get your copy of the Knowlton Papers!

Michael Martins, curator of the Fall River Historical Society, has written a blog post on Lizzie Borden and the paranormal.

There is a historical connection, it seems, between the Borden murders and the Spiritualist Movement of the Victorian Era. Psychics, clairvoyants, and mediums wrote to prosecutor Hosea Knowlton in 1893 to express their impressions of the case after they had consulted with spirits from the “other side.”


https://lizzieborden.org/CuratorsCorner ... aranormal/


Interesting, no less.

My copy of the Knowlton Papers is supposed to arrive next week!