Lizzie Borden Society Forum

I'm finally getting around to reading Pearson's "Trial of Lizzie Borden". Actually just realized the PDF was available in the source document section of this website!!

Pearson makes a couple of references to the Kelly family that I had not seen anywhere else to-date.

1) Pg. 21 Members of the Kelly family noted that the sitting room window blinds were drawn the morning of Aug 4 and that this was not the norm.
2) Pg. 28 The Kelly family stayed awake and felt insecure in the couple of nights after the murders.

I did find in Rebello's book pg. 390 reference to a newspaper article which talked about Pearson meeting with the Kelly's daughter and other parties associated with the Borden murders as he was working on his book. That article specifically mentions #2 above. But does not mention #1.

That the sitting room window blinds were drawn seems pretty significant....similar to the front door being triple locked. Particularly interesting when cross referenced against Lizzie's admission that she adjusted the sitting room window treatment out of concern for her father's taking a nap. Does anyone know if this Kelly recollection is documented anywhere except as a non-sourced part of Pearson's book?

Quick follow up.....also read the short story by Lizzie's junior-attorney Phillips (PDF format on this website). Phillips may not have been the author in the true sense, but the report is based on his notes.

If trials were flipped and the defense had to prove Lizzie innocent and this write up was the approach they took, Lizzie would have spent the rest of her life in jail. I started to take notes of what I didn't agree with or was just wrong and stopped pretty quickly when I realized the report had almost zero meat and potatoes to it. It was a hodge podge collection of random facts/tidbits from the case that the author thought created some reasonable doubt.

I recommend reading since it is a quick read and the PDF copy is free and on this website, but don't expect to be any wiser about the case when done.

p.s. Was surprised that Phillips seemed to accept that Lizzie was on the stairs when Andrew got home.

Many narratives mentioned by authors such as Pearson were accounts found in newspapers. There were the local Fall River papers and big city papers across the country. As the telling and stories traveled from paper to paper, some may have perceived the report in assuming ways, further corrupting the original telling. Especially "man on the street" recitals, such as the fellow at the local bar, disgruntle relative, or next door neighbors and unsworn assessments.

In books such as Pearson, Lincoln, and Radin the "man-on-the-street" was allowed to throw in his two cents. If it sounded plausible or fit the writer's scheme it was published in his/her book—and if it was published must be true..... or not.

The account of the window shades being drawn certainly came from an interview with a Kelly relative, such as the one he had with the daughter, thus second hand information which may or may not have relevance or be accurate.

Like the window shades being drawn.

If it was a hot day the shades could have been drawn to keep the room cool since the sitting room faced south. Or because Borden was indeed taking a nap on the sofa. Some people not only closed the shades but the outside shutters to keep a room cool or secure privacy. Whether the shades being drawn was an uncommon practice, or held a significant on the day of the murders, is a report that must be taken with a spoon of salt.

Interestingly, in the photo below the shutters are drawn on the first floor which fed the living room or parlor to keep the room cool or add some privacy from street traffic. This photo was almost certainly taken just after the crime and the shutters drawn to avert gawkers.