Lizzie Borden took an axe
And gave her mother 40 whacks
When she saw what she had done
She gave her father 41
Andrew Borden now is dead
Lizzie hit him on the head
Up in Heaven he will sing
On the gallows she will swing
You have probably heard the first stanza of the poem, but not the second. That’s because its prediction of her conviction did not come true. So, did she cheat justice? Lizzie Borden was a 32 year-old spinster when she allegedly killed her step-mother and father. The crime occurred on August 4, 1892. Abby Borden was killed while changing sheets on a bed. She was actually struck 19 times and by a hatchet, not an axe. 90 minutes later, Andrew was killed after he returned home from a walk. He was found on a couch. He had been hit 10 times in the face. Lizzie claimed to be outside at the time and then discovered her father’s body. A Portuguese immigrant was arrested, but quickly determined to be innocent. Police were suspicious of Lizzie from the beginning. She seemed creepily calm. Her story kept changing. For instance, she claimed that she had removed her father’s boots before he took a nap on the couch, but he was found with his boots on. Plus, there was no evidence of a break-in and nothing had been taken. It seemed highly unlikely a stranger would have waited 90 minutes in the house for Andrew to come home. A broken-handled hatchet was found in the basement, but not confiscated. Later, when she was arrested on August 11, it was found to not have any blood on it, but she had plenty of time to clean it. At the trial, Lizzie was represented by a prominent lawyer. She was supported by the Women’s Christian Temperance Union and suffragists. Her sister vouched for her and her doctor explained her confused stories as being due to a prescription of morphine to help her sleep. It was pointed out that she taught Sunday school. And how could such a lovely, petite woman commit such a heinous crime? The most damaging evidence came from a friend who witnessed Lizzie burning a dress several days after the crime. But that was circumstantial and there was no murder weapon. And no clear motive. Since then, historians have surmised that Lizzie resented the frugality of her father. He was rich and yet they lived in a modest house with no indoor plumbing. He had given real estate to his wife’s family and Lizzie might have had a problem with that. She already disliked her step mother. She was quickly acquitted by the all-male jury and went on to live another 35 years, mostly as a recluse because society shunned her. But she got away with murder and became famous and we’re still talking about her today.
P.S. The wildest theory is Lizzie was caught in a lesbian affair with the maid by Abby. Abby was shocked and Lizzie killed her for it. Andrew was likewise not tolerant of his daughter’s sexuality and paid for it with his life.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lizzie_Borden
https://famous-trials.com/lizzieborden/1442-evidence
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