1. Lizzie Borden “Lizzie Borden took an axe,
And gave her mother forty whacks;
When she saw what she had done,
She gave her father forty-one”

2. Her Life
Lizzie Borden was born July 19, 1830 in Fall River, Massachusetts.
Her mother died when she was a young child; her Father, Andrew Jackson Borden, re-married to a woman named Abby. Lizzie had a sister, Emma.
Some say Abby and Lizzie didn’t get along very well and hadn’t spoken in some time; others say their relationship was quite normal (Linder).

3. The Scandal
One morning while the Borden’s servant, Maggie, 28, was lying in her bed, she awoke to Lizzie, 32, yelling that someone had killed her father.
When Maggie reached the scenes, she found Andrew Borden “hacked almost beyond recognition”.
After the police had arrived, a family friend found Lizzie’s step mother, Abby, on the second floor. She had also been attacked and killed.
Strangely, Abby was found cold, whereas Andrew was still warm. This indicated Abby had been murdered nearly 90 minutes prior to Andrew (Linder).

4. The Plot Thickens
Originally the papers said the murderer was a Portuguese laborer who was not paid his dues.
Within two days, suspicions of Lizzie began to arise:
The lead physician said “the hacking is almost a positive sign of a deed done by a woman who is unconscious of what she is doing.”
A store owner stated the day before the murders, he sold Lizzie prussic acid (a dangerous poison). Coincidentally, Abby and Andrew had been struck ill from what they believed to be from “bad bread” (Linder.)

5. The Plot Thickens…
Lizzie was questioned at the trial. She was indicted and taken by train to the jail only miles out of Fall River.
At her trial, Lizzie Borden seemed confused. When she was shown a picture of her parents skulls, she faked a fainting spell.
For the rest of the trial she hid behind a fan.
Three other women who were questioned at this trial, stated Lizzie was seen burning a light blue dress that she claimed was “covered in old paint.” Lizzie was seen wearing a light blue dress the morning before the murders (Linder).

6. Public Treatment
Lizzie was acquitted due to the lack of evidence, though most people (including the jurors who had written journals of the trial) believed she was guilty.
Her house is now a bed and breakfast museum that anyone may stay in, which doesn’t necessarily show public support of her, but there is still a definite interest in the murders, even today (Linder).

7. Crime Scene Photos

8. The Scarlet Letter
I give Lizzie Borden an M….
Madness
Maniac
Murder

9. Works Cited
Linder, Douglas O. “The Trial of Lizzie Borden.” Famous Trials. University of Missouri-Kansas City School of Law Web. 15 Oct 2012.