This classic children’s rhyme was designed after the trial of Lizzie Borden, where she was found not guilty. While the jury let her go, the public has always been skeptical. Most believe that she committed the murders, but there are also people out there who believe that Lizzie Borden was innocent after all. Another rhyme written years later, however, may not be as well known goes…

“An unknown subject took a hatchet

And gave Lizzie Borden’s stepmother nineteen whacks;

Ninety minutes after that deed was done

He or she gave Borden’s father ten plus one.”

This sets the scene a bit more of what happened. Nonetheless, the author of this rhyme was unbiased for he or she did not point the finger at Lizzie Borden. They simply stated the facts of what happened. In fact all of the people involved and the story is rather open and shut. There has not been much variation to it over the years, which is surprising. However, when it comes to the evidence it becomes fuzzy.

One of the victims was Andrew Jackson Borden. He lived his e

ntire life in Fall River, Massachusetts. In fact ancestors of his from the past generations had actually founded the town of Fall River. He, however, was a self-made wealthy man. Instead of inheriting riches he built himself up. Andrew Borden began his life on the lower rung of the social ladder and worked his way up high until his untimely death. Throughout his life he was married two times. The first time was to a woman by the name of Susan Morse. She was the woman who birthed his only children, Emma and Elizabeth Borden. Susan Morse passed away at an early age leaving Andrew to soon remarry to Abby Gray.

A slight variation in the story is right here. Lizzie Borden claimed that when her father came home from work she was sitting in the kitchen reading a magazine. A few minutes later however she then said she had been in the dining room. She kept changing her story to make it seem like she was elsewhere. No one ever said anything to her about it though. Instead they just let her continue to incriminate herself, but even the jury saw this as nothing. They looked at her as a confused distraught young woman.

All of these people in some way, shape, or form were in the house at some point on the day of the murders if not at multiple times. The day before the murders, August 3, 1892, Lizzie Borden went to a tiny corner store in the town and attempted to buy prussic acid, saying that it was for killing rats in their home. Later in testimonies she denied being at the corner store and then even later being out at all. Her downfall was the three witnesses whom identified seeing her there. While Lizzie was out at that store Uncle John arrived at the house. While he was planning to stay for a few days he carried no luggage with him. This was the day that he attempted to discuss the will with Mr. Borden.

The other victim of this horrendous crime was Abby Gray. She married Andrew Borden at the age of thirty-seven becoming his second wife. Abby Gray also came from prominent people in Fall River, where she had spent her whole life. Considering her status in the community, however, many people looked at her as an “old maid” when she married Andrew Borden. She immediately took up the role as a mother to his two children. It was not a secret, however, that his children and his new wife did not get along. They called her mother up until five years before her death, where they then just called her Abby to show their disdain for her (“Lizzie Borden Took an Ax” 20).

Elizabeth Andrew “Lizzie” Borden was the younger sister and the prime suspect in the murders of Mr. and Mrs. Borden. She grew up a very social child, blossoming into a well-known young woman throughout the town. She was a part of the Christian Endeavor Society, Ladies Fruit and Flower Mission, Women’s Christian Temperance Union, and a Sunday school teacher. For as social as she was she never married. She also lived at home with her father and stepmother until their deaths. There have been rumors that Lizzie Borden never actually graduated from high school although this has for some odd reason never been proven. Another rumor about Lizzie Borden is that of a bad temper. Nothing was ever documented out in the community, but instead the temper tantrums have been contained to the Borden’s home. They were said to be exceptionally horrible when she was on her menstrual period. In the eyes of the community though she was just another lovely, outgoing, young lady.

The defense team actually only took two days to present their side of the case. The defense counsel contained Andrew J. Jennings, George D. Robinson, and Melvin Adams. Throughout the part of the trial they really did not do much. They would call witnesses to discuss a mysterious man that had been seen. At one point they focused on Emma and what a recluse she was. After presenting their side of the case and hearing closing arguments, the jury was off to delibera

Some topics in this essay:
Lizzie Borden, Ms Sullivan, Andrew Borden, Lizzie Borden’s, Uncle John, Emma Borden, Adams Throughout, Andrew Borden’s, Moody Knowlton, lizzie borden, Fall River, ms sullivan, andrew borden, lizzie borden’s, borden ms sullivan, emma borden, lived home, borden ms, cleaning windows, suspect murders, fall river, finished cleaning windows, sullivan finished cleaning, ms sullivan finished, lizzie borden ms,