Witness Statements of Lizzie Borden, Episode 3 w/Emma Borden & Alice Russell

Listen while reading the transcript.  Emma Borden and Alice Russell discuss the burning of the Bedford Cord Dress after the murders.

Brenda McGinnis as Emma Borden, Mrs. Cyrus W. Tripp, Mrs. Jane Gray & Gossipy Church Lady.
Rina Sklar as Alice Russell.
David Loftus as Eli Bence, Dr. Albert E. Chase, Officer Harrington & others.
S.W. Conser as Eli Bence, Officer Medley, Reads the "Love Letter to Lizzie" and lawyer, Andrew Jennings & others.
S.W. Conser as spectral voices in Greek Chorus. Host of "Words & Pictures" @KBOO Radio.
Ken Jones as Officers Doherty & Harrington.
Larry Andrews as Officer Harrington.
Christie Quinn reads 2 passages from Parallel Lives from the Fall River Historical Society.
Rolf Semprebon as Officers Doherty & Harrington. Host of "Sounds Unsound" @KBOO Radio.
James Krzmarzick as D.A. Willaim A.Moody's Opening Statement at the Superior Court Trial.
Jody McCoy as Mrs. Churchill.
Kati Dery as Bridget Sullivan with PSHAW!Ha! Ha! Ha!
Martin Dodge as Outro.
Samantha an ominous child voice.
Scary male voice: Jack Dabdoub.
Lady Blue: Lyrics & Melody by Kate Lavender, Vocals by Christine Rotondo.
Music by AudioJungle and MelodyLoops.com.
Both songs were titled: Mysterious Clocks.
RoyaltyFree Music by MelodyLoops.com
Ominous Orchestra by Elena Naumova
Sadness Inside by Erick McNerney
Sadness Through the Window by Audioblyca
Irish Pub by Alexander Lisenkov
Funny Bassoon by Eitan Epstein Music
https://www.lizziebordenaudio.com
https://www.lizziebordenaudio.substack.com
Transcriptions of Lizzie's witness statements provided with permission by Stefani Koorey and LizzieAndrewBorden.com 

Transcript

Lizzie Borden was the last person to see her stepmother alive
at nine o'clock in the morning in the guest room while she was making the bed.

What are you going to do with that dress Lizzie Lizzie Lizzie?

Did you burn the murder dress dress dress?

Did Bridget Sullivan help you clean up the blood?
 
Did you pay her to lie for you?

How can an assassin leave the scene of the crime with no footprints?

Welcome to Lizzie Borden Audio o o o o o o o o o! 

Emma Borden
What are you going to do with that dress Lizzie, the Bedford Cord Dress? My sister Lizzie owned eight blue dresses. I saw it hanging in the clothes-press over the front entry. I think one part of it was black or very dark blue and the other part was a very light blue.

Eli Bence, Pharmacist 
Had a lady asked for prussic acid on Wednesday morning August 3rd. When asked for what use, she said to put on the edge of a sealskin coat. I made no sale. She left the store in a very haughty manner. No, I don't know her but I think I would know her again should I see her.

Oh no, ma'am, a lady such as yourself could dispatch herself in an instant. Ingestion could cause severe symptoms and protracted, terrible suffocation of all organs in the body. Death would be welcomed. It's my job as a pharmacist to refuse all requests for poisons unless you procure a doctor's prescription, and you give me your name. 

LIZZIE! Good day then!

Emma Borden
I was washing dishes, Sunday morning, about nine o'clock, and I heard my sister's voice and I turned around and saw she was standing at the foot of the stove between the foot of the stove and the dining-room door, this dress, what are you going to do with that dress Lizzie, was hanging on her arm and she says, I think I shall burn this old thing up.

I said why don't you, or you had better or I would if I were you or something like that can't tell the exact words, but it meant, do it. We did not keep a ragbag.

Fall River, September 12, 1892, Officer William H. Medley, I visited Miss Lizzie Johnson at Myrick's on Saturday. She refused to make known to me the contents of the letter received from Lizzie Borden on the day of the murder until she had consulted Mr. Jennings. I talked with her for two hours but was unable to make her change her mind. 

She met Mr. Jennings Saturday night. I saw her again today when she informed me that Mr. Jennings told her she'd need not tell me the contents of the letter. If she did not want to and she did not want to.

Lizzie Borden said if there is going to be anything done or anything said Mr. Jennings must be here. This took place in the sitting room.

My name is Alice Russell. I have lived in Fall River a good many years. I am unmarried. Two years ago last October I lived in the house now occupied by Dr. Kelly, had lived there 11 years. All that time, the Bordens occupied the house next door. I was acquainted with the whole family. 

On the fourth of last August, I lived on Borden Street. I exchanged calls with Miss Lizzie Borden. She always received me upstairs in the guest room. About seven o'clock on the evening of Wednesday, August 3, of last year, she called upon me she stayed till about nine.

I have seen the other girls who were at Marian at the time, none of them will talk. 
I have made all this known to D.A. Knowlton and that gentleman instructed me to procure all their names and give them to you in order that they may be summoned to appear before the grand jury. The names are as follows Mary L. Holmes, Isabelle J. Fraser, Lizzie Johnson, Louise Remington, and Mabel H. Remington. 

Dr. Bowen
He is murdered, he is murdered!
That is just awful, awful, awful. 
Lizzie, has anybody been here?
Not that I know of, said Lizzie.

Dr. Bowen
Addie...come and see Mr. Borden. 

Emma Borden
Mrs. Borden had a black rubberized gossamer and it is in the clothes-press at the bottom of the stairs in the front landing. Lizzie kept her gossamer in the clothes-press on the second floor and it's still there.
I heard father several times talking loud recently and I was afraid some of the tenants had some trouble with him.

Miss Alice Russell came into the dining room and she said she had told Mr. Hanscomb that she had told him a falsehood and that the burning of the dress was the worst thing Lizzie could have done and my sister said, Why didn't you tell me? Why did you let me do it?

Emma Borden
I went in to hang up the dress that I had been wearing during the day and there was no vacant nail and I searched around to find a nail and I noticed this dress trimmed with just a ruffle of the same around the bottom, a narrow ruffle. It was very dirty, very much soiled and badly faded. It could not possibly be used for anything else.
 
Are you wearing two dresses right now?

Emma Borden
Because it was not only soiled but so badly faded, I should say along the front and on one side toward the bottom and some on the wrong side of the skirt.

This is Officer Doherty on August 4, 1892, at P.S. Browns Drugstore a day or two before the murders, several sales were made and a number of persons refused. A description of those refused was obtained, none resemble the person who called on Eli Bence but a lady requested a sale of poison from clerk Gifford. She was refused. He could not give a description of her.

Why did Bridget Sullivan move halfway across the country for the rest of her life?
Did you pay her to lie for you?

Emma Borden
I looked for my stepmother's note in her little bag that she carried down street with her sometimes. And in her work-basket. We also put an advertisement in the paper to find the boy that brought that note.

I interviewed Mrs. Kelly next door to the Borden's and she said she left the house to go to the dentist, looked at the clock before going out, it said 10:35 am just as she saw Andrew Borden going towards his front door to put the key in the door. He had a small package in his hand. I think he was at the side door first. The time when Mrs. Kelly left the house is also fixed by the work girl at 10:35 am.

Emma Borden
We felt she was not interested in us. And at one time Father gave her some property and we felt that we ought to have some too and he afterward gave us some.

Eli Bence, Druggist
No, ma'am, I cannot sell you 10 cents of prussic acid. I'm afraid you would need a doctor's approval.

Officers Doherty and Harrington interviewed James E. Cuneen, Number 17, Freedom Street. Following report was August 4,  1892, the day of the murders. I drove up Second Street from Morgan Street that day, and the only strange thing I observed was Dr. Handy's actions.

His carriage was drawn up to the west side of the street, about opposite Dr. Kelly's yard. He sat in the buggy and was quickly turning his head from right to left, left to right. He seemed very nervous and his strange actions caused me to look around to see what was the occasion of this, but I observed nothing. Before I reached where he was standing. He started and drove slowly down the street by me.

August 7, 1892, I'm Mrs. Cyrus W. Tripp. I live in Westport. In reply to my questions, I made the following statement. Lizzie told me she thought her stepmother was deceitful being one thing to her face and another to her back. Lizzie told me her stepmother claimed to not have any influence with her father, but she must have influence with my father or he never would have given my stepmother's half-sister, such a very large sum of money. 

She said I do not know that my sister or I would get anything in the event of my father's death. This conversation took place at different times during former visits. Nothing being said during her visit July 26th when she bought some cheap dress material.

Are you wearing the bloody murder dress under your clothes?

Officer Albert E. Chase, Fall River, August 5, 1892. The following articles and varying apparel this afternoon taken from the bathtub in the center washroom of the Borden house by orders of the City Marshal and medical examiner and were buried under my direction in the yard, back of the barn, one sofa pillow and tidy, one large piece of Brussels carpet, one roll of cotton batting, one sheet and several pieces of cotton cloth. 

Three towels, one napkin, one Chemise, one dress, one pair of drawers, one skirt, two aprons, one hair braid, and several pieces of hair from Mrs. Borden's head from five to eight inches long. One necktie, one trusts, one piece of black silk braid or watch guard. I also found mixed in with the hair of Mrs. Borden, a piece of bone which from its nature, I took to be a piece of Mrs. Borden skull, it was cut so smooth that I thought it might be of use in determining what kind of instrument was used as the bone and hair both had the appearance of being cut with a very sharp instrument. 

I gave this piece of bone to Dr. Dolan, about the middle of the next week, Dr. Dolan ordered all the articles dug up after taking out pieces of clothing and carpet. They were ordered buried again. This time, they were all put in a box.

Why did Bridget Sullivan move over halfway across the country for the rest of her life? Did you pay her to lie for you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you.? 

Alice Russell
I think when she came in, she said, I have taken your advice. And I have written to Marion that I will come, I don't know what came in between. I don't know if this followed that. But I said, I'm glad you were going as I had urged her to go before and I don't know just what followed. But I said something about her having a good time. And she said, Well, I don't know. I feel depressed. I feel as if something was hanging over me that I cannot throw off and it comes over me at times no matter where I am. And she says when I was at the table the other day when I was at Marian, the girls were laughing and talking and having a good time. And this feeling came over me and one of them spoke and said Lizzie, why don't you talk?

Mrs. Ida Gray at Number 27 Whipple Street last Friday evening, August 5, 1892. While in the horsecar two ladies were talking of Lizzie Borden, one remarked that Lizzie said when referring to Mrs. Borden that she was one of the kind that never die.

I said PSHAW! HA HA HA!

She is not my mother. She is my stepmother. My mother is dead!

This is from the book Parallel Lives on page 472. As one particular story went, a woman was sick in bed with a cold and had heart disease which might take her life at any moment. Lizzie Borden was her friend and was alone with her when she died. And after her death, black marks were found on her neck and her jewelry gone.

Engaged carpenter Maurice Daily to go to the Borden Home, about 1 pm the Marshal, Mr. Seaver and I from there, we took a marble slat from the west end of the dressing-case, a piece of molding that kept them up and a board and a piece of plaster to was adheared to the wallpaper each of these articles had blood spots on them. Mrs. CJ Holmes then asked, do you want the bedspread and pillow shams and the Marshal replied, if you please.

Another incident from 1893, attributing extremely bizarre behavior to Lizzie and also involving a corpse, that a relative of Lizzie's had died and Lizzie appeared and claimed her white skirts had been promised to her including the one that the dead body was wearing, which Lizzie promptly removed. 

When you were eating the pears in the barn, where did throw the cores?

Friday, August 12, 1892, Officer Harrington at the Borden house all forenoon, assisting on the safe.  Afternoon, Doherty, Medley and I continue on the Frank Wade clue, got a boat and rakes and went all over the pond where he saw the suspicious person. We pulled up much stuff and things, but failed to find the hatchet which he thought might be thrown there. We brought back to the station a paper bag which contained an old banana peel, which was tied up with a very long string. This was very suspicious indeed. We had Mr. Matheson, the superintendent of the Chase Mill to see we did our work well.He expressed himself as being satisfied we could do no more in that line. 

Alice Russell
The dress which I saw Sunday was neither Calico nor Cambric. It was a Bedford Cord. I did not take hold of it nor examine it. Sunday morning Miss Lizzie, Miss Emma,  Mr. Morse and I had breakfast together. Bridget was not in the house. I went upstairs after breakfast to put my room in order and left Miss Emma to do the dishes. I don't know if Miss Lizzie helped in that. When I came back and saw Miss Lizzie with the Bedford Cord dress. It was broad daylight. There was a policeman in the yard. I saw no blood on that dress, not a drop. The edge of the dress was soiled. I did not actually see her put it in the stove.

I am Mrs. Jane Gray, Mrs. Borden's stepmother. Things were not as pleasant at the Borden house as they might be. That is the reason I did not call on Mrs. Borden as often as I would have liked to. I told Mrs. Borden, I would not change places with her for all her money. What I know about them is all hearsay. Mrs. Borden was a very closed mouth woman. She would bear a great deal and say nothing.

She told me she and the girls were allowed an equal monthly allowance. But they had more out of it than I had, for I had to furnish the table coverings, the towels and other small things for the house out of mine. 

Lizzie, did you cut off your stepmother's beautiful long braid when you killed her?

Went in search of Dr. Handy, found him at Charles J. Holmes asked him would he accompany an officer to Boston to see a party who the Boston Police located who they thought resembled the person whom he saw. He said, Yeah, I suppose I must go. I said no, there is nothing compulsory about the request. 

He did not seem to like the idea of going and said it is a very warm night. And I have quite a number of cases on hand from which I expect births. But then I suppose they are app to come during the day as well as night. Wait a moment and I'll see. He then went to another part of the house and talked with the Holmes family for a few minutes. He then returned to the parlor and said, Well, I'll go. Who is going with me? Is it you? I told him I could not say. Will the Officer call at my house? Will he come in a carriage or will we go to the depot in the horse car? I said I did not know but whichever way the Officer would be there in time. 

Song: Lady Blue
Baby girl dressed in blue, Mama died when she was two
They say she never cried, when Daddy died
Lady Blue, is it true
what they say about you? 
She looked for her mother with every lover
And tried to run from fame by changing her name
Tell me Lady Blue, is it true what they say about you?

Dr. Bowen's character is at least suspicious, four years ago, while the Borden family was summering over the river on the farm Lizzie remained at home. One Sunday evening during this time, she and Dr. Bowen came to church together and sat in the Borden seat.  I myself saw them this evening. At the time, and since there was much comment on this act, some remarked how courageous she was to remain in the house alone, but others replied in a knowing way. Perhaps she was very acceptable company. 

I never saw her in tears that morning. 

About the robbery. I think Mrs. Fish or her daughter in law of Hartford knows more or less about it if they wish to tell.

About 15 minutes after this conversation, Miss Russell came to me and told me she would like me to come upstairs. She wanted me to see something. She led the way to the southeast bedroom and pointed to something that lay on the floor under the bed. She said, What's that? I picked it up. It was a club about 20 inches long. She said I slept here last night. And if that was there last night, I don't see how I missed seeing it. Miss Russell's in very much excited and begged me to tell no one but the Marshal. Mrs. Charles Holmes was present at the time. 

Why Bridget Sullivan move halfway across the country for the rest of her life?
Did you pay her to lie for you you you you?

At PS Brown's drugstore a day or two before the murders, several sales were made and a number of persons refused a prescription. Those refused was obtained, none resembled the person who called on Eli Bence. But a lady requested a sale of poison from clerk Gifford. She was refused, he could not give a description of her.

Did you pay her $5,000 a year the rest of your life?

A piece of wood was taken from the west casing of the door, which leads to the dining to the sitting room where Mr. Borden was murdered. This piece of wood had a splatter of blood on it. There was also taken one pair of ladies' low tie shoes and one pair of ladies' black stockings.

Alice Russell
The dress which I saw Sunday was neither Calico nor cambric it was a Bedford Cord. I did not take hold of it nor examine it. Sunday morning Miss Lizzie, Miss Emma, Mr. Morse and I had breakfast together. Bridget was not in the house. I went upstairs after breakfast to put my room in order and left Miss Emma to do the dishes. I don't know if Miss Lizzie helped in that. When I came back and saw Miss Lizzie with the Bedford Cord dress. It was broad daylight. 

There was a policeman in the yard. I saw no blood on that dress, not a drop. The edge of the dress was soiled. I did not actually see her put it in the stove. The funeral on Saturday was in the forenoon, at about 11 or 12 o'clock. Miss Lizzie went to the cemetery. I did not. I stayed in the house with Mrs. Holmes and The Undertaker's assistant. 

Officers did come in the house during the absence of the funeral party. But they didn't come as soon as the party left. They made a search but didn't search everywhere. They went into Miss Lizzie's room.

Thomas Walker, a tailor employed by John Kerry, lived in a tenement of Mr. Borden's on Fourth Street. He was ordered out and the RS Reed Store took his furniture. He worked all day Thursday, so says Mr. Carey, he said he had no feeling against Mr. Borden. 

What trouble he had was caused by himself. He said he went on a drunk and could not pay his bills, so he had to vacate the tenement and return the furniture, which was purchased on the installment plan.

Alice Russell
When Lizzie went upstairs, I went upstairs with her at least I have always thought so. She had not yet changed her dress, she said when it is necessary for an undertaker. I want Winward. 

Lizzie!Lizzie!
Did you kill your father? Did you do it? Lizzie? Lizzie.

Orin Rounds, car conductor, saw a man talking to AJ Borden one week before the murder. They stood at Wood & Halls corner. Mr. Borden appeared not to desire to talk with him and walked away but the man followed him a few steps and then turned north and left him.

Alice Russell
I went downstairs and waited for Dr. Bowen. I sent for him spoke to him and went up to Lizzie's room again. She was coming out of Miss Emma's room tying the ribbons of a wrapper, a pink and white striped wrapper. I stayed at the house all that night having gone home once that day and returned. I did not suggest to Miss Lizzie that she changed her dress did not hear anyone suggest it.

Are you wearing two dresses right now?

Alice Russell
Thursday night I went down into the cellar with Lizzie. I carried a lamp she carried a slop pail went to the water closet. The clothing taken from the bodies was in the washroom. Miss Lizzie went into the washroom I did not she went to the sink there and rinsed out the pail. Then we went upstairs again.

I summoned Eli Bence, Frank Kilroy and Fred Hart to appear at court at 2:30 pm. Went for Fred Hart at 3:45 pm. Was sent to see what progress was being made on the safe.

Love Letter Written to Lizzie in Taunton Jail
On the sixth day of October, Curtis I. Piece of Westport came to Fall River and met Mr. AJ Jennings, Lizzie's attorney, I found Mr. Piece first met Lizzie Borden at the house of the Tripps about 10 years ago, at that time Piece was a sort of itinerant preacher and was doing a little in that line in Westport at the time. While he was on speaking terms with her there was not anything to indicate that Lizzie cared for him. 

I was told by Mrs. Tripp that Lizzie could hardly tolerate him. Mr. Piece told me he was not intimately acquainted with her and was doing a little in that line in Westport at the time. While he was on speaking terms with her there was not anything to indicate that Lizzie cared for him. He was not her lover and never was. He never was to her house in his life, and did not know her people, either father, mother or Emma, and had never spoken or written to any of them. 

Mr. Piece told me he was not intimately acquainted with her. He had not met her in over four years and had not written her in over two years. He did write to Lizzie since she was sent to Taunton Jail, and the letter was answered by Mr. Jennings. The following is a copy of a letter sent by Mr. Piece to Lizzie.

Westport, September 20, 1892. to Miss Lizzie with friendly greetings, I am very anxious to meet you. And as I cannot presume upon your presence without your permission, would you be so kind as to appoint today for me to visit you as soon as convenient? I can come any day or hour please not deny this one request. Believe me, you have my deepest sympathy and constant prayer. I am Sincerely yours, Curtis I. Piece, Westport, Box 34. 

Copy of letter sent by Andrew J. Jennings to Curtis I. Piece, Fall River Massachusetts, September 24, 1892. Dear Sir, your letter to Sheriff Wright to Miss Lizzie Borden have been handed to me by the letter for your sympathy as for that of everybody else in her suffering, she is grateful but she is at a loss to understand why you should presume upon her unfortunate position to open correspondence with her or write to Sheriff Wright asking for an interview. 

She does not want to see you nor to receive letters from you. She has not, tis true, a father to appeal to or family to compel you to cease your attempts to force yourself upon her notice. But there are others who can and will supply his place. She has told me of your previous conduct and I am surprised that any man should attempt to renew it under present circumstances. Yours truly, Andrew J. Jennings.

D.A. William A. Moody - Edited Opening Argument Superior Court Trial - June 1893
The Commonwealth will prove that there was an unkindly feeling between the prisoner and her stepmother that upon Wednesday, August 3, she was dwelling upon murder and preparing herself with a weapon which had no innocent use that upon the evening of Wednesday, August 3, she was predicting disaster and cataloging defenses 

that from the time when Mrs. Borden left the dining room to go upstairs for this momentary errand, up to the time when the prisoner came downstairs an hour later from this hallway, which led only to her chamber and that in which Mrs. Borden was found, there was no other human being except the prisoner at the bar present, that these facts were the act of a human being, that they were the act of a person who, to have selected time and place as it was 

selected in this case, must have had a familiar knowledge of the interior of the premises, and of the whereabouts and the habits of those who were in occupation of them at that time. We shall prove that this prisoner made contradictory statements about her whereabouts, and above all, gave a statement vitally different upon the manner in which she discovered these homicides. 

We shall prove beyond all reasonable doubt that the death of Mrs. Borden was a prior death, then we shall ask you to say if say you can, whether any reasonable hypothesis except guilt of this prisoner can account for the sad occurrences which happened upon the morning of August 4, 1892.  Insert awesome music.

Did you burn the murder dress?  Diddddddd yoooooooouuuuu buurrrrrrnnnn thhhe murder dreeeesssssss?? Audacity's Paul Stretch!!!!!!

You're listening to "A Touch of Madness" based on the trial of Lizzie Borden by Kate Lavender. If you would like more information visit the website of Lizzie Borden Audio.com

Where did the blood go, Lizzie? 
THE END