Free Fatal Families - Unleashing the evil within (Infamous Murderers) by Rodney Castleden Page A

her mind. Then, in 1891, her feud with her parents erupted into physical action. On one occasion when Andrew returned from an outing, Lizzie reported that Abby’s bedroom had been broken into and ransacked by a thief who had stolen a watch and jewellery. Mr Borden called the police, then dismissed them halfway through their investigation, once it was obvious that Lizzie herself was the culprit. Again, later in the same year, the Borden’s barn was twice broken into. Andrew Borden again assumed that Lizzie was behind the petty crime. He retaliated by cutting the heads off Lizzie’s pigeons, probably as a reminder of what Lizzie had done to Abby’s cat. It is not known what Lizzie’s reaction was to this act. Probably she sat around, as the Bordens tended to, and fumed silently for days afterwards.
    Probably Andrew Borden’s fate was already sealed, but the double murder of Lizzie’s parents did not come until the following summer, the summer of 1892.
    Lizzie Borden was known to have ‘funny spells’ when she behaved totally unpredictably, and those spells became more frequent during the unusually hot year of 1892, when all New England steamed and suffocated. The local drugstore noticed that Lizzie was regularly buying small doses of prussic acid, well known as a lethal poison. By the end of July the entire Borden household was afflicted with stomach upsets. These were probably nothing to do with the prussic acid, but more likely to do with the fact that meat was going off faster than normal in the high temperatures – a common problem in the days before refrigerators.
    Abby Borden was nevertheless convinced that she had been poisoned after she had suffered a long bout of vomiting. She made one of her rare trips out, to see the doctor who lived over the road. When she returned she was told off by her husband for her nonsensical behaviour. The doctor pointed out that the whole family was retching, including the maid. Lizzie’s hate grew, Abby’s apprehension grew, Andrew’s irritation grew.
    The day of 4 August, 1892 began like any other, only hotter. It was the hottest day of the summer. By mid-morning Andrew and Abby Borden were dead. Exactly what happened in between is still not known. It is not known for certain whether Lizzie committed the murders – and some investigators have suggested other culprits, such as a discontented employee, or the maid, Bridget – but such evidence as there is points directly to Lizzie.
    Luckily for her, Lizzie’s sister Emma was out of town. Uncle John Morse, who had been invited to stay for a few days, was up early. The maid, Bridget Sullivan, followed him down to start her chores, but she had to stop to be sick. By 7.30 a.m. Abby and Andrew were dressed and sitting at breakfast with Uncle John. Just over an hour later, Uncle John went into town. Lizzie came down for a light breakfast, Bridget went outside to clean the windows, Abby got on with some dusting. At about 9 a.m. Andrew Borden went into town. He waited outside the bank and then decided to return home, where he arrived at about 10.30.
    While Andrew Borden was out, a young man arrived and hung about outside the Borden house. He was noticed by the neighbours. He seemed agitated, then he disappeared. He was never identified.
    Inside No 92 Second Street nasty things had started to happen. Someone had crept up behind Abby Borden while she was dusting the guest room and brought a hatchet crashing down on her head. She was killed instantly, but the attacker, whoever he or she was, carried on raining blows on her. There was no noise, at least not enough to alert anyone else in the house that anything untoward was happening up in the guest room. It was then, at 10.30, that Andrew Borden turned the key in the lock on the front door, hot and tired after his walk back from town. Lizzie helped her father settle himself for a rest on the sofa in the sitting room, then went to the outbuilding. She was, according to her own testimony,