Fall River Tragedy

Lizzie Borden [1860-1927] was tried and acquitted for the 1892 axe murders of her father and stepmother in Fall River, Massachusetts. Speculation continues today about the sensational case that produced a famous nursery rhyme. Although she was acquitted, no one else was ever charged with the murders, and Borden lived out her life in Fall River. Compiled immediately after Borden's sensational trial, the author aims to provide "a connected story of the whole case, commencing with the day of the tragedy and ending with the day that Miss Borden was set free." He touches on such topics as the discovery of the murders, the adjournment of the preliminary hearing and some the many theories that were advanced before any arrests were made. The book is handsomely illustrated with photos and line illustrations of the deceased, the accused, the jury and others. The author describes the book as: "A Plain Statement of the Material Facts Pertaining to the Most Famous Crime of the Century, Including the Story of the Arrest and Preliminary Trial of Miss LIZZIE A. BORDEN and a Full Report of the Superior Court Trial, With a Hitherto Unpublished Account of the Renowned Trickey-McHenry Affair Compiled from Official Sources and Profusely Illustrated with Original Engravings." Edwin H. Porter [1864-1904] was the Police Reporter for the Fall River Daily Globe and a correspondent for the Boston Herald. Accounts that he was paid to leave town and disappear after the book was published are incorrect. He continued as a reporter and was still employed by the Globe when he died of tuberculosis at age thirty-nine.