Lizzie Borden Trial

Question 1

Year(s)

Answer 1

1893

Question 2

Lizzie Borden

Answer 2

Sunday School teacher and member of Women’s Christian Union, she had a stellar public reputation. She lived at home with her father and stepmother, and was the main suspect in their murder, but was aquitted

Question 3

Emma Borden

Answer 3

Lizzie’s 42 year old sister, who also lived at home and was unmarried. Was out of town on the day of the murder

Question 4

Andrew Borden

Answer 4

Lizzie’s father and second murder victim. He was from a prominent family, but earned his own money, leaving him rich but tight-fisted. He built a strange house with few modern amenities in the working part of the city.

Question 5

Abby Borden

Answer 5

Andrew’s second wife and Lizzie’s stepmother. She married him when Lizzie was 6 and helped raise the kids.

Question 6

John Morse

Answer 6

Lizzie’s Uncle, he came into town the day before the murders, but was ostensibly out conducting business. he acted strange when he returned, claiming he did not see the crowds

Question 7

Bridget Sullivan

Answer 7

The Borden’s maid, she was not treated well by them, and was the suspect in a robbery the year before. She found Abby dead and was in the house that morning

Question 8

Cult of Domesticity

Answer 8

Victorian concept that women were more moral then men, and so had a duty to stay home and take care of the household for them men, keeping the men happy.

Question 9

Victorian Respectability

Answer 9

Proper appearance was extremely important, and greatly mattered socially. Women changed outfits multiple times a day, and must always look proper. Proper attire was meant to show you had the character to be upper class

Question 10

Kleptomania

Answer 10

Many women shoplifted during this time, including Lizzie, her father had arrangements with 2 stores. It is theorized this is due to feelings of rebellion or the temptation of new department stores.

Question 11

Borden Inquest

Answer 11

Meant to simply gather facts about the suspicious death, Lizzie is asked to testify. While on morphine, she gives incredibly conflicting statements that went against solid evidence. She was denied a lawyer by the judge, which was legal. Lizzie is arrested

Question 12

19th Century True Crime

Answer 12

True crime stories, especially with women victims, were very popular at the time, and Lizzie’s fit into this very well.

Question 13

George Robinson

Answer 13

A former Massachusetts governor, he joined the defense team, supporting the woman of the same social class as him.

Question 14

Hosea Knowlton

Answer 14

District Attorney and prosecutor of Lizzie Borden

Question 15

William H Moody

Answer 15

the district attorney from a neighboring county, he served as head prosecutor. Says that despite Lizzie being an unlikely suspect, evidence points to it being an inside job, and to her.

Question 16

Borden Voir Dire

Answer 16

People from Fall River are excluded. The jury is all male, most protestant farmers and tradesmen from small agricultural villages nearby.

Question 17

Alice Russell

Answer 17

Lizzie’s friend, she testified that Lizzie had come to her house the night before claiming her father had enemies. Also said she saw her father burning a dress

Question 18

Borden Evidentiary Rulings by Judges

Answer 18

Rule Lizzie’s contradictory testimony at inquest inadmissible because she did not have a lawyer, despite the law not requiring one. Also rule that the pharmacist Lizzie asked about a poisonous substance can’t testify because no poison was found

Question 19

5th and 6th Amendments (Borden)

Answer 19

Guarantees a lawyer for federal cases. Massachusetts law did not give Lizzie the right to a lawyer at the inquest

Question 20

14th Amendment (Borden)

Answer 20

Prevents states from passing laws prohibiting the rights given in the Constitution, grants bill of rights rights to state level cases as well

Question 21

Beyond a Reasonable Doubt (Borden)

Answer 21

conviction has to be beyond a reasonable doubt, if not enough evidence is provided, that can be doubt

Question 22

Judge Dewey’s Instructions to Jury

Answer 22

told jury that reputation could be enough to raise reasonable doubt, that they should not blindly trust the words of experts, and to truly consider the feasibility of Lizzie committing the crime.