This episode contains new information of Lizzie refusing a search and barring the officers from looking inside her room or bureau. Later this information would be disputed as tho it never happened. Read it for yourself in the book "The Jennings Journals, 1892" by the Fall River Historical Society. What was she hiding? Please leave a comment if you know.
Alice said she knew "it was cold blooded murder" implying it was Lizzie by the way that her Uncle, John V. Morse, looked directly into Lizzie's eyes and cried out, "How in the name of God does something like this happen, Lizzie?" when he became emotionally distraught upon hearing that the Bordens had been brutally slain in the few hours since they had all dined together at breakfast.
On further reflection I believe that John Morse was the one person that truly grieved over the loss of Andrew and Abby Borden as he found in Andrew a brotherly, best friend that he could confide in financially and share a sense of belonging as brother-in-laws, his Fall River family for over 42 years when his sister Sarah married Andrew. They were very much alike and shared many secrets which Emma would pry out of him by her letter writing.
The information of John Morse is known to me bc I have recorded the inquest of Charles Sawyer which also goes into more detail about the anguish that John Morse exhibited that day. Unlike Lizzie who was busy swooning.
Included is the expert testimony of Dr. Ed Wood, Professor of Chemistry at Harvard Medical School and his autopsy results of the stomach contents of Andrew and Abby Borden for prussic acid. Unfortunately, he says he would need at least a full two weeks to test for other poisons.
The Flat Iron Theory as a murder weapon is discussed in a letter written to the District Attorney in a letter.
Alice hints that she changed after she found a big ugly stick that scared her under the bed she slept in suggesting that Lizzie may have planted it there. At first I thought it was bc FRPD did another search during the funeral but she said no... it wasn't from that. I think she changed because of something else she saw or heard regarding Lizzie's behavior - was it bc she caught Lizzie burning the missing dress? Or was it because she never saw Lizzie cry but only swoon?
Alice Russell played by Shaily Rae Smith
D.A. Hosea Knowlton played by Tim Dennis
HK006 - What Became of the Piece of Lead by Brenda McGinnis
Irish Cop and Narration by DJ/Radio Star Jack Cone
Lizzie Barrs the Officers: Tanya Montoya as Lizzie Borden
Tim Dennis as Officer Harrington
Dr. Ed Wood played by David Loftus
John V. Morse & Flat Iron Theory by Jack Dabdoub
Lizzie's Axe by David Loftus
Host Narrator: Don Sharp
FATAL CHOICE opening music by eBunny
CANDY FACTORY by Roman Cano (Alice's theme)
SPOOKY WALTZ by Elena Naumova (Lizzie's new Axe)
SHIMMERING WATERS by Jon Wright (Flat Iron Theory)
HAPPY HALLOWEEN by Ahoami (Closing theme)
Trial transcripts provided with permission by Stefani Koorey
and the website LizzieAndrewBorden.com
Produced by Kate Lavender
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Lizzie Barrs The Officers was characterized from an article found in "The Jennings Journals 1892" by the Fall River Historical Society.
HK (Hosea Knowlton's Letters) dramatized from the book "The Knowlton Papers" by the Fall River Historical Society.
Producer's notes: Newcomer Shaily Rae Smith was not the original Alice in the podcast as it was recorded long before we met but she did a great job while I read the part of Knowlton when we recorded her part 18 months later. She never heard the original recording.The first actress did me a favor by standing in. Twenty months later I dropped Shaily's voice into the project and none is the wiser.
In my opinion Alice Russell was an "auditory oriented" person and did not observe the dress that Lizzie was wearing the way a "visually oriented" person would. She also did not talk about observing Lizzie burn the missing dress but I have recorded her Grand Jury Interview which does.
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