“Lizzie Borden took an axe…” Or not. On this day in 1892, Andrew and Abby Borden were murdered with an axe in Fall River, Massachusetts, that much is certain on
NATIONAL LIZZIE BORDEN DAY!
Who killed them remains an open question, since their only suspect, the couple’s 32 year-old daughter Lizzie Borden, was acquitted of this crime after a sensational trial that captured the nation’s attention. No one else was ever charged with the murders, so it’s still an open case. After her acquittal, Lizzie and her sister Emma used their sizable inheritance to buy a big house in the fashionable side of town and lived out their lives in monied comfort. LIzzie changed her name to Lizbeth Borden, but was reportedly ostracized by polite society in Fall River. She lived the good life anyway, throwing parties for famous actresses, and employing live-in maids, a housekeeper and a “coachman,” whatever that is (gigolo). Did she do it? Only the Shadow knows…