On The "Other" Borden Murders

On The "Other" Borden Murders.

"Lizzy Borden took an Axe
And gave her mother forty wacks
And when she saw what she had done
She gave her father forty-one." –Early Twentieth Century Nursery Rhyme.

On August 4^th, 1892 a gruesome event occurred, that would from that day forth, secure a place in the annals of American Justice and criminology. This, of course, was the murders of Andrew Jackson Borden and Abby Durfee Borden. The father and step mother of one Lizzy Borden, whom became the eventual suspect in the slayings. Although, the popular rhyme mentioned above isn't completely accurate; her mother actually receiving 18 or 19 whacks and the father 11, but it does illustrate the feeling most people had after the murders, even despite Lizzy's eventual acquittal. To this day many believe that she was indeed the one responsible for killing her parents with a hatchet.

I believe the motive in the murder was that Lizzy was sexually abused and she killed both the father and the mother, who may have looked away. In Lizzy's mind refusing to protect her. Lizzy is known for having a lesbian relationship with the actress Nance O' Neill later on in her life, which I only mention as a side note, for psychologically speaking this could point to a distrust of men, due to some form of abuse. Though, this is not proof positive in itself, yet paired with other evidence, its enough to lead me to this conclusion.

As horrible as this event was, truly, is it possible that it wasn't the first time the Borden family had been subject to murder? Alas, this is the case. However, the only date I could find for this particular event is approximately between 1845-1848 (though I lean towards 1848 being the correct year), however, if anyone has more specifics on the case and would like to share them I would be in your debt, because details seem hard to come by.

In 1848(?), and right next door to where the famous Borden murder took place, Ladwick Borden's (Lizzy's great uncle) 2^nd wife, Eliza Darling Borden, took her three children down to a basement cistern and drowned two of them, one of them escaping and fleeing from the scene. The woman then took a knife and cut her own throat. A classic double murder-suicide.

Now why the hell would I write about something like this? Couple reasons. First, that nobody out there knows about the first Borden murders, and just in case someone wanted some simple, vague information such as what I have provided, well it may lead to an extra hit, or dare I say it…whack, on my blog. Second, I find it quite fascinating, and indeed a mystery, as to why certain families are plagued by a particular series of misfortune, tragedy, and betrayal, such as the Borden's here, or the Windsor's, and their American likenesses; the Kennedys.

Although some of it seems to be complete coincidence or bad luck, others, however, follow a very similar almost parallel series of events and occurrences that must be due to a family members disposition depositing itself on a younger generation or those whom are in attendance. Indeed, imagine what kind of predisposition Lizzy may have had if the subject of Her great uncles wife's murder suicide was made known to her. How would that, and the added variable of abuse equate itself? Furthermore, hypothetically, would ones morality be effected when being bombarded by such circumstance and family history?

Again, it should be said that not all family tragedy can be based on the notion of predisposition, however I believe it does occur and will continue to occur. So in conclusion, do not pass your sins down to others of the family, but rather make sure the disposition within your family is right and just and this will perhaps help to prevent family tragedy over generations.