Haunted History Tour... Lizzie Borden Home

"Lizzie Borden took an axe and gave her mother forty whacks.
When she realized what she done, she gave her father forty-one."

Remember that little saying? I certainly do! I used to repeat that diddy all of the time as a child. I never knew the truth and history behind the poem. But now that I am an adult and have watched documentaries, as well as have read the history behind the condemnation, I have "seen the light" as to why and how the rhyme came about.

Lizzie Andrew Borden was born in New England on July 19, 1860. A "spinster" of sorts, who later on in her adult years would be pegged as the prime suspect in the double homicide of her mother and her father. They were killed on August 4, 1892. This would have placed Lizzie to be age forty-two at the time. Plenty old enough to "know better", if you get my drift.

When all was said and done, Lizzie Borden was acquitted of the heinous murders. And no other people were ever brought forth for the crimes. To this day, the murders are unsolved.

What led to the murders of Andrew Borden and his wife, Abby? Could have been very well over the fact that arguments often ensued over property and possessions that were to be divided amongst her and Lizzie's sister, Emma, BEFORE their father's demise? Or could it be that they were mad that Mr. Borden planned on having the the homestead sold to their stepmother's (Abby) relatives, and were afraid that they would literally be left out in the cold?

Whatever the true intention was for the killings, the stage had apparently long been set. Between anger, jealousy and the "not knowing" of what will happen after their Daddy keeled over, it made a perfect recipe for murder.

On August 4, 1892, Andrew left the house and went in to town, in to Fall River, Massachusetts to the bank. And then the old boy went to the post office. Which all were of his normal activities. Mr. Borden returned home at approximately 10:45 that morning, only to have Lizzie "find" her father dead upon the couch.

During the court trial for Lizzie, it was told, by the family's maid, Bridget Sullivan that she was laying in bed, within the confines of her room at around eleven, she heard Lizzie call up to her and stated that someone had killed her father.

Not long after the doctor and some neighbors had come to the home to help Lizzie, the gruesome discovery of her stepmother, Abby was made by the unsuspecting maid. Abby had died in the geust bedroom upstairs.

Abby and Andrew both had suffered a very brutal end to their lives. Both of them had skull-crushing blows to the head with a hatchet. Mr. Borden's left eyeball was literally split in two.

It came to light later, that not too long before the murders, all in the home became ill. Knowing her husband was a tight-fisted, not too well liked man, she feared that someone was out to seek revenge upon her husband, and take his entire family with him. They suspected poisoned  milk. After the murders, right there in the home, the autopsies were performed. With it, the stomachs of the couple were removed and set on the table to seek out their contents. The contents were then sent for "tox screenings" over at Harvard Medical School.

Lizzie Borden was arrested for the double killing. She was placed in a cell on August twelfth. With her stories determined to be inconsistent through various interviews, she became the town's prime suspect.

On November 7, 1892, a Grand Jury trial was under way. A Bill of Indictment came down on her on December second, almost a month after her arrest. The trial its self didn't start in New Bedford, Massachusetts until June of 1893!

Lizzie's Defending Attorneys were Governor George D. Robinson and Andrew V. Jennings. One "rising star" Prosecutor at the trial happened to be William H. Moody, who would later become a United States Attorney General and Associate Justice of the U.S. Supreme Court.

During the investigation, a hatchet was found within the basement, and assumed to have been the murder weapon. It was clean, but the handle had gone missing. Later in the trial, by word of the Forensics Specialist, there was no time to have cleaned the hatchet after the murders had taken place.

Also on Lizzie's side was the fact that no blood-stained clothing was ever found. Although, there was a blue dress that was torn apart and thrown in to the stove. Lizzie claimed that the dress had fresh paint that was smeared on it, after she accidentally brushed up against a baseboard.

Lizzie was finally acquitted for the crimes on June 20, 1893, after deliberations by the jury that took them a mere hour and a half of their time.

After the dust had settled, Lizzie and her sister Emma had moved and named their new home "Maplecroft".  It is located on French Street , which at that time, was within a posh neighborhood of Fall River. The home included all of the (then) latest amenities a home of it's stature could have. Including indoor plumbing.

Later on though, Emma and Lizzie began to develop a strained relationship. Their lifestyles did not mesh and were apparently like night and day. Complete opposites. So, twelve years after hell had reined upon them, the sisters had parted ways. Emma moved from the home in June of 1905.

On June 1, 1927, Lizzie Andrew Borden had passed away. She required gallbladder removal surgery and she was pretty sick for the last year of her life. She had died basically alone, with only her staff as her 'comfort' in those final hours. Her cause of death was Pneumonia.

The details of her funeral were never brought to light to the public, and only a handful of people attended the services for her. Lizzie is buried at Oak Grove Cemetery in Fall River.

Nine days later, Emma too passed. She contracted Nephritis.

Today, the home in which the murders had occurred is now a Bed And Breakfast. As far as the hauntings go, there have been reports of a woman's voice softly crying, seeing ghostly shoes appear, and even an older woman in period dress for Lizzie's time show.

Also, it seems that video equipment messes up, lights have been known to flicker on and off, and Andrew and Abby supposedly wander the home.

Links...

Haunted Hamilton 

History of Lizzie Borden

Haunted History... The Towers of London

The Towers were erected in 1078. It stands out from all of the surrounding landscape. It's creator was William the Conqueror. And it is more than likely the most haunted place in England to date.

The Wakefield Tower houses Henry VI. He was murdered, after people became enraged over his weakness to rule in the manner that they felt that a king should "take charge". It happened on May 21, 1471, as he knelt in prayer. On the king's anniversary of death, Henry VI is said to appear as the clock strikes midnight, which is said to be the hour of his killing. He paces back and forth up until the last stroke of midnight, then just fades.

Within the White Tower is the oldest of all of the Towers of London. It also houses the "White Lady", who at some point of time stood at a corridor and waved to children that were in an opposing tower adjacent to the one that the spectral was spotted. In the gallery, Henry VIII's armor is on exhibition. Many guards have stated that they get a feeling of crushing in their chest as they enter the armor's area, but leaves them almost as sudden after leaving the room.

Over on the Tower Green, there is a memorial, that remembers those that were executed on the grounds. It is said that an Anne Boleyn and a Lady Jane Grey both come back from their ethereal realm. Where as Margaret Pole, Countess of Salisbury returns to the spot where her life ended in a very uh... attention-grabbing way.

Speaking of Margaret, her mother/son relationship was strained, to say the least. See, her boy, Cardinal Pole was on a major power trip. He sealed the king's claim to rule. And in the end, got the King Henry VIII to place Pole's mother's head upon the chopping block. She was executed on May 27, 1541. When told to kneel, dear old Mom refused. “So should traitors do and I am none” were Margaret's last words...The executioner raised up his axe, hacked her head off as she ran around the scaffold like a chicken trying to save it's head. Since her death, the residual haunting, replaying the scene over and over like a broken record has been witnessed many times since on the anniversary of her demise.

Now, let's go a CUT above the rest, where names are concerned. How about we travel to the Bloody Tower? Edward IV had died suddenly in April of 1483. Due to his death, his son, who was twelve years old at the time was to succeed him as Edward V. But before Edward V could take the reigns his younger brother had been declared to be an illegitimate child by the Parliament. So instead, their uncle, Duke of Gloucester had succeeded and taken to the throne as Richard III. In the end, the two boys were placed in the Tower of London. They could more often than not be spotted playing on the grounds.

Around June of 1483, the boys just suddenly vanished. Nowhere to be found. It is believed that Richard III had them killed and buried in an unspecified place. Two skeletons were found many, many years later. They were located beneath the White Tower's staircase in 1674. They were believed to be the remains of the two young princes that never got to see a day of ruling upon their father's throne. After the discovery, their bodies were interned in at Westminster Abbey with a Royal Burial.

Once in a while, there will be sounds of crying and whimpering of two children, dressed in period clothing from the days of the Fifteenth Century. They are shown to be extremely frightened and cling on to one another in terror. Most people that get to see this scene are mostly with pity and sorrow for the children that never got to grow up and rule in succession of their father. Some even go as far as to literally reach out to them, as to take them in to their bosom and console the frightened boys, only to have them slowly back away from their mournful witnesses and fade in to the wall.

To read more, please visit Towers of London.

Guardian Angels

Many people, especially within the Christian belief system, believe in Guardian Angels. They are an 'assigned' angel that watches over the mortal person and is with them through good times and bad.

The definition from Wikipedia states, "A guardian angel is an angel assigned to protect and guide a particular person. Belief in guardian angels can be traced throughout all antiquity. The concept of tutelary angels and their hierarchy was extensively developed in Christianity in the 5th century by Pseudo-Dionysius the Areopagite.

The theology of angels and tutelary spirits has undergone many refinements since the 400s. Belief in both the East and the West is that guardian angels serve to protect whichever person God assigns them to, and present prayer to God on that person's behalf.".

Take for instance, you get in to an EXTREMELY horrific car accident. One where the vehicle is nothing but a pile of metal and large car parts. One where people should not have survived. But you walked away from what should have been your death trap, with what is considered either to be mild injury, or moderate injury.

Many people would say that you must have had a Guardian Angel watching over you.

Also, most who believe in these winged souls, they most of the time feel that their personal angel is someone that knew the person in life (be it the person the angel 'serves' knew that person in life, or not) and then decided (or was told by God) to watch over that loved one until they too were called home.

Over at Angel Believes, my BFF wrote about her Whirlwind Vacation.

Naturally, Angel (yes, people her REAL name is indeed Angel) had posted gobs of pictures. But one in particular especially had caught my eye. And even she told me on the phone, when I asked about it, that she did NOT notice it, until AFTER she put the pictures on to the computer.

The picture in question? Take a look below...

Look at it closely. What do you see? I want YOUR opinion.

Angel is thinking it's her hand, although she doesn't remember raising it to that extent. And to *me*, her arm and her hand seem to be laying relaxed, next to her body.

After further inspection, with the picture enlarged on my screen, to me, it looked like jagged edges of an Angel's wing, suspended out beside the little girl's shoulder.

Note too, the transparency of the 'wing', how you can actually see through it! To me, if that was a real person's arm or hand, the mass would appear more solid, even in quick motion.

Plus, the curvature of the top end of the "angel's wing" is to perfectly curved out. As are the edges at the bottom.

What is your take on this picture? Is it appearing to be a Guardian Angel showing it's self as to prove that they are with the little girl? Or, maybe, is this a "play on light"?

Do YOU believe in Guardian Angels?

Poltergeists. It's not like in the movies!

You may have heard of, or have even seen the early 1980's movie, 'Poltergeist'. It revolves around a little girl named Carol Ann, who comes in to contact with an evil entity. This "man" reeks havoc among the girl and her family. The classic, and very well-known, timeless line is... "They're heeeeeere!", as Carol Ann sits in front of the family's television set.

A 'poltergeist' is what is also known as a "noisy ghost". Actually that is what the name is derived from, which is a German definition.

From http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Poltergeist

"About this sound Poltergeist (from German poltern, meaning "to rumble", "to make a noise" and Geist, meaning "ghost" or "spirit") is in mythology and folklore a ghost, spirit, entity, demonic spirit or being that manifests itself by creating noise or moving objects."

For the most part, Poltergeist Ghosts are not harmful. They move things, hide things and make noises to be heard and to communicate. Not to physically hurt you. Most cases are generally 'normal' and the people affected are not harmed.

Personally, I have had this sort of thing happen when I was a teenager. Though, it did not happen to me personally, the whole family unit was affected.

My grandma (Nana) had this one pair of reading glasses. She normally sat them beside her favorite chair, where she could read under the lamp light.

One day, she was looking for them and asked me to hunt them down. Of course I looked EVERYWHERE. I scoured the place top to bottom. As did my father and my step-mother.

For three solid WEEKS, we all looked for the reading glasses. To no avail. Of course, I got pegged for hiding them out of spite. At the time, Nana didn't believe that there was ghostly activity, and as a hard-core Catholic, vehemently stated that ghosts are of the devil's work.

We looked ALL over, high and low. Even in places that we should not have had to look in. Then, my step-mother struck gold! She found the glasses. But in the most unusual of places. It made all of our jaws drop. And made my Nana (finally) a believer.

My step-mom opened the china cabinet (as she did EVERY night for the last three weeks and before) to get the dishes out for dinnertime. Sitting there on the GOOD set of dishes, was my grandmother's reading glasses. Right there in plain sight. And they just "magically" appeared there.

There are other instances of hearing footsteps and things moving, and even voice activity that I alone have experienced. But that one really stood out to me. And the list is just too freaking long to talk about in one post (LOL).

Here is a book Author that I *highly* recommend to read. Including this book, out of the many he has written about all types of ghostly hauntings.

Here is a video of what types of Poltergeist activities CAN occur. All cases are extremely different. It is also has Ed and Loraine Warren (who are now both deceased), who are highly recommended and knowledgeable Demonologists. Some of what you are about to see, WILL shock you and make you think.

The Victorian View On Death...

True, I normally write about ghosts and hauntings. But I have a "closet" fascination. Some would call it a morbid one, to say the least. But it is practiced (though rarely) still today. Primarily in the south of North America's culture. A fascination that forces us to take a really good look at ourselves, our lives, and our mortality. And it makes us hope that those that we leave behind, will wish to remember us as we were, before death placed it's cold grip upon our shoulder.

Back in the times of Victorian culture, it was not uncommon in the least, that the grieving families would have pictures taken of their loved ones after death, as to capture their essence from life, in which death had robbed them.

The pictures were taken before the deceased person's funeral and burial. And some are so exquisite, that while, heartbreaking, they are beautiful.

The practice was called Post-Mortem Photography. The practice had begun in 1839. But died out after the turn of the century. These were not meant to be a morbid means of "clinging on" to loved ones. But to have a memento of those that were loved dearly. Especially of children, who died in great numbers back in the Victorian era, due to the very diseases that we have eradicated or have built better immunity to in this day and age.

The earliest works of photographers that were doing "Memento Photos" had primarily face shots, or full-body pictures. But without the coffin, in most cases.

As time drew on, then the photographers tried to capture the dead in as real a life-like state as possible. Sometimes, going as far as painting the eyes on to the eyelids, to give the deceased an "awake" appearance.

With some people, the photographer would lay them on a bed or on a love-seat and show the subject as if they were just sleeping.

Over on YouTube, I had found a lady who posts videos of collections of old VHS tapes she had of this very subject. They are made by GhostWatching.

While it makes your heart pound, and it leaves you a bit morose and makes the reality of your own mortality more surreal, the pictures are breath taking, and genuinely beautiful. Especially the children.

Ouija Boards

My, oh my! One topic that to this day STILL makes me shiver. And know that never, EVER again, will I go near one.

Back in the late 1990's, I was at a friend's house. We were talking and goofing around. Then, they had pulled out a Ouija Board. After delegating who was going to do what (be a witness to the letters, spell on paper, and who would control the planchette, being that there were enough of us together to cover with three people on the board), we started the session.

Simple questions of like, "Is anyone there?", and once we got something, we asked general questions such as gender, age, date of death. Finally, we found out that it was a man in his mid to late 20's (forgot the exact age) and that he died in an accident. We found out he was never married, nor had kids, and he lived in the late 1800's. Then, we asked where he was from and he said...H-E-L-L.

Of course, then we heard creakings and other odd sounds we had not heard before the 'game' was started. Suddenly, the planchette started to go erratic and bounce to all kinds of letters and numbers. Then to YES and to NO.

Finally, we got the triangle moved to GOODBYE and vocally said so.

Ever since then, I have never touched another Ouija Board 'game' again. And don't plan to do so in the future, either.

Here is a good article to read about the subject of Ouija Boards by Max Rodegher
-Author of Studies of the Paranormal... Dangers of the Ouija Board

Now, here is a video of someone warning AGAINST the usage of a Ouija Board...

Paranormal Television Shows (The good, the bad, and the non-worthy)

Some aren't even worth my time. Such as Paranormal State and Ghost Adventures. They only delve in to the "bad side" of ghostly phenomenon. And it makes me sick to see the FEAR that the shows instill in their viewers. Especially for those that believe, but have yet to truly experience a haunting themselves.

Then, you have Paranormal Cops. While those guys may have the detective skills, they certainly don't seem all that much to be taking the Paranormal Investigator job all that seriously.

Ghostly Encounters, while at times intriguing, can seem too "dramatized" for my taste. Tell the story, don't embellish it.

Now as for those that I like, Ghost Hunters and Ghost Hunters International for me, ranks right up there at the top of the heap. They are genuine and walk in as skeptics. Not out of malice towards those that they are helping, but to get a better overall view of the places that they are investigating and come to a level-headed decision about each site. And their work ethic is exceptional in how they carry themselves on their jobs with each client that they serve.

Also, I like the new (in it's second season) Celebrity Ghost Stories. Just because they are celebrities, it doesn't mean that they aren't human and can't experience ghostly happenings as well. And the way that some of the stories are told, it's just mind blowing and if you have been through a similar experience, you feel that you can TRULY relate to that particular celeb. Although, I am glad that they no longer do that white noise/face thing in between stories as they go to commercial. It not only scared my kids (who like the show, too), but myself as well. Made me jump EVERY time.

My new favorite to add to my list, that I missed the Pilot Episode of LAST WEEK is My Ghost Story. It features three or four different stories from everyday, ordinary, average people such as you and I. They tell their story and as it's being told, video and picture evidence is being provided, as well as a re-enactment by the story-teller(s) themselves. I love that about this show. There are REAL people telling THEIR stories and showing it playing out on THEIR OWN TERMS.

Psychic Kids, with Psychic/Medium Chip Coffey is another good show. And I love how he and his Psychologist friend help these kids through what can be a very scary, life altering, and embarrassing (as well as shunning) thing in their lives. They have the compassion, understanding and drive to TRULY help these kids that have the ability to see, hear, and sense spirits feel not so isolated, and help them get a better handle on their abilities.

Understandably, this is only the tip of the ice burg. There are many more ghost/haunting-related shows out there. Too many to name or talk about in fact. But these, for myself anyways, stands out from the crowd. Do you have any paranormal shows that you like or dislike? Tell us and the reason(s) why.

The "livliest" 'Ghost Town' you will ever step in to...

Let's take a small trip. Back in to another time. Another realm. Another way of life. To the past.

For a few years in my teens, I had lived in the Reno/Carson City area of Nevada. It was quite nice, to tell the truth. Barely any humidity. Air quality was nice, too.

Back in the 1960's on television, there was a Western "shoot 'em up" show called 'Bonanza'. It centered around a man and his three sons back in the late 1800's, during the Gold Rush days in the Sierra Nevada's. Including a city called Virginia City.

Yes, there REALLY IS a town named Virginia City in Nevada, out in the hills of the Reno/Carson basin. And it's still lively today, as it was in it's hay day. Although it is considered a tourist attraction these days. But many upon many of the ORIGINAL structures (including their "birth" names) are still up and in use today in our modern age.

And it is said to be a Ghost Town. Not in the abandoned since. Not in the least bit. But in the literal since. As in the ghostly realm and hauntings since.

Including the town primary cemetery. And the town's cathedral. Oh, and don't forget the Art School that was once a hospital for the wounded and dying Civil War Soldiers. Then, there are a couple of haunted Saloons and restaurants. Pretty much anywhere you go in Virginia City, you will hear tales of the Spirit kind.

Now, sit back and relax. Watch a few videos from my old "home town" of Virginia City and gawk at a few pictures. Take that trip back in time. Where the West was wild and the women were fast (not necessarily easy).









***This is a 4-part-series, and I am providing the first two. If you wish to view more, then go over to YouTube and type in Haunted Nevada. Virginia City *IS* covered in this show's episode. Just watch and keep an eye out for it.

I've been inside many of the places, including the church and the cemetery when I lived there, and visited on trips back home. I've also on more than one occasion felt eyes peering at me when no one (living) was around. I felt presences. I've heard voices and things while in certain buildings that shouldn't be there. Even in broad daylight. Especially in areas where it was not allowed for (living) people to go. They were restricted, cordoned off areas.

Maybe one day soon, I will tell my tales of all I have seen and heard. But for now, just relish on the trip you had taken back in to another time. And maybe even watch a bit of 'Bonanza'. Gotta love Little Joe!

Paranormal, ghostly pictures.

Okay, I have apparently caught now a couple of REALLY strange photos with my cell's camera. One I can post now. The other though, I still have to Upload from my phone.

In the one I am about to place up, there was NOTHING there at the time that either myself or my five-year-old had seen. In fact, as you will tell by the picture, she look right at me, smiling as I snapped the shot. And I saw NOTHING from the corner of my eye.

Some people think it's my mother. Some feel it's a man. Some think it may even be my thumb.

I know for certain, it's not a finger or thumb in the way. Be it mine or someone else's. No other people were in the kitchen when this was taken. And the lens of the camera is on the TOP side of the phone. I have to press OK to snap the pictures. So, my hand in NO WAY is in this shot.

You be the judge. And feel free to also post your pictures here in the comments, and over at ParanorMel over at Facebook.