# Axe what today is the 100th anniversary of... **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [August 5, 2007, 3:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/axe-what-today-is-the-100th-anniversary-of/414482 "2007-08-05T03:52:47Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Sampiro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/2acd7d/32.png) [@Sampiro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sampiro)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2007, 3:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/axe-what-today-is-the-100th-anniversary-of/414482/1 "2007-08-05T03:52:47Z")
Today is the centennial of the day when Lizzie Borden wondered what life was all about and decided to go axe her father and step-mom. Personally I think she totally did it, but I’ll let her off the hook (just as the jury did) on the basis that her dad and stepmom would have been dead by now anyway. If you’ve got a few hundred bucks burning a hole in your pocket, you can stay in the house where the murders took place as it’s now a [B&B](http://www.lizzie-borden.com/). ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2007, 4:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/axe-what-today-is-the-100th-anniversary-of/414482/2 "2007-08-05T04:18:56Z")
That thread title is whacked. ---
**Author:** ![ivylass](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/9de053/32.png) [@ivylass](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ivylass)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2007, 4:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/axe-what-today-is-the-100th-anniversary-of/414482/3 "2007-08-05T04:20:01Z")
Ah, the OJ Simpson of the last century. ---
**Author:** ![HazelNutCoffee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/ac91a4/32.png) [@HazelNutCoffee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HazelNutCoffee)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2007, 4:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/axe-what-today-is-the-100th-anniversary-of/414482/4 "2007-08-05T04:20:26Z")
Ahhh! That link is evil!!! :eek: ---
**Author:** ![Sampiro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/2acd7d/32.png) [@Sampiro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sampiro)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2007, 4:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/axe-what-today-is-the-100th-anniversary-of/414482/5 "2007-08-05T04:24:10Z")
[QUOTE=HazelNutCoffee] Ahhh! That link is evil!!! :eek: [/QUOTE] Not as evil as the [room rates](https://www.lizzie-borden.com/pages/Rooms.asp). ---
**Author:** ![Boyo\_Jim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/87869e/32.png) [@Boyo\_Jim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boyo_Jim)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2007, 4:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/axe-what-today-is-the-100th-anniversary-of/414482/6 "2007-08-05T04:51:43Z")
[QUOTE=Sampiro] Not as evil as the [room rates](https://www.lizzie-borden.com/pages/Rooms.asp). [/QUOTE] Well, it includes neing assaulted with an axe by the wait staff. 😛 ---
**Author:** ![Ignatz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/3be4f8/32.png) [@Ignatz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ignatz)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2007, 3:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/axe-what-today-is-the-100th-anniversary-of/414482/7 "2007-08-05T15:08:03Z")
Boyo, I hope this link doesn’t put too much pressure on your surgeryed eyeballs. (And I hope your vision is as good as mine after my catrack surge last Monday-thanks for your updates). [![]( " - YouTube") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FKivF5Lw-QE) ---
**Author:** ![Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bosda_di_chi_of_tricor/32/16845_2.png) [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosda_Di_Chi_of_Tricor)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2007, 3:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/axe-what-today-is-the-100th-anniversary-of/414482/8 "2007-08-05T15:24:55Z")
Most folks forget that there was a witness, a passing junk dealer, who **saw** Lizzie, in clean clothes, _the same clothes_ she was wearing when met by the first cop on the scene, between the time her father was killed & the time her Step-Mother was killed. She was in the yard at just the time she claimed she was, doing what she claimed she was doing. In addition, the local Livery Store Owner & Blacksmith, whose business was horses & wagons, saw a strange horse & buggy parked in front of the Borden house. He knew every horse & buggy in the vicinity (he took care of them all), & knew they were strange to the neighborhood. This was seen at around the time Mr. Borden was killed. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_Hildo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/bbce88/32.png) [@Johnny\_Hildo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_Hildo)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2007, 4:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/axe-what-today-is-the-100th-anniversary-of/414482/9 "2007-08-05T16:14:54Z")
[QUOTE=Bosda Di’Chi of Tricor] Most folks forget that there was a witness, a passing junk dealer, who **saw** Lizzie, in clean clothes, _the same clothes_ she was wearing when met by the first cop on the scene, between the time her father was killed & the time her Step-Mother was killed. She was in the yard at just the time she claimed she was, doing what she claimed she was doing. [/QUOTE] Were these the same clothes she was later seen burning? Nevermind that there was strong evidence to the fact that she tried to poison her parents weeks before. Motive motive motive. Sorry, I’m not buying the epileptic maid did it argument. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_Hildo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/bbce88/32.png) [@Johnny\_Hildo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_Hildo)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2007, 4:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/axe-what-today-is-the-100th-anniversary-of/414482/10 "2007-08-05T16:18:20Z")
[QUOTE=Sampiro] Today is the centennial of the day when Lizzie Borden wondered what life was all about and decided to go axe her father and step-mom. [/QUOTE] August 4th, 2007 is the centennial of August 4th, 1892? ---
**Author:** ![rucciface](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/ba9def/32.png) [@rucciface](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rucciface)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2007, 4:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/axe-what-today-is-the-100th-anniversary-of/414482/11 "2007-08-05T16:23:12Z")
[QUOTE=HazelNutCoffee] Ahhh! That link is evil!!! :eek: [/QUOTE] God! Why didn’t I just take your word for it??? ---
**Author:** ![I\_m\_Ron\_Burgundy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/9fc29f/32.png) [@I\_m\_Ron\_Burgundy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/I_m_Ron_Burgundy)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2007, 4:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/axe-what-today-is-the-100th-anniversary-of/414482/12 "2007-08-05T16:24:33Z")
Right on, John. There are about as many facts in the OP as brain cells in my dick. ---
**Author:** ![Boyo\_Jim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/87869e/32.png) [@Boyo\_Jim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boyo_Jim)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2007, 5:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/axe-what-today-is-the-100th-anniversary-of/414482/13 "2007-08-05T17:12:43Z")
[QUOTE=Ignatz] Boyo, I hope this link doesn’t put too much pressure on your surgeryed eyeballs. (And I hope your vision is as good as mine after my catrack surge last Monday-thanks for your updates). ![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/FKivF5Lw-QE/maxresdefault.jpg)https://www.youtube.com/embed/FKivF5Lw-QE?feature=oembed&wmode=opaque [/QUOTE] That is the kind of Axe attack I would welcome. Thanks. “The goggles – they do NOTHING!” – Ranier Wolfcastle ---
**Author:** ![Count\_Blucher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/c5a1d2/32.png) [@Count\_Blucher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Count_Blucher)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2007, 5:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/axe-what-today-is-the-100th-anniversary-of/414482/14 "2007-08-05T17:16:04Z")
[QUOTE=Sampiro] Personally I think she totally did it, but I’ll let her off the hook (just as the jury did) on the basis that her dad and stepmom would have been dead by now anyway.. [/QUOTE] Of course she killed them with an axe. Because [you can pick your friends](http://ip.rhps.org/cast/movie/eddie.jpg), but you can’t pick your family… ---
**Author:** ![Boyo\_Jim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/87869e/32.png) [@Boyo\_Jim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boyo_Jim)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2007, 5:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/axe-what-today-is-the-100th-anniversary-of/414482/15 "2007-08-05T17:17:57Z")
[QUOTE=Count Blucher] Of course she killed them with an axe. Because [you can pick your friends](http://ip.rhps.org/cast/movie/eddie.jpg), but you can’t pick your family… [/QUOTE] Damn, I was sure that would be a pic of someone with a pickaxe buried in their chest. ---
**Author:** ![Kythereia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/e8c25b/32.png) [@Kythereia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kythereia)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2007, 5:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/axe-what-today-is-the-100th-anniversary-of/414482/16 "2007-08-05T17:24:38Z")
_Lizzie Borden took an axe…_ Is there any truth to the theory that she had an affair with Nance O’Neill later on? Any Lizzie Borden scholars here? _curious_ ---
**Author:** ![Sampiro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/2acd7d/32.png) [@Sampiro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sampiro)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2007, 5:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/axe-what-today-is-the-100th-anniversary-of/414482/17 "2007-08-05T17:41:46Z")
[QUOTE=Johnny Hildo] August 4th, 2007 is the centennial of August 4th, 1892? [/QUOTE] I round downward. [QUOTE=Kythereia] Is there any truth to the theory that she had an affair with Nance O’Neill later on? [/QUOTE] There’s no way to prove whether it was consummated or not of course, but O’Neill was a frequent long-term guest at [Maplecroft](http://lizzieandrewborden.com/Galleries/FallRiverPhotologAssets/Maplecroft2SC.jpg) (the much larger nicer house Lizzie and Emma built with their inheritance) and Emma’s famous move-out came during one of her early visits, which threw fuel on the fire. O’Neill’s bisexuality was fairly well established, and Lizzie- well, she didn’t really get a lot of company of either sort. [Blood Relations](http://www.amazon.com/Blood-Relations-Other-Sharon-Pollock/dp/1896300642) (a play about the O’Neill/Borden relationship and with an odd flashback to the murders [in which O’Neill plays Borden]) is one of the most frequently performed on colleges, it seems. ---
**Author:** ![if6was9](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/e47c2d/32.png) [@if6was9](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/if6was9)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2007, 6:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/axe-what-today-is-the-100th-anniversary-of/414482/18 "2007-08-05T18:31:32Z")
Axe not what you can do for your daughter, axe what your daughter can do to you. ---
**Author:** ![Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bosda_di_chi_of_tricor/32/16845_2.png) [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosda_Di_Chi_of_Tricor)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2007, 7:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/axe-what-today-is-the-100th-anniversary-of/414482/19 "2007-08-05T19:05:12Z")
[QUOTE=Johnny Hildo] Were these the same clothes she was later seen burning? [/QUOTE] No, they weren’t. [QUOTE=Johnny Hildo] Nevermind that there was strong evidence to the fact that she tried to poison her parents weeks before. [/QUOTE] Umm, no. Poison is not an axe, & the illness was just as likely food poisoning from 4 day old unrefridgerated mutton. Remember–there was no electricity in the Borden house, & Mr. Borden was insanely tight with a buck. So food was kept far longer than was prudent. [QUOTE=Johnny Hildo] Motive motive motive. [/QUOTE] What motive? There has been a lot of 20th Century _speculation_, but no motive, bourne out by contemporary evidence. [QUOTE=Johnny Hildo] Sorry, I’m not buying the epileptic maid did it argument. [/QUOTE] Nobody said you should. Good evidence exists that a stranger was in the neighborhood, & besides–the Borden girls’ Uncle, from their late Mother’s side of the family was staying with them, on a visit. He was allegedly out for the day…alone. ---
**Author:** ![Boyo\_Jim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/87869e/32.png) [@Boyo\_Jim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boyo_Jim)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2007, 7:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/axe-what-today-is-the-100th-anniversary-of/414482/20 "2007-08-05T19:21:25Z")
[QUOTE=Bosda Di’Chi of Tricor] No, they weren’t. Umm, no. Poison is not an axe, & the illness was just as likely food poisoning from 4 day old unrefridgerated mutton. Remember–there was no electricity in the Borden house, & Mr. Borden was insanely tight with a buck. So food was kept far longer than was prudent. What motive? There has been a lot of 20th Century _speculation_, but no motive, bourne out by contemporary evidence. Nobody said you should. Good evidence exists that a stranger was in the neighborhood, & besides–the Borden girls’ Uncle, from their late Mother’s side of the family was staying with them, on a visit. He was allegedly out for the day…alone. [/QUOTE] A little obsession revealed, eh Bosda? [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/axe-what-today-is-the-100th-anniversary-of/414482.md?page=2)