"Liz Bolton picked up the axe/cut her father forty times/when she realized what she did/she chopped her mother forty-one times." This nursery rhyme tells about Liz Bolton (Lizzie Borden) crime story, she murdered her father Andrew Borden and stepmother Abby Borden with an axe in 1892, but was found not guilty. Despite this verdict, she was generally considered guilty at the time-but was Liz Bolton really a murderer? Believe it or not, these shocking facts about Liz Bolton provide new clues to this famous character.
The biography of Liz Bolton and her family home have been a topic of concern since the beginning of the case. Although these murders may never be detected by the authorities, it is always interesting to learn more about Liz Bolton's life. Her colorful life portrays a complicated and intriguing female image for us.
Her parents were hacked to death
The cruelty of Liz Bolton’s murder shocked the entire community. According to the investigation, Andrew Bolton was hit by an axe or other blunt weapon about 11 times, and Abby Bolton was hit about 18 times. Andrew's body was warm when found, indicating that he was killed some time after his wife's death. Especially his face is incomplete.
The murder weapon has not been determined, but the police found an old axe in the basement of Bolton's house. Its wooden handle was broken, perhaps to cover up blood stains.
She may be a victim of sexual abuse
Some historians speculate that Bolton and her sister Emma may have been victims of incest. Their mother died when they were young, and then their father may have sexually abused them.The isolation of this family, and the fact that Bolton’s daughter was never married, adds additional evidence to this theory. There is also the fact of the murder itself-Andrew Bolton was hit in the face many times, indicating that the murderer had a strong hatred for him. Perhaps Liz Bolton has completely collapsed after years of abuse.
She bought poison shortly before the murder
Was the axe her first killer weapon from the beginning? Maybe not, it depends on what you think about Liz Bolton's purchase of a household poison, hydrocyanic acid in the summer of 1892. She claimed that she wanted to use this poison to kill the bugs on the fur coat, but two days before the murder, several members of the Bolton family contracted a mysterious disease. This led to some speculation that Liz Bolton initially tried to use poison to poison her father and stepmother.
She burned her clothes before being arrested
During the week between the murder and Liz Bolton’s arrest, Liz Bolton burned one of her clothes . She claimed that the skirt was stained with paint, but since the body was first discovered, the police began to suspect Liz Bolton. The prosecutor later accused Liz Bolton of burning her skirt because it was covered with blood from her murdered parents.
Her alibi proves to be problematic
Assuming Liz Bolton is innocent, then it is impossible for her to be present when her parents were killed, and she would not hear the murder. Voice cannot become a victim by itself. So, where is she?
Liz Bolton claimed that she was eating pears in the attic of the barn behind the house, but investigators found something suspicious. The attic was very hot that day, and they wondered if anyone could actually stay there for 20 minutes.More importantly, there are no footprints in or out of the attic on the hay.
She may be a lesbian
Liz Bolton never married, and later in life, she has a close friendship with actress Nance O’Neill. It’s not clear whether their relationship is too romantic, but in a letter from Liz Bolton to O’Neill, she said, “I dreamed of you that night, but I dared not write my dreams on paper.”
Some scholars speculate that Liz Bolton also has a special relationship with her maid, Bridget Sullivan. And Abby may have discovered this special relationship, so he gave Liz Bolton a murder motive.
She doesn't like her stepmother
Liz Bolton and her sister Emma both disliked their stepmother Abby Bolton and refused to eat with their family, called Abby "Mrs. Bolton" instead of "Mother."
The tension in family relations may also be partly due to their financial situation. Liz Bolton’s father Andrew Bolton was notoriously stingy. Although his business investment was successful, he was unwilling to install tap water at home. However, he transferred the ownership of one of the rental properties to his new wife-a fact that irritated Liz Bolton and her sister, who worried that their stepmother would reduce their own inheritance.
Then she began to lock her door to prevent others from entering. Once, Liz Bolton even pushed the desk to the bedroom door to prevent Mrs. Bolton from coming in.
Her father’s skull was displayed during the trial
The public was very interested in Liz Bolton’s trial,Several sensational moments in the incident also attracted special attention. For example, one day surgeon William a. Dolan showed a plaster model of Andrew Bolton’s skull to the jury to explain his injuries. And the skull is full of holes left by axe wounds.
According to reports, when the crowd craned their necks to look at this terrible object, Liz Bolton felt very scared and was allowed to leave the room for a period of time. He stayed in a room next to him and listened to the doctor's testimony.
Her gender may have influenced the jury
The trial of Liz Bolton was surprisingly short, lasting only two weeks, and the time was the summer of 1893. And the jury’s decision took less time: the jury deliberated for 68 minutes and declared her innocent.
The verdict shocked the public. Although much of the evidence against Liz Bolton is indirect, it is powerful. So why was she declared innocent? The answer may be related to her gender. The Victorian era believed that it was impossible for women to commit such cruel crimes, and this belief may have affected the all-male jury.
She became a socialite after the murder
After Liz Bolton was acquitted, Liz Bolton and her sister Emma were in Massachusetts In the rich area, I bought a mansion. Later Liz Bolton became famous for organizing parties carefully at home. There are even rumors that Liz Bolton also imported a palm tree to host an island-themed party. After that, her carefree behavior caused many citizens to oppose her, and the public agreed that she was guilty.
She was left out after she was acquitted
Before the trial,Liz Bolton seems to be the last person accused of murder in a small Massachusetts town. Liz Bolton is keen to worship, is a teacher at Sunday school and a member of the Christian Women’s Temperance Alliance. However, public opinion changed after the trial. When Liz Bolton attended the service for the first time after she was acquitted, no one wanted to sit next to her.
According to reports, for many years, children have thrown rocks and rotten eggs at her house and rang her doorbell in the middle of the night. Even after his death, the tomb was destroyed many times.
She later fell out with her sister
Several years after her acquittal, Liz Bolton's relationship with her sister Emma deteriorated. The sisters bought a house with their inherited estate and lived together, but Emma suddenly moved out in 1905, and the sisters never spoke again. Emma never explained why she fell out with Liz Bolton, but some speculated that she might have changed her view of her sister's crimes.
The night before the crime, she had an ominous premonition
The night before the murder, Liz Bolton visited her friend Alice Russell. During the trial, Russell said that Liz Bolton expressed fear that night, saying that she felt that something terrible was about to happen and that she should sleep with one eye closed. Some people believe that this shows that Liz Bolton is innocent, while others believe that this is a carefully planned attempt to cover up her tracks by disguising herself as a worried daughter.
Her house may be haunted
There are often rumors that the place where violent acts occur will be haunted-so what can be more violent than murder with an axe? Liz Bolton’s house is still located in Fall River, Massachusetts.It has been transformed into a hotel that provides bed and breakfast, allowing brave guests to search for ghost residents here. They can even stay in the room where Abby Bolton died.
Some visitors and staff reported that strange things did happen in the house, including unexplainable noise, and the lights would switch automatically.
She was considered an old virgin
According to the standards of the time, Liz Bolton's marital status was considered very unusual. She is still unmarried in her early thirties. In fact, when the local newspaper reported on this case, she was called a "32-year-old virgin."
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