Lizzie Borden: The Legend, the Truth, the Final Chapter

I have read many books about this case and I say without any hesitation that this book is very enjoyable, very concise and elaborates on points that many other books just say....Lizzie did it. We all know she was accused of murder, not found guilty. I personally don't think that she did. Think about it? I woman of small stature killing 2 people with a hatchet? And not just a couple of blows.....19 for her stepmother (over 200 pounds) and 11 for her father. She may have been guilty of greed which the author also elaborates on. I am afraid to say that many people take the easy way out, jump on the bandwagon and say...oh, Lizzie did it! Explore some other possibilities. This author has researched two full years....uncovered some material that has been overlooked and spent some genuine time preparing thoughts and tying all the ends together in a book that is both engaging and believable.

Arnold R. Brown was a native of Fall River and retired as an automotive manager to Florida. He met the son-in-law of Henry Hawthorne, whose memoir of the Borden Murders was based on Hawthorne's personal knowledge together with the information from his mother-in-law Ellan Eagan (she walked by the house that day). Brown investigated this case for two years and completed his solution to the crime. This account fits the facts of the case better than any other theory. Read other books and compare for yourself. A secret will not remain secret if it is written. There can be no "documentary proof" once all involved in the secret have died. You can only infer the secret from the known circumstances. This solution implies why some said Bridget Sullivan was paid to leave the country: she knew too much (but didn't know it). Bridget may have seen William Borden visiting. She didn't know that he worked as a butcher, was skilled with a hatchet, had a violent temper, and spent time in a mental hospital. Brown says he was more than just a cousin. Bridget's testimony was not favorable to Lizzie, so there was no bribery or collusion here. Brown discussed the actions of the local ruling class and the politicians who do their bidding. The spontaneous halt in working, a virtual general strike, had to be ended. There were no labor leaders to be shot or jailed. There was a great need to resume production. Somebody had to be arrested for the crime to quell the restless people. Lizzie was arrested to try to break her so she would talk; it didn't work. Lizzie kept the secret. Brown says that such official corruption is always possible when the price and conditions are right. You can review your own local politics and judge for yourself. Brown's solution to the murders was a visitor whose identity was kept secret from the public. There was a hitch to the cover-up when the Grand Jury indicted Lizzie, so efforts were made to fix the result of the trial for a not guilty verdict. This visitor carried away the murder weapon so none was found There were no blood spatters were on Lizzie (or Bridget). This shielded the Borden family from a scandal. Yet the fickle opinion of the public soon switched from support of Lizzie to condemnation (perhaps the result of envy towards the rich). People realized Lizzie must have known more than she claimed. Brown surmises this secret meeting was over Andrew's will. I think a more likely reason was over a loan that couldn't be repaid on time. Andrew had a long history of foreclosing for debts secured by the borrower's property. What would have happened if Lizzie told the truth about the visitor? Perhaps popular sympathy would be with the victim of a "loathsome miser" who swindled people out of their property? Here are the proofs for this conclusion. No bloody clothes or weapon were found because the murders were done by a visitor who left secretly and whose identity was never publicly known. Shielding this person was acceptable to the rulin

I found this to be one of the most important books that I have ever read! This book is important for solving a century-old mystery, based on the available evidence. It sets a good example for any other non-writer to follow.A R Brown was born and raised in Fall River. He retired to Florida, and met Lewis Peterson (also from Fall River). When the subject of Lizzie Borden came up, Lewis said his father-in-law Henry Hawthorne knew the real killer. Hawthorne's mother-in-law Ellan Eagan passed by the Borden house that morning. Before Henry Hawthorne died in 1978 he left notebooks filled with his memories of that event. A R Brown read them, then checked those facts for historical verification. His book is the result of his investigation. The "Acknowledgments" list the many people who helped with the book, which provides the "best evidence" for its solution to this famous unsolved mystery.Little or no documentation is available, as the author stated, for any further proof. He noted that there was a work stoppage, which put pressure on the local establishment to find a solution. The Mellen House Gang would not leave documents for their actions in 1892, as with most current politicians. (We still don't have an official legal solution to the JFK assassination.)The book "Forty Whacks" provides complementary information on the events of the time. Note the "anonymous" letter from Albany (Joseph Carpenter?) who seemed to know something about the crime. Like today, people may know things but do not wish to get involved with powerful authorities who have their own agenda.I think there may have been more information left out of the book. One important but little known fact mentioned in this book is the condition of the blood for a freshly killed body (red and liquid) compared to one dead for over an hour (black and clotted). Think about that in a more recent double murder case.

As a student of the legend of the Borden murders, I found this book to be a wholly new and frankly amazing version of "who-done-it", presented clearly and very believably. For all those who've always sworn that Lizzie didn't do the deeds, this is a must-read, featuring never-before-disclosed facts and pointing the finger at a previously unknown killer. Well worth the time.

I'm a freelance writer who read the book twice and interviewed Brown and others for evidence of X (who I will not name). I even did my own sleuthing, and found it fascinating, and a lot of fun (I'm a guy, but I felt like Nancy Drew!). Brown should document his work so people like me could verify his facts. For the curious, he claims to have proof to back up his case. He's dying of brain cancer. His sequel is to be published posthumously. I liked the book and what it claims. It's a great mystery and is told well. The photos are laid out better in the hardcover edition, and the cover isn't as sensational.