Presents information on the axe murders of Andrew and Abby Borden in 1892, a crime for which their daughter Lizzie went to trial, featuring reproductions of articles from forty-one newspapers across the U.S., official correspondence and transcripts, and discussion of the plays, opera, and ballet inspired by the crimes.

Get a behind-the-scenes glimpse of what it takes to be considered one of the worst figures in history, with this fourth book in a nonfiction series that focuses on the most nefarious historical figures. Lizzie Borden took an axe, gave her mother forty whacks. When she saw what she had done, she gave her father forty-one. On August 4, 1892, the murders of wealthy and prominent Andrew and Abby Borden rocked the small town of Fall River, Massachusetts. The accused? Mild-mannered and highly respected Lizzie Borden, daughter of Andrew and stepdaughter of Abby. But did she actually do it? And if she did, why? Lizzie had as much to gain from the death of her father as anyone. Despite his wealth, Andrew did not believe in spending money and Lizzie had grown frustrated with the situation. And her actions in the days before the murder—trying to buy a type of strong poison—as well as those after the murder—burning a dress she claimed was stained—didn’t help. On August 11, Lizzie was arrested. But after a sensational trial, she was found not guilty. Rumors lingered. Stories persisted. And Lizzie continues to fascinate even today.

"Lizzie Borden is a name that has lived in infamy." "Wasn't this the ghoulish daughter who "took an axe and gave her mother forty whacks" and then "gave her father forty-one"? Most people know the rhyme. What they don't know are the particulars of how Lizzie was hounded by prosecutors, pursued by the press, finally acquitted - yet always presumed guilty." "For answers to these and many other questions about the unsolved mystery of Lizzie Borden, author David Kent turned to Robert A. Flynn, a native of Fall River, Massachusetts. As they delved deeper into the mystery, Kent and Flynn (author of the foreword) gained complete access to voluminous material - including newly acquired papers and never-before-published photographs that are now part of this book." "With evidence gleaned from court records and murder-scene photographs, David Kent reopened the case that shook the sleepy town of Fall River, Massachusetts, in 1892. From essential details that were white-washed in the trial, a new picture of Lizzie Borden emerges, far different from the blood-stained portrait of legend. A true-crime mystery that reads like fiction, Forty Whacks is the vivid, compelling story of this woman's defense in the merciless courtroom of public opinion."--BOOK JACKET.Title Summary field provided by Blackwell North America, Inc. All Rights Reserved

With murder, court battles, and sensational newspaper headlines, the story of Lizzie Borden is compulsively readable and perfect for the Common Core. Lizzie Borden took an axe, gave her mother forty whacks. When she saw what she had done, she gave her father forty-one. In a compelling, linear narrative, Miller takes readers along as she investigates a brutal crime: the August 4, 1892, murders of wealthy and prominent Andrew and Abby Borden. The accused? Mild-mannered and highly respected Lizzie Borden, daughter of Andrew and stepdaughter of Abby. Most of what is known about Lizzie’s arrest and subsequent trial (and acquittal) comes from sensationalized newspaper reports; as Miller sorts fact from fiction, and as a legal battle gets underway, a gripping portrait of a woman and a town emerges. With inserts featuring period photos and newspaper clippings—and, yes, images from the murder scene—readers will devour this nonfiction book that reads like fiction. A School Library Journal Best Best Book of the Year “Sure to be a hit with true crime fans everywhere.” —School Library Journal, Starred

DigiCat Publishing presents to you this special edition of "The Fall River Tragedy" (A History of the Borden Murders) by Edwin H. Porter. DigiCat Publishing considers every written word to be a legacy of humankind. Every DigiCat book has been carefully reproduced for republishing in a new modern format. The books are available in print, as well as ebooks. DigiCat hopes you will treat this work with the acknowledgment and passion it deserves as a classic of world literature.

On 4 August 1892, an elderly couple living in Fall River, Massachusetts were slaughtered with a hatchet. Their daughter, Lizzie was accused of the crime, tried and acquitted. Yet 'conventional wisdom' and Fall River society have always considered her guilty, asking the question, "If Lizzie didn't swing the hatchet, who did?" Now, after more than a century. Professor Masterton uses modern forensics and extensive research to answer that question convincingly.