Lizzie Borden Part Two " The Autopsies!"

After Andrew's murder, we can only imagine what took place. Did Lizzie go wash up, and hide the murder weapon? Some investigators, claimed she committed each murder naked, then cleaned up, and redressed. No blood was every found on her, or her clothing. She never changed that day, or did she? Perhaps a yellow raincoat and a scream mask? Only Lizzie will ever know what happened, because the investigation was a circus! So many people trampled through the crime scene to get their jollies. It seemed like Lizzie wanted to show off her handy work. The police found what they thought might be the murder weapon, a hatchet. The handle was broke off, and they found part of it burnt in the basement. They never even bothered fingerprinting it, even though, at this time it was protocol. When the police officers asked where Mrs. Borden was Lizzie said she received a note saying, someone was sick and they needed her. No note was ever found. The Family maid Bridgette and Mrs. Churchill, the neighbor was sent upstairs, to look for Abby. They discovered Abby, pretty beat up.. in the guest bedroom. Soon after the police arrived the Borden's family Doctor, Dr Seabury Bowen came to tend to Lizzie, he administered Bromo Caffeine to settle her down. Bromo Caffeine? Is this a Victorian Starbucks? Lizzie also got a shot of morphine. "Who do you have to kill to get some morphine over here???" The trial states, Lizzie was given a double shot of morphine every day, during her jail stay, and trial. Therefore her lies, could of just been confusion.

Bromides are sedatives, and were widely used before more modern drugs
became available.  "Bromo caffeine" might have been a mixture containing
both bromides and caffeine.  Possible the caffeine was in there to
prevent dangerous overdoses, or to elevate mood.  Or this may have been
one of the patent medicines of the time with undisclosed ingredients
far more powerful than indicated by the name, very common in those
unregulated days.  A lot of them contained opiates, strychnine, cocaine
or remarkable amounts of alcohol

The bodies of Andrew and Abby were said to be autopsied on the dinning room table. Which i can not confirm, because i wasn't there. I did find this awesome picture of Andrew's autopsy, on what is said to be a cooling table. It looks like it is being performed in the family parlor. 

Victorian autopsy table, called a cooling table.

Andrew on the cooling table, looks like the mohair couch is in the background.

Dr Bowen, and Dr Dolan did the autopsy right at the house, they removed the stomachs of both Abby, and Andrew. Each stomach was tied at both ends, and sent to the Harvard School of medicine, along with samples of the milk. No poison was found in the milk, or the contents of the stomach. Here are some of the grotesque pictures...mew-ah!!

Abby's Skull...ummm Gross!!

After the autopsies the bodies were covered in sheets, on the dinning room table. Lizzie retired to her bedroom, to get some beauty rest. If you have read the legend before, Lizzie went to a friend the night before, she told her she feared for the life of her, and her family. She stated, she was afraid to eat, or drink. She said one of her father's enemies wanted to cause them great harm, and she felt like something was to happen soon. If she was so afraid...would she not leave the house? She stayed there alone, is it because she was so close to the killer, that she knew him, or HER! 

I would be afraid, wouldn't you?

On August 11th a second autopsy was performed, in a building at Oak Grove Cemetery, by Dr Dolan. He removed the skulls of both Abby and Andrew. After he was finished he took the skulls home and boiled the flesh off of them, in a pot on the stove. I read somewhere, a long time ago where his son told the story about it. He recalled the horror, of his siblings and him being present, as the heads were boiling on the stove top, in the family kitchen. "Smells delicious, whats for supper mommy?" 

Abby Borden's skull

Andrew Borden's smiling skull

After the trial was over Dr Dolan kept the skulls in his office, until a court order, filed by Lizzie, ordered the creepy Doc to return the skulls back to her. See Lizzie was a sentimental girl! I read somewhere the skulls, were now buried 3 feet down, by the bodies. True, or not...you wont find me digging to find out, i might break a sweat, or worse... a nail! 


Part 3 coming soon.