The Trial of Lizzie Borden

by Edmund Lester Pearson

Genres: True Crime, Nonfiction

Hardcover

First published January 1, 1937

About the author

Edmund Lester Pearson was an American librarian and author. He was a writer of the "true crime" literary genre. He is best known for his account of the notorious Lizzie Borden murder case.

(wikipedia)

Reviews

[Julie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a fascinating and extremely thorough account of the Borden murders and the subsequent trial of the only suspect ever arrested: the infamous Lizzie Borden. I found the introduction as written by Pearson the most intriguing aspect, since it outlined known facts about the case and the circumstance surrounding it. The majority of the book is the transcript from Lizzie’s trial, and it is so incredibly detailed, it’s impossible not to gloss over some parts. There are exhaustive discussions about Lizzie’s clothing, the possible murder weapon, and citations of other notorious cases. The closing arguments are long-winded regurgitations of witness testimonies and evidence already presented. But as a piece of history printed verbatim, it’s an essential true crime book. It does not ascertain Lizzie’s guilt or innocence. There are certainly inconsistencies in her story/alibi/motive, but just as importantly, there was no proof that she was the culprit. Being previously unfamiliar with the case, I found it to be a good introduction to the whole affair. I’m still on the fence regarding whether she committed these crimes, so I look forward to reading more about the topic.

[Yousseif Abdellatif · Rating 4 out of 5]

What Edmund Lester Pearson lays out in The Trial of Lizzie Borden is a chilling reminder that when independent thought becomes inconvenient, institutions simply rebrand compliance as morality.

[Bonsai · Rating 2 out of 5]

Neither objective, reliable, nor comprehensive — contains errors, distortions, and omissions all skewed in favor of Lizzie Borden's guilt.

Testimony examples:
ALL instances of conflicting/contradictory police testimony — even those that made front page headlines — have been removed.

Accounts of searching through Lizzie's dresses by Assistant Marshal Fleet and Detective Seaver are missing.

Testimony indicating that Mrs. Borden's body was not visible from the upstairs hall is omitted.

Bridget Sullivan's admission that she could not see into the parlor or dining room windows as she washed them from outside has been removed.


Alone, these examples sound trifling, but in the context of the whole case they all bear on significant points. Of course, some editing of the testimony is expected for sake of space in a book of this nature. However, ALL of Pearson's omissions favor the prosecution's case. Pearson's opening summary of the murders is similarly flawed by misinformation.

[Patti · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting view point. I don't know when this was originally printed out. The version I read was prefaced by Alan Dershowitz. I would have rather read this in proper time order. The Inquest was put at the end of the book.

Without giving away the ending of the trial (HAHA) I learned that lawyers back then were very wordy...how in the world did anything ever get done? They sure did let in a lot more evidence than the law does now a days. Next Lizzie Book....

[Juliana Gray · Rating 4 out of 5]

The book consists of transcripts both of Lizzie Borden's trial, and of the inquest (most of which testimony was ruled inadmissible at the trial). It's a very interesting historical document for those interested in the Borden case. Prepare to be infuriated by the lawyers' misogyny and condescension.

[Megan · Rating 5 out of 5]

With Mom over Christmas

[Mark Gacuma]

this is for project only!