Just today an email arrived from our old friend Pilar at the Abbey Grille to tell us we could no longer have our annual banquet there as the building is in foreclosure! The prospects are hopeless for a reprieve and sadly Lizzie’s former Central Congregational church is in peril. We have many wonderful memories there and all our best wishes to Chef George and the incredible staff! We will miss you.
Calling All Mutton Eaters! The date for the Annual Flocking of the Second Street Irregulars, Noble Order of Mutton Eaters has been announced for
April 24-26 , 2009. Reservations are currently being taken at the Lizzie Borden Bed and Breakfast (508-675-7333) . A list of alternative sleeping accommodations will be published this week as the house tends to fill up very quickly. On the agenda to date:
1. A jaunt on Friday to Dedham to visit Lizzie’s beloved pets
2. A call at Wheaton College to see where Emma spent time being scholarly
3. The Annual Mutton Eaters’ Banquet and Awards at 7 p.m. Friday evening at the Abbey Grille
4. The Mad Hatters Tea Party with hat contest and prizes on Saturday at 5 p.m.
5. City Tour of Lizzie-related places and Oak Grove Perambulations
and assorted hilarity, tying on the feedbag and presentations of yearly research projects, experiments and re-enactments, and hours of aimiable chitchat with a few surprise guests .
Bridget’s Run filmed by Richard Behrens on May 24, 2008 at the Second Street Irregulars’ annual weekend.
(Bridget’s testimony from the Preliminary)
Q. Did she say anything when you got down stairs?
A. She said “go for Dr. Bowen”. I ran ahead, I did not know what was the matter. She told me to “go quick and get Dr. Bowen.”
Q. What did you do then?
A. I went right over to Dr. Bowen’s.
Q. Who did you find there?
A. Mrs. Bowen.
Q. You told her what had happened?
A. Yes Sir.
Q. Dr. Bowen was not there?
A. No Sir.
Q. Then what did you do?
A. Came back.
Q. Dr. Bowen lives right across the street?
A. Yes Sir.
Q. Who was there when you came back?
A. Nobody but Miss Lizzie. I told her he was not in. I told her what Mrs. Bowen told me. She told me to go after Miss Russell.
Q. What did you do then?
A. I went after her.
Q. Where does she live?
A. On Borden street.
Q. How far away is that?
A. I do not know, it is a good ways away. I could not tell you exactly how long it is.
Q. Did you find Miss Russell?
A. Yes Sir.
Q. Had anybody else come in when you came back there, telling that Dr. Bowen was not there?
A. No Sir, I did not see anybody.
Q. Where was Miss Lizzie when you came back from Mrs. Bowen’s?
A. Where I left her, standing at the door.
Q. At that time when you went out after Dr. Bowen, did you find the screen door locked?
A. No Sir.
Q. Shut up?
A. Yes Sir.
Q. Did you come back with Miss Russell?
A. Ahead of her.
Q. When you came back, who did you find there then?
A. Dr. Bowen was ahead of me, he stepped out of his carriage as I came up Second street. Dr. Bowen went in ahead of me.
Q. When you got in, who did you find there?
A. I think Mrs. Churchill was in when I got in there.
Q. She is the next door neighbor?
A. Yes Sir.
Q. She was in when you got back?
A. Yes Sir.
Q. What was said when you got back?
A. I cannot tell.
Q. Where was Miss Lizzie when you got back?
A. She was there.
Q. Wherebouts?
A. I could not tell you where, I think she must be in the kitchen; I think she was in the kitchen.
Q. Who else was there besides Mrs. Churchill?
A. That is all I remember, Mrs. Churchill and Dr. Bowen.
Q. Did you then see the body?
A. No Sir.
Photographer and fellow SSI member, Richard Behrens, has released the second in a series of mini-documetaries. This time out, the Borden cellar is investigated. The footage was shot at the house in December 2007. The upcoming release will concentrate on the life of Abby Borden.
Lizzie Borden Mini #2: Lizzie Borden’s Cellar
Dave Quigley, house chef for 11 years, received his “award” from the Second Street gang yesterday as he was unable to be with us last weekend. We figured Dave has flipped over 80,000 jonnycakes during his years at #92 and deserved recognition! Thanks Dave- for all you do for the guests. Dave arrives at 5 a.m. and the first smell of the morning is Dave’s coffee brewing- especially if you are sleeping in Abby and Andrew’s room. Kfactor Kristin was awarded the Lens of Sherlock (a gold magnifying lens on a chain) for excellence in detecting -being the first to find the school Emma attended, LeeAAnn and Donald, and Len Rebello were awarded the highest honor bestowed by the Irregulars, – The Golden Fleece- from the Mutton Eaters in recognition of their work in restoring the Borden barn and property, and in Len’s case, scholarly pursuit and publication of facts in the case and maintaining such a willingness to share his findings with us all. Dee, the cheery face which usually welcomes everyone in the gift shop was given our cordiality award- a very LARGE pear cookie jar filled with cookies. 
Jonnycakes,(spelled without the “h”) for the Uninitiated are an acquired taste and are mostly water, golden corn meal. egg, and oil. These are a favorite in Rhode Island and parts of Massachusetts and are enhanced by butter and a little maple syrup. These were served at the Borden table on the morning of August 4th along with mutton sliced cold and broth, sugar cookies, coffee and bread. Some say the breakfast was the motive for the murders! Jonnycakes is a corruption of “journey cakes” as they are so durable many house wives packed them in their husband’s saddle bags for a long journey. ABout 50% of the guests seem to enjoy them.
The first inaugural meeting of the Second Street Irregulars, Fall River Chapter went off as smoothly as Lizzie’s acquittal. 114 years later the group enjoyed standing in the jury box at the County Street Court house in New Bedford. After an extensive tour of the grand old edifice which including sitting in on two sessions in the modern chambers downstairs, the group had a tour of Fall River Borden-related sites conducted by Leonard Rebello, author of Lizzie Borden Past and Present. The tour featured a detailed account of Andrew Borden’s movements on the last morning of his life. A banquet followed at the Abbey Grille, Lizzie’s former Rock Street Congregational Church, and an extensive tour of the church building which is now a culinary institute and popular restaurant. Saturday’s doings included a stop at the Westport grave of Alice Russell, Lizzie’s friend who confessed to seeing Lizzie burn a dress in the Borden family kitchen stove, and Eli Bence in Fairhaven’s Riverside Cemetery. Bence was the pharmacist who identified Lizzie as the woman who tried to buy prussic acid the day before the murders. A tour of Victorian Fairhaven was on the day’s itinerary and included a stop at the house where Lizzie’s older sister Emma was visiting on the day of the murders. The weekend included many stops to “graze” on local delicacies and a highlight was the lively round table discussion about the case in the sitting room where Mr. Borden was slaughtered.
The Lizzie Borden Society members, which make up the “Mutton Eaters” will be on the prowl again in December at a Victorian Christmas open house in Fall River and again in May 2008 with an ambitious itinerary and schedule of re-enactments and experiments at the scene of the crime.
1893 jury in New Bedford
The first meeting of the new Second Street Irregulars went without a hitch this past weekend and all the flock has returned to the “pen” tired but happy. It was a weekend of learning and laughing, “grazing” and kicking up our hooves, with many people to thank for enriching our program: Deputy Chief Ralph Tavares is high on our list, providing the most comprehensive and enjoyable tour of “Lizzie’s” New Bedford Courthouse, Len Rebello for an amazingly detailed and instructive city walk around Fall River, Fairhaven Tourism Director, Chris Richards for an entertaining walking tour and peep into Victorian Fairhaven structures and commentary about Fairhaven citizens of note, The Abbey Grill staff for a surprise night time tour of Lizzie’s Congregational Rock Street church, White’s Restaurant, Westport, Pumpernickel’s, Fairhaven, and the owners and staff of the Lizzie Borden Bed and Breakfast for making our weekend possible. Photos and “Sheep Tails/Tales of the weekend events will be posted here and also at the Lizzie Borden Society forum gathering thread at http://lizzieandrewborden.com/LBForum/viewtopic.php?t=3006&start=75
Thanks to all who made the long journey to join us- and let’s see some of those photos and video!
Once again the Fall River Preservation Society will be presenting a holiday house stroll featuring the beautiful “Painted Ladies” of The Hill section of the city and the Borden home on Second Street. Last year was such a success with hayrides, carollers, refreshments and the Historical Society’s annual Christmas display at the Rock and Maple Street corner, this year’s tour of the stately homes, filled with antiques and holiday decorations, promises to exceed all expectations. The Second Street Irregulars will be attending, as many as can in costume, for a glimpse of the Past, history, architecture, good company and great food.
