August 16, 2012
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Lizzie, Belle and Tillie
Lizzie Borden, with an ax,
Gave her mother 40 whacks.
When she saw what she had done,
She gave her father 41.
Lizzie Borden (July 19, 1860 – June 1, 1927)
The rhyme is an exaggeration, the truth is that Lizzie’s mother received only 18 or 19 strikes with an ax while her father received 11. Lizzie B. was accused of murdering her father and stepmother in 1892. She was found innocent by a jury and she and her sister lived together in a plush and comfortable home in Fall River, MA for 20 years.
It is not surprising that Lizzy was not convicted by a jury. It was 1892, and Lizzie and her older sister, Emma, were far beyond marrying age. The Boston Herald reported this about the younger Borden sister, “viewed Lizzie as above suspicion: “From the consensus of opinion it can be said: In Lizzie Borden’s life there is not one unmaidenly nor a single deliberately unkind act.”
However, suspicion continued to mount against Lizzie, and a local physician stated that it had to be Lizzie because, “hacking is almost a positive sign of a deed by a woman who is unconscious of what she is doing.” After a very heated trial with mountains of evidence against her, she was still released. The thought that a prudish, devout spinster could be capable of such brutal murders was absurd.
Lizzie Borden only murdered her parents, but she is the most well known female murderer in America.
I would like you to meet Belle Gunness.
Belle Gunness (November 22, 1859 – ?)
Belle was a very ambitious woman who moved to the US in 1881. Initially she burned her house and store, receiving a large insurance settlement, but it wasn’t long before she killed her husband and two children for that insurance pay out, as well. She remarried a man named Peter who had an infant girl, and her new family also mysteriously perished. After that, she courted wealthy men on her farm who all vanished. When her farm burned, more than 40 bodies of men and children were found in shallow graves around the property.
Ray Lamphere, Gunness’s hired hand, was arrested for murder and arson on May 22, 1908. He was found guilty of arson, but cleared of murder. He died in prison, but not before revealing the truth about Belle Gunness and her crimes, including burning her own house down – the body that was recovered was not hers. Nobody saw Belle again after the fire, but she did make a withdrawal from the bank before leaving town.
Would you like some candy, little boy?
Tillie Klimek (Gburek) (1876–1936)
Tillie was considered a pychic, or a mystic, who was plagued with nightmares about the future and when people (and dogs) would die. She was famous for foreseeing specific dates of doom for people around her, including her five husbands. Women who ate her candy fell ill with poison, and it is believed that “taking candy from a stranger” was declared dangerous from her actions. Tillie informed one of her husbands that he would die in three days. To prove she was serious, she bought a coffin that very day and left it in her basement, only to pull it out three days later to bury him. The list of victims of her deadly culinary skills grew to 20, men and women, lovers and rivals. She was only convicted of one murder, however, and died in prison.
Now, out of the three ladies listed here, who do you see as the most dangerous? It’s amazing to me that Lizzie still holds the most fame for her crimes (even though she was found not guilty) with the many lovely ladies that committed atrocious acts.
Behold the power of a jingle.
Comments (36)
Is that our challenge?
Tillie Klimek gave them sweets,
“Three days hence is your defeat,”
Brought a coffin to the cellar,
Soon her hubby was the dweller.
@we_deny_everything - That’s brilliant! I had no doubts that you could come up with a better jingle for one of our lovely ladies!
there once was a lady named belle
who surely did burn her own hell
the men she called honey
just so she’d get money
their bones dwell in hell and that’s swell
@promisesunshine - Brilliant!! You know, I didn’t think people would come up with jingles like this seriously – but you two are awesome!
I think they are all equally dangerous.
interesting stuff I didn’t know! do you study these things as a pastime?
@plantinthewindow - Haha, no, I listen to podcasts all day while I work – my favorite is from How Stuff Works called Things You Missed in History Class . I will end up googling something I read about, then the related links, and then I have lost half my day to useless information.
@BoulderChristina - velly intelestink. no information is useless.
All women are potentially fatal. ; )
@ThereWillBeDragons - Very good point
wow, I didn’t know about the other two, just Lizzie
All of them are creepy! LOL
I remember reading about Lizzie.
There was also another girl who would get guys to kill young girls, and drain their blood. She would than soak in it, believing it would keep her young & gorgeous!
My friends & I walked through this Criminal museum in Niagara Falls. *shudders*
I’m not good with Jingles! LOL
Wow! Insanity has run through all of the years that humans have been on the earth.
@cynthiaappiah - Ma chère Cynthia!
Comme j’ai envie de lécher la crème fouettée sur vos seins pendant que vous pénétrer profondément avec mon doigt impatient. Nous forniquer toute la nuit, comme les furets vigoureux, et le matin nous allons échanger des fluides corporels avec passion!
Fascinating!!! I’ve learned a little history today as well… No taking any guesses. All were very deranged in their own way. History can be interesting indeed.
This was interesting
Interesting and SCARY! I guess Lizzie just had a better P.R. person.
This is all interesting, but strange.
@godfatherofgreenbay - Did you have nightmares of black widows last night?
@karoline1982 - They are, aren’t they? You are talking about the Hungarian “Blood Countess”! I think she was named Lizzie, too. That is how the Dracula stories began, I think her men killed 500 virgins, or something like that.
@Grannys_Place - True words!
@we_deny_everything - I knew you liked to scope out the ladies, I just didn’t know you were so good at wooing them!
@MzSilver - It can be, can’t it? Have a terrific Friday night, and I will catch up tomorrow!
@SisterMae - Disturbing, but interesting
@whyzat - That little jingle lasted nearly 100 years now, I hope she paid the PR guy well!
@xdeelynnx - Strange, indeed!
no I was dreaming about going to the doctor because I fear I may have shingles
There once was a guy from Nantucket… Oh, shit! wrong rhyme!
@godfatherofgreenbay - Oh that sucks!
@smorales85 - No you were on the right track!
There once was a man from Nantucket,
Who read a love ad and said “*fuck it”
.He came to the door
Wanting romance and more
But sadly, he kicked the bucket.
Ok, I am no good at it either!
@we_deny_everything - Be still my beating heart! I don’t speak French but I got enough of that to enjoy it. In fact, I think I learned a new useful word, “mon doigt impatient”. Now if I could just figure out how to pronounce it…
Lizzie looks the craziest. Those eyes..man. Those eyes.
@Erika_Steele - Very true, I wouldn’t want to run into her in an alley!
@judyrutrider - Isn’t he a lady killer?
Wow. Thanks for sharing this!
I knew about Lizzie. We discussed her in some class in college. For some reason, she’s the most famous, the one people talk the most about. But it was awesome to learn of those other two monstrous women! Ouch.
Plus, there’s a band called Lizzy Borden! Check them out, I like their album Visual Lies a lot. Kinda 80′s style rock, but not too poppy.
Lizzie Borden was guilty, her hatred did run deep.
The axe was swung, the damage done,
And now her victims sleep.
so what you are saying is that belle gunness is still alive!!!