'Fall River Tragedy' Summary

In Fall River, Massachusetts, on August 4, 1892, Lizzie Borden was accused of murdering her father and stepmother. The trial that followed was a media sensation, and Lizzie was ultimately acquitted. Edwin H. Porter, a local police reporter, attended the trial and lived only streets away from the Borden home. After the trial, Porter disappeared, and it was widely speculated that he had either been murdered or bribed to disappear in order to suppress the book. His reappearance some time later put paid to the first theory. After his death at age 39 from tuberculosis, a new theory emerged, that he had been away for treatment while keeping his illness secret. The Fall River Tragedy is Porter's account of the trial and the events leading up to it. He provides a detailed description of the crime scene, the investigation, and the trial itself. He also includes interviews with key witnesses and participants in the case. Porter's book is a valuable resource for anyone interested in the Lizzie Borden case or true crime in general. It provides a unique perspective on one of the most famous murder cases in American history.