Lizzie Borden’s sister gave a single interview 20 years later, saying the house was ‘unbearable’

Lizzie Borden’s sister, Emma, gave only one interview after the axe murders, and it came 20 years after Lizzie was acquitted. 

In the new Netflix show, Monster: The Lizzie Borden Story, Emma and Lizzie had a fraught relationship from the very start. Even after their parents’ murders, they seemed at odds, and Emma left Lizzie once and for all a few years after they moved into Maplecroft Mansion.

In reality, things were slightly different. There are no historical records that state Emma harboured any ill feelings towards her sister; in fact, she was described as a maternal figure of sorts after the death of their mother, Sarah Borden. 

Credit: Netflix

Lizzie and Emma’s estrangement came much later in life, after they’d moved to Maplecroft Mansion. Though their relationship never mended, Emma did use a 1913 interview to proclaim her sister’s innocence. 

In 1913, decades after Lizzie was found not guilty, The Boston Post published the following article: “Guilty—No! No! Lizzie Borden’s Sister Breaks 20-Year Silence.”

Paired with illustrations of the sisters, Edwin Joseph Maguire’s article addressed a number of things like Lizzie’s innocence, the theories that she was queer, and the death of her parents. 

“Queer? Yes, Lizzie is queer,” Emma said. “But as for her being guilty, I say no, and decidedly, no.” 

In another moment, she said: “The tragedy seems but yesterday and many times I catch myself wondering whether it is not some frightful dream, after all.”

She further noted “how strange” it was that no one besides Lizzie was ever brought to trial for the killing of Andrew and Abby Borden. Emma Borden also recalled a moment where Lizzie shared her confusion over being charged with the murders. 

Credit: Netflix

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“Emma, it is awful for them to say that I killed poor father and our stepmother. You know that I would not dream of such an awful thing, Emma,” Lizzie allegedly told her sister. 

“Later, after her arrest and during her trial, Lizzie many times reiterated her protest of innocence to me,” Emma added, and, “after acquittal she declared her guiltlessness during conversations that we had at the French Street mansion.”

On why she left Maplecroft Mansion and her sister, she admitted that the home on French Street had become “unbearable.”

Why the Emma Borden interview is so controversial 

Credit: Netflix

Now, here’s where things get a little bit sketchy. 

Though The Boston Post’s article is widely referenced amongst Lizzie Borden scholars and historians, there are others who don’t believe it ever took place. 

You see, just a week before the interview, The Boston Herald published a piece entitled Lizzie Borden Twenty Years After the Tragedy. It was immediately picked up by surrounding newspapers, and given the competition at the time, some have argued that Edwin Joseph Maguire simply wanted to outdo his colleagues. As such, many believe he simply invented the interview. 

Despite that, Emma never spoke out to deny the quotes. 

Monster: The Lizzie Borden Story is streaming now. For all the latest Netflix news and drops, like The Holy Church of Netflix on Facebook. Featured image credit: Netflix

Featured image credit: Netflix