Taking a Whack at the Truth ..... Lizzie Borden

     A lot of erroneous history is passed down in books, plays, movies, and poems - usually these were intended to be entertainment, not historical truths. But some of these false facts are so ingrained in our consciousness that there's little chance of the truth becoming as popular as the fiction. Here's an example: What do you think of when you hear the name Lizzie Borden? OK, everyone chant with me:

"Lizzie Borden took an ax

And gave her mother forty whacks,

When she saw what she had done

She gave her father forty-one."

     Since she was first suspected of hacking her parents to death in 1892, Lizzie Borden has stood out as one of the few homicidal maniacs in history - and if it wasn't for this little refrain, her name would have been forgotten years ago. What is forgotten is that a jury acquitted Lizzie Borden after only sixty-six minutes of deliberation and all charges were dropped. I hope the truth about Lizzie's innocence becomes as popular as the song and then we can all just bury the hatchet.

So Now You Know ......