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The
Lizzie Borden House is located in Fall River,
Massachusetts. The infamous axe murders of Andrew and Abby Borden occurred
there in 1892. Lizzie Borden, Andrew Borden's daughter, was charged with
their murders, but was acquitted by a sympathetic all-male jury in 1893. We
must not forget this event was a huge tragedy, and that two innocent people
violently lost their lives.
The Lizzie Borden House is reputedly
haunted. This author has taken the one-hour tour of the house. The staff was
extremely knowledgeable and courteous. The tour can be described as very
"creepy." If one finds morbid or scary subjects exhilarating, the Borden
House is a destination to visit. Guests can stay overnight, and can actually
book specific bedrooms for the night.
Rooms in the house with purported
paranormal activity include the parlor where Andrew Borden was murdered, the
John Morse bedroom where Mrs. Borden was killed, and the basement where the
murder weapon was hidden. Waiting for the tour to begin builds excitement,
which likely influences the experiences of people once inside the house.
TV shows about visiting "haunted
houses" have described feelings of hot or cold, of breezes or stagnant air,
seeing shadows or spots of light, and even feeling emotional sensations such
as happiness or sorrow. Andrew Borden was killed in the parlor of the Borden
House. Visitors in the parlor experienced a "creepy" feeling, but in my case
no other sensation.
In the John Morse bedroom, where
Abby Borden was killed, several visitors experienced what might be
considered paranormal events. A few people, including this author, stood on
the spot where Mrs. Borden was killed. People closed their eyes, and stood
still and silent on this spot. The first person stood there, and appeared to
have wobbly legs for a few moments. Another person stood there and exclaimed
they were pushed or kicked in the back.
This author is extremely skeptical
of paranormal activity. When I stood there, I made sure my feet were
perfectly aligned, and that I was not standing on shaky floor boards. I
folded my hands and placed them on my abdomen, to ensure I was completely
balanced. I closed my eyes for about 15 seconds, and then experienced what
felt like something pushing up from under the front part of my feet. I
instantly opened my eyes and walked away, stating "that's enough for me."
The sensation in the room to me can be described as "How are you today? I
just wanted to say hi!" There did not appear to be any contraptions in the
room that could have influenced the experiences of visitors. But again, my
experience was undoubtedly that of my imagination, but others can draw their
own conclusions when visiting the house.
Due to time being available at the
end of the tour, we also went down into the basement where the murder weapon
was discovered. Areas of the basement were dark, and it was colder than the
rest of the house. I did not feel any sensation while in the basement, but
when leaving I experienced an instant headache. I was a bit cranky for about
an hour after leaving the house, which started in the basement. A normal
explanation of course was that it was a hot day and I was very dehydrated,
which caused my headache.
In summary, the Lizzie Borden house
can likely be considered a thrill seeker's paradise for those who believe in
paranormal activity. |
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