Gravel and Stone Bother Lizzie Borden

Police logbooks have proved to be invaluable in their importance to provide a glimpse into the inner workings of Fall River and the men that protected it. Currently there are 239 logbooks in our collection that belonged to various policemen and are the gift of several donors. There are a plethora of interesting calls, events, and interactions recorded within their pages. Yet, a particular entry from Officer John Daley’s logbook caught this archivist’s eye when she spotted the misspelling of the name of a particular Fall Riverite: Lizzie Borden.

John Daley, a native of Ireland, joined the Fall River Police Department and was appointed patrolman on February 19th, 1875, at age thirty-seven. He served twenty-eight years with the department before resigning on August 18th, 1903.

On May 6th in 1899, Lizzie Borden calls for the police at her home on French Street. Officer Daley – twenty-four years’ experience – reports to “306” where he records, in his logbook, the reason for the call: “Lizey Borden reports the boys and, girls has being throwing gravel and, sand at her windows and she wants it stopt” But stop, the taunting did not.

This was not an isolated incident, nor would it be the last time the police were called to the French Street residence. Miss Borden would have to endure years of taunts, teasing, and mischievous acts from scared children who lived on the “Hill” in Fall River.