John Morse was the first person that gave his inquest to District Attorney Hosea Knowlton after the suspicious murders of Andrew & Abby Borden on August 4, 1892, just a few hours after he left the house to pursue his errands after spending the night in the same room that Abby's body was found brutally hacked about the head the same way as her husband with no bloody footprints leaving the crime scene.
D.A. Knowlton grilled him with questions attempting to piece together a plan with Emma or Lizzie to kill their father and stepmother. Many people believe that Uncle John had something to do with the murders but Morse, a lifelong bachelor, showed he had a deep fondness for the extended family he'd known for over 30 years and was invited back for the noonday meal when he came upon the crowds at the house and a guard at the door.
Music provided by:
eBunny for "Enchanted Violin" from AudioJungle/Envato in the Intro
Spring is Coming by Jack White played at the Outro
David Loftus as John Vinnicum Morse and psychopath Philip Gordon Reed from "The Knowlton Papers" published by the Fall River Historical Society.
Dennis Alexander: Announcer
Tanya Montoya as Lizzie Borden and Tim Dennis as Fall River Police Officer during a room search of Lizzie Borden's bedroom taken from "The Jennings Journals 1892."
Guest appearance by radio star Jack Cone. "Everywhere that I looked not a trace of crimson could be found." Thanks, Jack, you're a class act!
Cameo appearance by Arielle Nissenblatt @arithisandthat as Lizzie Borden at the pharmacy the day b4 the murders. "Ten cents of prussic acid, please." You rule!
Jack White's music can be purchased from Amazon and Apple Music and everywhere music is sold. His royalty-free music is available at MelodyLoops.com
Produced by Kate Lavender
Transcriptions of trial testimony provided with permission by Stefani Koorey and the website of LizzieAndrewBorden.com
Popular Podcasts
Bookmarked by Reese's Book Club
Welcome to Bookmarked by Reese’s Book Club — the podcast where great stories, bold women, and irresistible conversations collide! Hosted by award-winning journalist Danielle Robay, each week new episodes balance thoughtful literary insight with the fervor of buzzy book trends, pop culture and more. Bookmarked brings together celebrities, tastemakers, influencers and authors from Reese's Book Club and beyond to share stories that transcend the page. Pull up a chair. You’re not just listening — you’re part of the conversation.
Dateline NBC
Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Follow now to get the latest episodes of Dateline NBC completely free, or subscribe to Dateline Premium for ad-free listening and exclusive bonus content: DatelinePremium.com
On Purpose with Jay Shetty
I’m Jay Shetty host of On Purpose the worlds #1 Mental Health podcast and I’m so grateful you found us. I started this podcast 5 years ago to invite you into conversations and workshops that are designed to help make you happier, healthier and more healed. I believe that when you (yes you) feel seen, heard and understood you’re able to deal with relationship struggles, work challenges and life’s ups and downs with more ease and grace. I interview experts, celebrities, thought leaders and athletes so that we can grow our mindset, build better habits and uncover a side of them we’ve never seen before. New episodes every Monday and Friday. Your support means the world to me and I don’t take it for granted — click the follow button and leave a review to help us spread the love with On Purpose. I can’t wait for you to listen to your first or 500th episode!