Lizzie Borden Took An Axe....
(BLOCH, ROBERT)
BLOCH, ROBERT ? LIZZIE BORDEN TOOK AN AXE. 1965 Pyramid Books. One of the less interesting horror stories in this otherwise classic collection from the writer behind Alfred Hitchcock?s film, Psycho. A young man discovers that her uncle is holding his girlfriend captive at a remote American farmhouse. The uncle believes that the girl is involved in some form of occultism, and seems to have gone mad trying to protect her. The hero travels to the farm to investigate her cries for help, but when he arrives, the uncle is dead, having been repeatedly hacked up with an axe. The girlfriend denies all knowledge of being responsible for the murder, though she seems to be the only possible suspect. The boyfriend suspects that she is genuinely affected by some kind of amnesia. He also recognises certain similarities between her case and that of real life murderess, Lizzie Borden. The real case, recounted in full, is the only really appealing part of this story. Lizzie Borden was found in a farmhouse with the corpses of her parents, both of who had been axed to death. There were rumours that they had suspected Lizzie of previously trying to poison them to death. Despite a lot of circumstantial evidence, and the lack of other suspects, Lizzie was able to convince the authorities that she had no recollection of committing the murders, and she was released without charge. Most people later believed that she was guilty though. Now, the young man surmises that the ghost of Lizzie Borden possesses his girlfriend. He nevertheless calls the police. Then he finds the axe itself, and takes it as evidence. Now he passes out. When he recovers, his girlfriend has been axed to death. He is left with the bloodstained axe and no memory of the crime. The police are about to arrive. The ghost of the famous murderess has struck again. The story gives no motive for why Lizzie would haunt these two people, and the ending is one that can be seen long before it arrives. Not one of Bloch?s better works.
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