Patrick Doherty Biography

Born in Peoria, Illinois, in 1859, Patrick H. Doherty traveled to Massachusetts with his family while still a young child. As an adult, he first worked as a laborer at the Fall River Iron Works and as a deck hand on a steamboat before being appointed to the Fall River Police Department in 1885. Two years later he married Honora “Nora” Coughlin, the sister of future mayor John Coughlin. The couple would eventually have eight children.

At the time of the Borden Murders, Doherty was 33 years old, with seven years on the force. The first uniformed officer on the scene of the crime, he was also the first to interview Lizzie. He spent several hours that day searching the house and interviewing other witnesses.

Later that evening, he was one of the two officers, along with Officer Harrington, who discovered druggist Eli Bence and heard his story about a woman trying to buy prussic acid, a fatal poison, the day before the murders. Doherty and Harrington immediately escorted Bence to the Borden house, where Bence positively identified Lizzie as that woman. From that point on, police felt they had reason to be certain that Lizzie was the one who committed the murders. (They seem not to have considered the possibility of mistaken identity.)

Doherty was the officer assigned to escort Bridget Sullivan to and from the police station during the inquest; he reported that he had hoped his Irish descent would convince Bridget, also Irish, to open up to him about anything she might know about the murder. However, Bridget told him she was too scared to say anything for fear the killer who had butchered the Bordens would come for her.

Doherty’s reports from witness interviews are preserved in the Witness Statements prepared for the district attorney to assist the prosecution’s case. He spoke to numerous witnesses, and his memories of the day of the murders (especially investigation specifics) made him a helpful witness for the prosecution at trial.

Even though Lizzie was acquitted, his work on the Borden murders was valued, and he was soon promoted to “captain of police, Station 2.” He continued in this capacity until his retirement in 1915, after serving in the department for 30 years. Soon thereafter, he died of interstitial nephritis. He was 56 years old.