The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1888-02-07
The Supposed Victim of a Murder Alive
and Well


The following remarkable story appeared
in the Rochester IN. " Post of Monday,
and corroborates the very brief account of
the case which was telegraphed from Michi-
gan at the time of the trial and before the
alleged dead man had been discovered:
"A few days ago a man satin the office of
County Attorney Eaton who is the central
| figure of queer story, neither romance, "A
drama, nor comedy, but containing some
of the elements of each. William II. Fisher,
the man referred to, is typical poor man.
He is 53 years old, while his wife is a robust,
energetic woman of 40. They have two sons
and daughter. During their married life of
twenty-four years they have lived around
in different places in Michigan,
Fisher working at such jobs as he
| could get, generally wood chopping i'll
the winter. While working in wood
camp last winter he became acquainted
with D. W. Wallace, man of ~, healthy,
robust sort of fellow. From that time
Wallace has lived in the Fisher family and
he and Fisher have worked together Last
October the family moved to place in the
woods in the town of Monitor, eight miles
from Bay City, the place being rented by
Wallace. They lived there with apparent
satisfaction to all parties until Nov. 4, when
Fisher left his home. He says his only OBJ
ject in leaving was to go to Dakota to take
up claim and make home for his family
He claims that there was no intimacy be-
tween Wallace and his wife, and that when
he left home his wife babe him an affec-
tionate good-by, and he suspected nothing
wrong.
But it has been ascertained that this
send-oH was a peculiar one. Fisher, Wal
lace, and Fishers eldest son, Charlie, boy
of 16, went to the officer at Bay City having
in charge the county poor, and Wallace
L,
the head of the family, that Fisher was
stopping with him, and that be could not
keep him any longer, and stating that if the
officer would pay Fishers way to Chicago,
Wallace would contribute Sc toward it.
The officer, seeing a chance to get rid of a
prospective county charge, took Wallace's
So, bought the ticket, and Fisher started on
his pilgrimage. It has been ascertained that
Wallace gave Fisher 50 more to send him
beyond Chicago.
Fisher being thus got rid of, Wallace
had clear title as head of the family, and
seems TO have been such to all intents. Soon
the suspicion became general that Wallace
and Mrs. Fisher had made away with
Fisher, and they were both arrested on the
Sd of this month. At the preliminary exam
inatiOn, held at Bay City, Mrs. Fisher testi-
fled that she murdered Fisher in the house
in the woods, pounding his head with a
hammer, and she told of washing away
blood, the stains of which were found fon
the floor and walls, and are still there. The
boy Charlie testified that he was present
and saw his mother murder his father with
the hammer; that he helped Wallace
to carry the dead body to
place in the woods about half a
mile from the house, and that his mother
went along, carrying two spades, with which
Wallace and the boy buried the murdered
man. The boy claimed that he could show
the spot where the body was buried, and a
party of twenty men, nine of whom were
officers, went with him. He led them
through the snow and among the toughest
kind of fallen timber to a place which he
pointed out as the spot Then the men
scraped away the snow and searched thor
oughly, but could find no sign of buried
body.
"Mrs Fisher Wallace and the boy were
committed to Jail to await trial for the muir
der. A few days ago it was discovered that
letter had been received at Bay City by
Mrs. Fisher, the writing of which was be-
lieved to be the same as that in a contract
that had been written by Fisher. The letter
was from Kendall, Monroe county, Wiscon-
sin. James Gilbert an intelligent farmer, and
who was well acquainted with Fisher, went
to Kendall, and from there traced him to
Winona, and thence to Rochester. Marshal
Kalb soon found Fisher and took him in GUS
tody. He was readily recognized by his
neighbor Gilbert. Fisher seemed greatly sur
prised to learn that he was a murdered
man, and said that he had not even been
struck by his wife, and could not account in
any way for the bloodstains in the house.
His wife and son had lied without the
least apparent reason. He said he was try
ing to make his way to Darlington, Oak,
near Devils lake, where he had been told
he could probably get work. Mr., Gilbert
did not seem to have any use for Fisher
after finding him beyond getting an aft
davit from him as to his movements since
leaving his home. The County Commits
sioners, however, objected to entertaining
Fisher, and finally, on Tuesday, he was
given money and started back for the
Michigan woods"