The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1897-02-17
HANGING OF THE FISHERS.
THEY KEPT AN INN NEAR THE CITY
OF CHARLESTON.

Travellers Who Put Up at their House
Were Robbed and Murdered-An Inter.
esting Account of the Trial and Convic-
ton.
Emil Gaboriau's is name synony-
nous in Partisan literature for that
which is the most startling and sensa-
tional in the depletion of crime. His
power is such that even minor points
are produced with thrilling effects.
What would he not have given for the
material offered by the tragedies at the
Six-mile House! That terrible story,
the chapters of which were enacted
more than three-quarters of a century
ago, is known in its entirety to but
few men living. For the most part,
and to the many, it exists only IN a
fragment here and there. Last year
some one inquired about it through
The News and Courier, but no one re-
piled, doubtless because none OF those
who saw it could. By searching
closely the files of those old papers,
the Court records and other documents,
and by drawing UPON the memory of
an older member of the family, who
had much of it from an eye witness,
the writer is enabled to give what is
believed to be the only full and true
account of the Six-mile tragedies ever
published.
Before the days of the ''Best Friend"
all the land travelling in South Caro-.
lima, or in any othor State for that
matter, was done on horseback, by
means of gigs, carriages or the stage
coach-generally it was the stage
coach. Two main lines of travel led
to Charleston, the one bringing the
Eastern passengers and mail, and the
other the Southern and Western. The
great thoroughfare was by the Five and
Six-mile Houses, both of them inns for
public accommodation. These houses.
though they have long since passed
out of existence, have not out OF histo-
ry, nor will one of them ever pass out
from under the shadow cf terrible
crime.
A MURDEROUs YOUNG COUPLE.
At the beginning Of the year 1919,
the host and hostess of the Six-mile
House were John and Lavinia Fisher.
They were young married people, not
yet in the thirties, OF pleasing appear
ance, ready address, and knew how to
| give the weary traveller such well
come as made him feel the inn was
more like home than public resort.
Added to this there was excellent fare
for man and beast.
Some months prior to this, that is in
| the fall and winter of 1918, there had
been numerous robberies along the
two stage lines. Not only had the
mail been robbed. but the passengers.
In one or two instances life had been
taken. The Charleston papers OF those
dates were full of these robberies and
murders. Many private travellers
were also attacked. In some instances
they vanished away as though the
earth had swallowed them. They
would start to place, but never reach
there, nor would they ever be heard
of again. Private detectives and
squads of armed men were sent from
Charleston and from other points.
The Governor and the United States
Government both offered rewards.
But all in vain, the robberies still went
on, and people continued to disappear.
Beyond catching a suspicious charac-
ter here and there no real headway
was made in locating the principal
criminals. From points gathered by
| the detectives there seemed to be a
band of robbers, working one with
the other. Finally, they were located
in the neighborhood of the Five and
Six-mile Houses, then traced to the
houses themselves.
Early one morning, while matters
were in this shape, those who were
witnesses of the scene were, startled
by the appearance of a young man,
hatless, coatless and on horseback,
rushing through the streets of Charles.
ton. He was seeking the sheriff, and
to him when found he told a thrilling
story of successful robbery and of at
tempted assassination and those who
had set upon him, he declared, were
no less persons than the man and wo-
man who kept the Six-mile House.
The sheriff was astounded, then in
| credulous. John and Lavinia Fisher;
he could not believe it. But the young
man told a straightforward story. He
had put up at the Six-mile House. He
had been awakened in the night by
the murmur of voices. He had looked
through a crack into the adjoining
room. There he had seen the Fishers
emptying his wallet and counting its
coin. He had heard the woman say
that he must die, that it would not do
to let him escape. But the man plead
for him. Finally, she said she be-
lieved he had other valuables, that his
horse, too, was fine one, and really
she must attend to him at breakfast.
He knew what this meant, poison in
his cup! That was an easier way to
get rid of him than by pistol or knife.
Either Of the latter would leave traces
of blood. At daylight he managed to
escape, and mounting his horse, sped
toward the city. The name of this
young man was John PEBBLES, and the
supposition is that he was traveller
from Georgia.
CAPTURE OF THE CRIMINALS.
The sheriff acted quickly; he gath
cred an armed squad, and placed his
deputy, Col. Cleary, at the head. So
well did Cleary manage, that he not
only adroitly surrounded the House
and had the Fishers in custody ere
their suspicious were aroused, but he
also captured with them six characters
oil hut two of whom turned ont to ha