The Union daily times. [volume] (Union, S.C.) 1918-current, 1922-08-09
Noted Skeleton is
To be Displayed

Charleston, Aug. 5.-Beeause of tn,
many people who visit the charleston
Museum and who bring friends to the
Museum to see the skeleton of Mrs
Lavania Fisher, the only woman to
have been hanged in South Carolina
and whose skeleton was exhibited at
the Museum some time ago and was
removed because it was out of order,
the Museum has decided again to in
stall the skeleton and il is now being
put in order, 1t is expected that there
will be wide interest in the fact that
Mrs. Fisher will come out of hsr hid
ing place and will be given 20 the date
on which she will be paced once
mose-on exhibit.
Mrs. Fisher and her husband. John
Fisher, kept the Six-Mile House, er-
roneously confused with the Four Mile
House. about 1920, and considerable
curiosity was aroused over the con-
tinued disappearances Of those who
stopped overnight at the hostelry. In.
yestigations were made and it was
found that the quests had b"en muir
dered and their bones buried in the
cellar, The guilt pair were arrested
and tried and sentenced, the woman
being the first and only woman hang.
ed in this state.
Desperadoes Very Active.
The following account Of the .a.e
is taken from Kings "iJewspaper
Press of Charleston, South Carolina":
"Too frequently the torch of the
incendiary, together with the machin-
ations of the desperate, gave scope
for individual condemnation. Not less
frequently were the warnings given
by the City Journals to the authorities
to suppress the then existing evils
This condition of society, bad as il
was in the city, was much worse in
the environs. Gangs of white despera-
does, occupied certain houses, and in
tested the roads leading to the city
To such an extent did these outlaws
carry their excesses, that wagoners
and others coming to the city were
under the necessity of carrying rifles
in their hands for defense Travellers
passed these houses with fear and
trembling. More dreaded than others
of these haunts was that known as the
Six-Mile House, occupied by John
Fisher and Lavinia, hs wife. State
Sheriff N. G. Cleary was forced
against these highwaymen. With a
number of mounted citizens and de-
tachments from the Charleston Rifle
men, Washington light Infantry and
the Northern Volunteers, he started
on the errand OF determination.
Great Fear on the Gall0ws.
"The City Papers of January and
February, 1920, give accounts of the
capture of Mr.. and Mrs. Fisher. The
Constitutional Court of the 10Th OF
January, 1920, had refused to grant
new trials to John and Lavinia Fish.
Ell convicted at the previous court OF
highway robbery, and they were sen.
fenced to be hung on Friday, 4th day
of February, following. They were
however, respited until the 18th or
their petition imploring an opportun.
ity for preparation, and asking but
for time to meet their God On Fri.
day, 18th, at 2 o'clock, just within
the lines, on a hill east OF the Meet.
ing street road, about 800 yards north
of the street now known as Line
street continued. John Fisher anc
his wife met their fate, the former
with calmness and composure and the
latter with fear and trepidation.
Mrs. Fisher appeared, from the
time of her arrest, to be under the
influence of wrong passions and feel
ings. 1t was evident that she flattereC
herself with the expectation of pardon
from the executive. Mr.. Fisher on ar.
living within sight of the gallows
drew his wife conclusively to hi:
bosom, and speedily nerved himself
for the issue. The unhappy wife coult
not believe it possible that she was sc
soon to die. She called upon the i'm.
mense throng assembled to rescue he,
and implored pity with outstretchet
and trembling hands. No scene coulc
be more appalling as the Inflated pal,
stood between time and eternity. The
platform gave way at given sigma
from the sheriff, then all was hushec
and still-that which was mortal haC
put on immortality"
The skeleton of Mrs. Fisher was al
first owned by the Medical College
by which it was given to the Museum
New World Record