Lavinia Fisher
Encyclopedia
Lavinia Fisher is widely recognized as the first female serial killer
in the United States of America. Her origins are unknown; however, Fisher resided in the United States for a large amount of her life. She was married to John Fisher, and both were convicted of murder and robbery.
for most of their lives. Together, they owned a hotel
, the Six Mile Wayfarer House, which they managed in the early 19th century. The hotel was located six miles north of Charleston, South Carolina
, hence the name. After a short period, many reports were made to the local sheriff's department about guests disappearing. Due to lack of evidence, and the popularity of the couple with many locals, these complaints came to nothing.
Lavinia Fisher would always invite men to dinner and ask many questions about their occupation, trying to find out if they had money or not. She would send them up to their rooms with a cup of tea that was actually poisoned
. Once the men would drink their tea and go to bed, her husband would go to the room to make sure they were dead by stabbing them.
Another version of the legend was that the tea would only put the men to sleep for a few hours. Then, when they were almost asleep, Lavinia would pull a lever and the bed would collapse and drop the victim into a pit. Some believe that there were spikes waiting at the bottom of the pit.
One day John Peeples asked if there were any vacancies and Lavinia replied that there was unfortunately no room, but he was welcome to come inside and rest and have some tea. John happened to hate tea, and not wanting to seem rude, he dumped it when she wasn't looking. She interrogated him for hours and eventually said she discovered that in fact, they did have a room. He then went to bed. He had felt suspicious about the interrogation and was worried about being robbed, so he decided to sleep in the wooden chair by the door. In the middle of the night, he awoke to the loud sound of the bed collapsing and discovered the Fisher's plan. He jumped out the window and rode to Charleston to alert the authorities .
Lavinia Fisher was hanged in 1820 but the crime was highway robbery— a capital offense at the time—not murder. She was a member of a large gang of highwaymen who operated out of two houses in the Backcountry outside of Charleston, the Five Mile House and the Six Mile House. It is not clear whether or not the Six Mile House was a hotel, but it did serve as hideout for a number of outlaws.
. At the time in South Carolina you could not execute a woman who was married. When Lavinia mentioned this at her trial the judge told her that they would kill her husband first, so that she would be widowed. Lavinia Fischer made another plan and decided to be executed in a wedding dress. She was a woman of legendary beauty and hoped that with a priest present, she could seduce a man into marrying her. When this failed to happen and Lavinia realized that she was running out of time, before the executioner could tighten the noose, she said to the crowd "If anyone has a message for hell, give it to me-- I'll deliver it.", then she jumped off of the gallows and committed suicide herself much rather than having someone execute her (This is incorrect, as the type of hangings that took place in Charleston did not use a gallows that she could jump from. It was a system with a weight attached to the rope at one end, went through a pulley and down to the noose. The weight was dropped, and would yank the victim off of the ground, often not breaking their neck, tearing skin, causing decapitation, and struggling in the nose for up to an hour). Much of what actually occurred in the alleged murders at the hands of John and Lavinia Fisher has become wildly exaggerated through time, so factual details are hard to find. However, it is known based on news accounts in the Charleston Post and Courier
, that a vigilante
gang
went to the Fishers' neighborhood in February 1819 to stop the purported 'gang activities' that were occurring there. Satisfied that they had accomplished their task, the group returned to Charleston, but left a young man by the name of David Ross to stand watch in the area.
Early the next day, Ross was attacked by two men and dragged before the gang that had terrorized the region. Among them was Lavinia Fisher, to whom he looked for help. However, rather than help him, she choked him and then smashed his head through a window. Ross managed to escape and immediately alerted authorities.
Immediately following this incident, another traveler, named John Peeples, stopping in at the Fisher’s Six Mile House for Wayfarers was also assaulted, but he likewise was able to escape and went to the authorities. Based on these two accounts, names and identities of the assailants were given, something that law enforcement had previously lacked. Police were immediately dispatched to the location and during the ensuing investigation Lavinia and John were discovered, along with two other gang members. John Fisher surrendered the group in an effort to protect his wife and shield her from the possibility of gunfire. Later, during interrogation, he would again attempt to protect Lavinia by giving the identities of all involved in the gang.
Nearly a full year lapsed between the time of their arrest and their execution. At their arraignment
the Fishers pleaded not guilty but were ordered to be held in jail until their trial which would take place in May while their co-conspirators were released on bail. The jury at their trial rejected their pleas of innocence and found them guilty of highway robbery
. However, the judge allowed an appeal
and they were given a reprieve until the January session of the court.
During this time the Fishers occupied themselves with plans to escape, as they were housed together in a 6x8 cell and not heavily guarded. On September 13 they put their plans into action and began their escape. Things did not go as planned as the rope they had made from prison linens broke, leaving Lavinia trapped in the cell and John set free. He was unwilling to continue the escape plan and was recaptured. The two were then kept under much tighter security.
The Constitutional court rejected their appeal and both were sentenced to be hanged
on February 4, 1820. Awaiting execution, John accepted the counsel of the Reverend Richard Furman
, a local minister, but Lavinia became even more vitriolic. Preceding their execution, the clergyman read a letter composed by John Fisher, stating that since he had become a Christian
he could not be executed with a lie held to his account. Therefore he insisted on his innocence and asked mercy on those who had done him wrong in the judicial process. After the minister read the letter, Fisher then began to plead his case before the gathered crowd of some 2,000. He then seemingly contradicted himself by asking for their forgiveness.
Lavinia argued to the judge that they could not hang a married woman, so they hanged John a day before. It is believed that Mary Surratt
was the first woman to be hanged in the United States, however Lavinia was hanged 40 years prior.
) or at 4 Archdale Street (The Unitarian Church
) appear to have been promoted by tour guides.
Serial killer
A serial killer, as typically defined, is an individual who has murdered three or more people over a period of more than a month, with down time between the murders, and whose motivation for killing is usually based on psychological gratification...
in the United States of America. Her origins are unknown; however, Fisher resided in the United States for a large amount of her life. She was married to John Fisher, and both were convicted of murder and robbery.
Residence
Fisher and her husband resided in Charleston, South CarolinaCharleston, South Carolina
Charleston is the second largest city in the U.S. state of South Carolina. It was made the county seat of Charleston County in 1901 when Charleston County was founded. The city's original name was Charles Towne in 1670, and it moved to its present location from a location on the west bank of the...
for most of their lives. Together, they owned a hotel
Hotel
A hotel is an establishment that provides paid lodging on a short-term basis. The provision of basic accommodation, in times past, consisting only of a room with a bed, a cupboard, a small table and a washstand has largely been replaced by rooms with modern facilities, including en-suite bathrooms...
, the Six Mile Wayfarer House, which they managed in the early 19th century. The hotel was located six miles north of Charleston, South Carolina
Charleston, South Carolina
Charleston is the second largest city in the U.S. state of South Carolina. It was made the county seat of Charleston County in 1901 when Charleston County was founded. The city's original name was Charles Towne in 1670, and it moved to its present location from a location on the west bank of the...
, hence the name. After a short period, many reports were made to the local sheriff's department about guests disappearing. Due to lack of evidence, and the popularity of the couple with many locals, these complaints came to nothing.
Lavinia Fisher would always invite men to dinner and ask many questions about their occupation, trying to find out if they had money or not. She would send them up to their rooms with a cup of tea that was actually poisoned
Poison
In the context of biology, poisons are substances that can cause disturbances to organisms, usually by chemical reaction or other activity on the molecular scale, when a sufficient quantity is absorbed by an organism....
. Once the men would drink their tea and go to bed, her husband would go to the room to make sure they were dead by stabbing them.
Another version of the legend was that the tea would only put the men to sleep for a few hours. Then, when they were almost asleep, Lavinia would pull a lever and the bed would collapse and drop the victim into a pit. Some believe that there were spikes waiting at the bottom of the pit.
One day John Peeples asked if there were any vacancies and Lavinia replied that there was unfortunately no room, but he was welcome to come inside and rest and have some tea. John happened to hate tea, and not wanting to seem rude, he dumped it when she wasn't looking. She interrogated him for hours and eventually said she discovered that in fact, they did have a room. He then went to bed. He had felt suspicious about the interrogation and was worried about being robbed, so he decided to sleep in the wooden chair by the door. In the middle of the night, he awoke to the loud sound of the bed collapsing and discovered the Fisher's plan. He jumped out the window and rode to Charleston to alert the authorities .
Lavinia Fisher was hanged in 1820 but the crime was highway robbery— a capital offense at the time—not murder. She was a member of a large gang of highwaymen who operated out of two houses in the Backcountry outside of Charleston, the Five Mile House and the Six Mile House. It is not clear whether or not the Six Mile House was a hotel, but it did serve as hideout for a number of outlaws.
Trial and execution
Lavinia Fisher was held at the Charleston, South Carolina Jail before her hanging. She had concocted a plan in her mind to make sure that she would not be executedCapital punishment
Capital punishment, the death penalty, or execution is the sentence of death upon a person by the state as a punishment for an offence. Crimes that can result in a death penalty are known as capital crimes or capital offences. The term capital originates from the Latin capitalis, literally...
. At the time in South Carolina you could not execute a woman who was married. When Lavinia mentioned this at her trial the judge told her that they would kill her husband first, so that she would be widowed. Lavinia Fischer made another plan and decided to be executed in a wedding dress. She was a woman of legendary beauty and hoped that with a priest present, she could seduce a man into marrying her. When this failed to happen and Lavinia realized that she was running out of time, before the executioner could tighten the noose, she said to the crowd "If anyone has a message for hell, give it to me-- I'll deliver it.", then she jumped off of the gallows and committed suicide herself much rather than having someone execute her (This is incorrect, as the type of hangings that took place in Charleston did not use a gallows that she could jump from. It was a system with a weight attached to the rope at one end, went through a pulley and down to the noose. The weight was dropped, and would yank the victim off of the ground, often not breaking their neck, tearing skin, causing decapitation, and struggling in the nose for up to an hour). Much of what actually occurred in the alleged murders at the hands of John and Lavinia Fisher has become wildly exaggerated through time, so factual details are hard to find. However, it is known based on news accounts in the Charleston Post and Courier
The Post and Courier
Charleston's The Post and Courier is one of the oldest daily newspapers in the South and the eighth oldest newspaper still in publication in the United States. It is published in Charleston, South Carolina. It traces its ancestry to three newspapers, the Charleston Courier, founded in 1803, the...
, that a vigilante
Vigilante
A vigilante is a private individual who legally or illegally punishes an alleged lawbreaker, or participates in a group which metes out extralegal punishment to an alleged lawbreaker....
gang
Gang
A gang is a group of people who, through the organization, formation, and establishment of an assemblage, share a common identity. In current usage it typically denotes a criminal organization or else a criminal affiliation. In early usage, the word gang referred to a group of workmen...
went to the Fishers' neighborhood in February 1819 to stop the purported 'gang activities' that were occurring there. Satisfied that they had accomplished their task, the group returned to Charleston, but left a young man by the name of David Ross to stand watch in the area.
Early the next day, Ross was attacked by two men and dragged before the gang that had terrorized the region. Among them was Lavinia Fisher, to whom he looked for help. However, rather than help him, she choked him and then smashed his head through a window. Ross managed to escape and immediately alerted authorities.
Immediately following this incident, another traveler, named John Peeples, stopping in at the Fisher’s Six Mile House for Wayfarers was also assaulted, but he likewise was able to escape and went to the authorities. Based on these two accounts, names and identities of the assailants were given, something that law enforcement had previously lacked. Police were immediately dispatched to the location and during the ensuing investigation Lavinia and John were discovered, along with two other gang members. John Fisher surrendered the group in an effort to protect his wife and shield her from the possibility of gunfire. Later, during interrogation, he would again attempt to protect Lavinia by giving the identities of all involved in the gang.
Nearly a full year lapsed between the time of their arrest and their execution. At their arraignment
Arraignment
Arraignment is a formal reading of a criminal complaint in the presence of the defendant to inform the defendant of the charges against him or her. In response to arraignment, the accused is expected to enter a plea...
the Fishers pleaded not guilty but were ordered to be held in jail until their trial which would take place in May while their co-conspirators were released on bail. The jury at their trial rejected their pleas of innocence and found them guilty of highway robbery
Highwayman
A highwayman was a thief and brigand who preyed on travellers. This type of outlaw, usually, travelled and robbed by horse, as compared to a footpad who traveled and robbed on foot. Mounted robbers were widely considered to be socially superior to footpads...
. However, the judge allowed an appeal
Appeal
An appeal is a petition for review of a case that has been decided by a court of law. The petition is made to a higher court for the purpose of overturning the lower court's decision....
and they were given a reprieve until the January session of the court.
During this time the Fishers occupied themselves with plans to escape, as they were housed together in a 6x8 cell and not heavily guarded. On September 13 they put their plans into action and began their escape. Things did not go as planned as the rope they had made from prison linens broke, leaving Lavinia trapped in the cell and John set free. He was unwilling to continue the escape plan and was recaptured. The two were then kept under much tighter security.
The Constitutional court rejected their appeal and both were sentenced to be hanged
Hanging
Hanging is the lethal suspension of a person by a ligature. The Oxford English Dictionary states that hanging in this sense is "specifically to put to death by suspension by the neck", though it formerly also referred to crucifixion and death by impalement in which the body would remain...
on February 4, 1820. Awaiting execution, John accepted the counsel of the Reverend Richard Furman
Richard Furman
Richard Furman was an influential Baptist leader from Charleston, South Carolina, USA. He was elected in 1814 as the first president of the Triennial Convention, the first nationwide Baptist association...
, a local minister, but Lavinia became even more vitriolic. Preceding their execution, the clergyman read a letter composed by John Fisher, stating that since he had become a Christian
Christian
A Christian is a person who adheres to Christianity, an Abrahamic, monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth as recorded in the Canonical gospels and the letters of the New Testament...
he could not be executed with a lie held to his account. Therefore he insisted on his innocence and asked mercy on those who had done him wrong in the judicial process. After the minister read the letter, Fisher then began to plead his case before the gathered crowd of some 2,000. He then seemingly contradicted himself by asking for their forgiveness.
Lavinia argued to the judge that they could not hang a married woman, so they hanged John a day before. It is believed that Mary Surratt
Mary Surratt
Mary Elizabeth Jenkins Surratt was an American boarding house owner who was convicted of taking part in the conspiracy to assassinate Abraham Lincoln. Sentenced to death, she was hanged, becoming the first woman executed by the United States federal government. She was the mother of John H...
was the first woman to be hanged in the United States, however Lavinia was hanged 40 years prior.
Burial
Following her execution, Lavinia was buried in a Potter's Field near to the place of execution which was outside the Old City Jail . Reports of her burial at 150 Meeting Street (The Circular Congregational ChurchCircular Congregational Church
The Circular Congregational Church is a church located in Charleston, South Carolina. It is one of the oldest continuously worshiping congregations in the South. Founded in 1681, the church remains a vibrant, diverse community....
) or at 4 Archdale Street (The Unitarian Church
Unitarianism
Unitarianism is a Christian theological movement, named for its understanding of God as one person, in direct contrast to Trinitarianism which defines God as three persons coexisting consubstantially as one in being....
) appear to have been promoted by tour guides.