Do you know what's awful when something totally innocent gets twisted in the mind of
someone else and becomes a completely fabricated story. Has this ever happened to you?
Who are you talking to? Monk? Our guests? You know,
these kind people right here who decided to join us in Charleston. Oh right,
Sorry, you guys have been real quiet back there. Ignore him,
He's just being silly. Anyway. I was just thinking about this time that
I was in fifth grade. I've never really been a fan of group projects,
but not a team player. You shock it, do you mind?
I'm telling our friends a story. Husbands, I put the ring on his
finger and he became a totally different person. So fifth grade, we were
doing a group project, and well, I naturally assumed that my team would
totally screw up their portions and that we'd all fail. I was a stressed
child who constantly planned things out because I knew that people would let me down.
Well, I guess my teammates didn't really like that I was handling all
the work nerds and complained to my teacher that I was doing everything and not
letting them help nerds. For the first time in my young life, I
was asked to go into the hallway with my teacher, and well, you
know that's never a good sign. So once in the hall she proceeded to
tell you you need to be fun to the rest of the group and let
everyone take part. Wow. Have I told you this story before? Once
or twice? Go on, monkey man. Being the good boy that I
was. When my group comes back out into the hallway to continue working,
I took it upon myself to sit them down and compliment each of them for
some contribution they made to the project, even if I had to fabricate a
bit and pretend that their work was just as good as mine. Lauren,
You're our work is great, Courtney. I love your wording of the sentence
here, Isaac. You really But before I could finish, my teacher comes
back outside and what were we just talking about? And you're still taking control?
No, missus O. I was telling them that they did well and
don't lie. No, missus Z. He really was. You don't have
to come up for him. Wow, that was a great impression of my
teacher and friend. Thank you. Now, let's wrap it up. Back
then, I believed that adults were always right and was so confused as to
how she couldn't see that I was trying to do what she had told me
to do moments before. I do want to note here that missus O was
genuinely an incredible teacher who, by the way, taught all three of the
fast Now siblings over the course of nearly a decade. Though this particular incident
was not my favorite moment from that year, the improv that we did to
learn American history, resume right to prep us for future careers, and readings
of books like The City November are just some of the memories that I will
cherish. So missus Oh, if you're listening, thank you for being such
a hard working teacher. And my personalized clipboard, which you made for every
student that you ever taught, did travel with me to LA when I moved
out here. Welcome to the Original Deadtime Stories, a podcast where I Skyler
fast Now go beyond to the crime to investigate human psychology and history, so
maybe we don't make the same mistakes of our ancestors. Are you doing a
live episode of our podcast right here on the street. If you're a fan
of the show and you would like to support us even more, head on
over to a patreon dot com, slash og deadtime. I guess we'll start
the chapter once we get to the Old Charleston Jail. Do you have the
directions on your phone? I have them pulled up, but we have to
listen to an ad before it'll start. An add on Google Maps. And
now on with our show. We're in the courtyard of the Old City Jail
in Charleston and our tour group is just up ahead. You're starting to creep
me out. Hey, y'all, are you here for the Ghost of the
Jail Tour? Yes? I have the tickets all right here on my phone.
Oh don't worry, guys, I bought tickets for all of us.
So thank you for joining us on our vacation. Oh Kenny, and you're
all chipped in umkakatie and I'll be your dad this evening. Thank we're all
here, So let's get started a bit. I hope this is yeah.
I'm so excited. I am so glad you're excited. Will allow me to
be the first to welcome you to the Old City Jail. Now, this
structure here was built in eighteen o two and actually stood at four stories.
Right there in the middle right there was once a tower that added an additional
two stories. You'll notice it's missing to day, and that's because we had
a huge earthquake in eighteen eighty six that destroyed the tower and the fourth floor,
which is why we can only see she's talking so much. Who hares
while the earthquake? Why is this earthquake so important? I heard that question
from the back there. Why is this earthquake important? Why are we e
been talking about this, Katie? Why are we been talking about this today?
Well, some say it opened up a gateway for the spirits to enter
our world, because we saw an increasing activity ever since. Shall we go
inside? Are you right? Guys? Right this way? So this prison
was closed in nineteen thirty nine, but a group purchased it in two thousand
and it's been undergoing constant preservation ever since. I don't think all the ghosts
have appreciated that, though, and they have made their presence known to us.
His wife, Oh, I'm sorry, sir, Yes, sir,
Please don't touch the building. Yeah, oils will definitely damage it. Thank
you. So sometimes ghosts make themselves known to us on this tour. And
if you feel anything strange, please please tell me. So we can examine
that together. What kind of things have happened on your tours? Tons,
tons of different things. People have seen an angry old jailer running towards them
before vanishing. There's been a slave in rags wandering the halls before. And
some lucky people have even seen Lavinia in the wedding dress that she was in.
We're gonna head up these stairs over here now to see the Salavinia state.
Oh wait a second, Katie, Katie, Hi, Sorry, I
didn't get a chance to tell my friends here who Lavinia Fisher was. Can
you tell them as we walked totally To fully understand Lavinia and John Fisher,
you guys have to understand what Charleston was like in the eighteen hundreds. Our
population was actually predominantly slaves and free blacks, but they essentially had no power.
Of course, right, the top five percent of white people owned more
than a half the wealth, which caused a lot of tension. But Charleston
was a huge hump for trade with our ports and wagons coming into the city,
and it was not uncommon for pirates or highwaymen to attack these traders and
robbed them. Now, Jacky's got a lot of goods on him beating down
I'll kill him, I don't care, but take everything you can carry at
us house ahead, gentlemen, that's what John's been hiding out, hits that
Downfrow robbed from my names. Charleston was facing a huge depression, and they
didn't want their economy to crash, right, because if people heard they'd be
robbed in the city, they'd stopped coming into trade. So Lynch mobs often
took the law into their own hands and hunted down robbers at the ends along
the roads. Oh so they're like the precursors to the guys who stormed the
capitol in January twenty twenty one. Yeah, that's moss while you're looking at
it. And those ends were called five mile House or six mile House because
that's how far they were from Charleston exactly, and Lavinia and her husband John
operated out of six Mile House. Now I want all of you to imagine
you've been riding on horseback all day and totally exhausted. You show up at
a little in six miles from the city and knock on the door. You're
greeted by a gorgeou just woman, possibly of mixed race. Well, hello,
sir. This is Lavinia Fisher, a woman built by Satan. Are
you in need of lodging for the night, yes, ma'am John. Do
we have a room, yes, darling, ah wonderful. Come on in,
sir and rest while we prepare the room. Thank you, ma'am.
Here, sir, have some of my horrible tea. I'll ease your tired
bones. Thank you, ma'am. Ah, this is the best tea I've
had. It's an old recipe. Put you right at ease, I'll say
it does. So. Are you traveling into Charleston, No, ma'am just
left. I spent the whole day sell them of first, and came from
up north with a wagon full of them and managed to sell almost everyone.
The room is ready. Come along, sir. You don't want to fall
asleep right here after a long day at the market. It was Lavinia's job
to lure in mad with her beauty, chat them up to see if they
were rich, and if they met the Fisher's criteria, they take the poor
guy to his room. You'll find the bed quite comfortable, sir. Good
night. That tea, by the way, was poisoned with oleander, so
the men would either fall asleep or die. Once they were sure he was
asleep, John sneak in and he killed them and take whatever money or goods
were on them. I'm not gruesome enough for you, young man. No,
well, then how about this. Sometimes if they wanted to have a
little fun with their guest, they'd send him up to bed after tea good
night, and once he was asleep, John or Lavinia would pull a special
lever. The bed would open up and the unsuspecting traveler would fall into a
joint pit in the cellar. The guests would be welcome to the basement by
a nice sharp spy. Right, isn't that incredible? And their method work
too until a man named John People showed up. He was a fur trader,
and Lavinia, like always, asked him a zillion questions about what he
did good night. But what Lavinia didn't know was John hated tea and dumped
it out when she wasn't looking. He wasn't poisoned and was fully aware of
how weird the questions were afraid of being ribed. Mister People's fell asleep in
a chair beside the door. Goodness gracious, Once mister People's witness the bed
opened up, he latched the window and ran like the wind into town to
report the attempted robbery to Sheriff Nathaniel Green Cleary. Sheriff Cleary burned down six
small house and arrested John Lavinia in their gang robbers. When the fire was
out, they found twenty to thirty bodies in the cellar. I know that's
too many bodies. John and Lavinia seemed to be pretty successful with their robberies,
but couldn't avoid this jail Behind me is these sail The Fishers were locked
in. What's with a crappy brickwork? Oh? I am so glad you
mentioned that jonesie that was actually patched up. While the Fishers were here,
John Lavinia and one of their gang members named Joseph Robert had dug through the
wall to make an escape. You got them blankets, Lavina, Yes,
sir, tied a real tight Good girl, Joseph, you go first,
then I'll follow. If they hold us, they'll hold you, Lavina,
Go Joseph. I don't know when that guard will come back. M wait
until I give you the signal. Okay. Their blanket line failed and John
fell about ten twenty feet. He survived the fall, but didn't want to
leave without his wife. Sure, him and Joseph put their heads together to
figure out how to save Lavinia, but every idea seemed like it would end
with their capture. In the end, a suspicious grocer saw them sneaking around
his property and followed them to a boat they were hiding under. The sheriff
was called and they were sent right back to prison after all. Now,
if y'all look out this window, you'll see the courtyard we got serving in.
That's where the gallows was. The fishers were quickly found guilty of highway
robbery and sentenced to be hung down there, And that's where we're going next.
These stairs here would have been the same ones Lavinia used the day she
died. Just imagine beautiful Lavinia walking down and a milky out wendrows. Christ,
what are you doing in that? The judge said, he'll hang you.
First of all, I can't say we're married anymore. If a poor
gentleman in the crowd sees me in this, then maybe he'll pity me and
ask me to marry him. Then they can't hate me because he'll be a
marrying again. It'll never work. Foolish girl, shut up your flag investts
you fluting bitches and priston this street. Y'all had husbands who voted everywhere guilty,
but we are innocent. Knock it off, Lavinia. Oh please,
but you'll give me for everything I've done? Please you, sir? Who
would you let a poornessvented it? Yeah? You're gry me how a staff
stipid lash? Damn you ride yard bassets. A lot of y'all come on,
act like a lady. Dear Heavenly Father, please bless mister and missus
John Fisher today. Forgive them for their sins. See that they have accepted
our Lord, and save you, Jesus Christ, into their hearts, and
wish to serve you at your gates in heaven. Yes, Lord, forgive
me for my sins. Shove it up your hearts. God, forgive her
father before she knows not what she says. Lavinia, find it in your
heart to accept Jesus. Let me pray for you. I can tell him
you are snease. I will have none of it. Save your words for
others that want them. But if you have a message you want to send
to help, give it to me. I'll carrot. She lived right off
the platform without waiting for the executioner. The platform fell from under John right
after. It seems Lavinian never made it to Hell to tell Satan any messages,
though, because people see her walking through the Unitarian Church's cemetery where she's
buried. Unfortunately, we don't have time to go there on this tour,
but I always encourage my guests to drop by and see if Lavinia will meet
with them. Ladies and gents, this concludes our ghost tour of the Old
City Jail. Oh up, whoa, whoa No No, Katie, Katie
Hi Hi Skyler Fastone, hosting creator of the original Deadtime Stories, the best
true crime podcast out there. My humble opinion, you've been lovely, fabulous,
really truly, but that's not how the story of the Fisher family goes.
Excuse me, sorry, guys, let me clear things up here with
Katie. You guys go over to the bar and I'll meet up with you
in the same time it takes to have a commercial break. Welcome back to
our show. We never left. Jonesy and I are sitting in a bar
after ripping apart our tour guide, and you guys are here just in time
to hear me tell Lavinia's real story over here. We saved you us,
Jool Jim Love, Can you pour our friends and drinks? Okay, so
Katie was partially right about the Fishers. They did operate six Mile House,
and Charleston was based in a financial crisis with an uptick and highway robbery,
and from what I can tell, Lavinia and John didn't mind robbing traders and
the tea. No record of Lavinia giving out only undertea trapdoor. Oh god,
I wish, but no. Also, something about a bed that opens
up into a basement with the flick of a switch in the eighteen hundreds just
seems highly unlikely to me. Now let's go back to February sixteen, eighteen
nineteen. Whoa, whoa clone, town fellow? You're you're driving a one
one? Where's the sheriff? Where's the sheriff? They've done a real lowdingish
shine, he'sb man. Well, who's the watch? It's my cow?
Then robbers came in a darn to night and snapched her riders. What is
all this yelling about, y'all looking like a lunatic sheriff Clary, Thank the
Lord you're here. They ash a group of robbers and Ashley Ferry and they
stole my cow. What did it look like, old man? I don't
quite remember, but they were real me fished. Well, if you can't
describe them, Timmy, then I can't go out and find them. Kenn
I good day, sir. But the folks of Charleston did not like that
answer. Our lord he knows. Come on, boys, this robbers ain't
just a chocking travelers anymore. Now they're going after our own. No alarm
here farm me last teacher, my assing. A lynch mob, determined to
take the law into their own hands, descended upon five Mile House, lasing
here there's been a robbery and we'll have none of it. You'll have fifteen
minutes to clear out. Are you mad? This is my home and business.
If you ain't paying for a night, then get off my property.
He ain't leaving, fellas teach him a lesson. When the good folks at
five Mile House refused to leave, little Lynch mob decided to burn it down.
Christ Look at that smoke, John, It's like a building's been burned
down or something. One mile away, at six Mile House, John Lavina
and the gang of about ten others watched the smoke billowing in the distance.
They knew this could not be a good sign. Let me handle this,
darling. Good evening, gentlemen. Listen our faults. We hear some Roberts
happy working around this area. You have ten minutes to clear out, or
of course, sir, we'll leave right away. Look around all night if
you'd like, come on Lavinia, gentlemen. The gang instantly shuffled out,
not wanting the same fate at the fell five mile House and the mob cheered,
what game the base gone? David David Ross, come out, yes,
sir, be a good man and keep watching half the naughty If those
brutes come back, you know what to do. Of course, come on
fellas tink soon may tonight in dr No. Young mister Ross was left alone
at six Mile House while the others celebrated whatever victory they had made up for
themselves. But the Fishers, they were fighters and this was technically their home.
So early the next morning they returned. Let's show him why he shouldn't
have messed with us. The Fishers returned with their ten or so gang members.
The key player here was William Hayward. If you're good morning, folks,
we ain't too pleased with what you and your friends did last night.
Oh oh, that little gentleman, mister Hayward, that was my idea.
William smashed David's face with the end of his rifle. All right, all
right, I'll leave. Please let me grab my things first. William reached
into the breast of his slightly unbuttoned shirt. You damned, infernal rascal.
If you lay your hand on anything, I will blow your brains out.
David stumbled back. It was about this time that he noticed the sweet Lavinia
Fisher. Please miss tell me, is there a word to let me grab
my belongings? I don't think so. With a devilish smirk, Lavinia choked
David with surprising force and then smashed his head through a window. What a
badass, right, I fucking love that part. John and William, along
with two other unidentified men, grabbed whips and started lashing David somehow, mister
David Rose was David sneak away into the woods. Get him? Whoa slow
down there, fella. This is John Peeples, right, Yeah, the
guy that Lavinia poisons, but he escapes in the night in the legend.
Yes, Ah, why are you laving the city? Go back? There
are a bunch of madmen on a few crazed women. Applehead, poor gentleman's
off his rocker. Come along, boy, the horse is a time.
Six Mile House should be just around a band here. In reality, John
and David's path actually probably didn't cross, since John arrived at six Mile House
about two hours after David's assault. Now, so the horse was being fed,
John turned to a young traveling companion and requested he hand over a bucket.
I need to water the horse now, don't be difficult. What are
you too doing? John turned to see Lavinia with her gang staring down at
him, armed mostly with sticks and a couple of guns here and there.
Without uttering a word, they lunged at him. Lavinia gave John's face a
few good scrapes before they returned to the house and locked the door. John
stood up and huffily adjusted his wrinkled shirt. A bunch of scoundrels, come
on, we won't be staying here any longer. He hopped into his wagon
and continued down the road, But within two hundred yards two men from the
Fisher gang jumped upon his wagon, stole about forty bucks, and took off.
Flabbergasted air and scared, John rushed back to Charleston to report the crime
to the sheriff. First, mister Ross, and now you can you describe
the man for me, sir. I didn't quite catch every detail of them,
Sheriff, but I'm certain John and Lavinia Fisher and William Heywood well among
them. Wow, the Fishers had quite the reputation, didn't they. Well,
this is where the story gets a little cussed. John Peoples was a
trader from Georgia. So how on earth did he know these folks by name?
Did the sheriff feed him the names? Unclear, but historians have a
few suspicions about this. I'll find some gentlemen and we'll handle the folks.
A six mile house with a party of gentlemen, as he calls them,
sheriff clear, he headed for the Fishers. Hello, folks here, there
were a few incidents here this morning. Yes, sir, come on,
fellas, sheriff wants to take us into town. Yes, they gave themselves
over without a scuffle. We think this was either because John didn't want Lavinia
to get hurt, or well more likely because the police had them surrounded.
Take them to the jail. Gentlemen, we'll search the house and make sure
they can't use it for their terror games any longer. As the Fishers and
company were taken away in the pattiwagon, Sheriff Cleary emptied the house and found
a cowhide, presumably belonging to Stephen Lacoste. Nobodies just too, but they
were found the ways away and about ten days after the storming of six Mile
House, and those were the ones that the Fishers were found guilty of murdering.
No one was nothing more than a skeleton that they think belonged to a
black woman. She was most likely a slave that someone had dumped and forgot
about. The second was Fresher, and he seemed to have been shot.
A coroner thought that he might have died in the scuffle at the house,
but nobody really knows for sure. I mean, technically, we don't even
know if he was murdered. So then who did the Fishers murder? Hey,
Bud, can we get some more drinks over here? Please? We're
going to need them. I need to catch my breath. Okay, back
to our story. At least twenty witnesses watched John Peoples identify the gang members
who attacked him and the group was promptly sent to jail. Well kind of
see, some of these people were lost to history, so I like to
imagine that they skipped town and lived happily. Ever after, John Lavinia,
William, and a man named Joseph Roberts were not as lucky though. On
March twenty third, Judge Ellahu Bay, a cranky old death man who stuttered
terribly, ruled that there was enough evidence to hold the gang members in jail
on bond. While Joseph and William were fortunate enough to post bail, the
Fishers were not and placed back in prison together. Wasn't Joseph the guy that
our tour guide set escaped with the Fishers? If that's even true? He
is, and they did escape together, But Joseph led a life of crime,
and while he was returned to prison on March twenty third after he threatened
a butcher, and what became of William Well after posting bail, he ran
away from Charleston and refused to come back for their hearing on May tenth,
where a jury decided that there was enough evidence to send all of them to
trial for assault with intent to kill David Ross. But basically it was now
down to just the Fishers, since William was m Ia and Joseph Roberts was
in jail for pleading guilty to assaulting Matt Butcher. So the Fishers got screwed.
Yeah, pretty much. Their trial happened on May twenty seven, where
they were promptly found guilty and sent back to jail again. Well, at
least we get to be in a cell together on an upper floor. Oh
no, need to thank me for floating with that guard to get us here.
You know, I'm always thankful, especially if it gives us a chance
to escape. But don Joseph have that whole ready yet? Just about you
show we should escape. Mister Heath says he can get us out in the
Constitutional Court or whatever. This was basically the Court of Appeals before it existed.
That lawyer knows nothing. If the three of us escape this week,
we don't have to wait for January to see if a judge might give us
freedom. I trust you. Still, I don't think the judge will hang
us. I am a beautiful young woman, after all, a passing woman.
If they found out they're not white, they sh someone's coming. As
we already learned their escape on September thirteenth did not work. Welcome gentlemen.
On this seventeenth day of January eighteen twenty, we gather to hear the retrial
John and Leavini if Fisher. They are charged with highway robbery against mister John
People's. Yes. Somehow, over the year their charges were changed from assault
on David Ross to highway robbery of John Peoples. Don't forget that, it'll
be important later. We have decided to deny emotion for retrial John and Leavini
if Fisher are to be hanged on February fourth, Your honor, please,
the Fishers need time for their salvation now. It's one of the greatest Baptist
preachers of our time. The Governor's woods, not mine. I cannot stand
by and let these souls enter hell. What about February team saved? No,
after all, after they killed all those people two months, that's all
I can give them. Anymore will be unfair to anyone who didn't kill thirty
people. Yes, your honor, that should be ample time. I am
the good people of Charleston. Thank you, Thank you Reverend for speaking up
in court. Thank our Lord, mister Fisher Lavina come here for the prayer
day. Please, Lavinya, we will have salvation. No, I don't
want salvation. I want that God to bring me a letter releasing me from
this house. This prison will being compared to the hell you'll soon burning if
you don't listen. Come, Lavinia, here the man out. Fine,
but make it quick, Dear heavenly Father. I come to you as humbly
as I know how, asking for your forgiveness and salvation for John and Lavinia
on today. We know that they have a troubling past, but we know
that you. February twenty first, eighteen twenty quickly came and the Fishers were
rushered into a prep room, so to speak. No, no, no,
Lavinia, my love sh shot. Wow, it's okay, I'm gonna
die today. It's okay, my love refend Furman has prayed for us,
and we will go peacefully together. You wait that calm? Are you not?
Really? No? Oh? John, your robes, pretty little creatment
out, The executioner grinned as he handed the couple their white robes. Wait,
not the wet in dress. No, Lavinia wearing a wedding dress for
the execution is yet another old wives tale. And we know this because well,
logically, if six Mile House was burned, she'd have no belongings.
But there was also a John Blake White present that day, and in eighteen
thirty four he published an article titled Essays on Capital Punishment, which went into
great detail about the couple's execution. They way to your chariot, my lord
and lady. I'll see you on the stage for your final bow. Here,
my love, take my hand and I'll help you into the patty wagon.
H good, god, there it is. Oh John, don't go
weak in the knees. I need you to hold me up. You're right
hit up? Oh something, I shall go no further. I will not
be hateful a crime I have not committed. Please please, will you tell
them I'm an honest, kind woman. Come on, Lavinia, don't make
me use force to get you up there. Drag me along that, you
bastard. I will not move. Come home, boys, drag the young
lady to the scaffold. Get your hands off for you, faster dirty hands
on the baster bite you get me, bastards. She sure? What's a
letter in your head? Is it my parting? No, it's a letter
for the reverend to read. It is a pardon from the Governor. I
know it. Haven't you figured it out yet? You stupid, simple minded
girl. You ain't getting a pardon. You get and the gallows is the
only one you can depend on now. He won't let you down. Please
God, dear God, please forgive me a vices. I am a good
girl. I am I haven't done much wrong in my life. Please let
me come to heaven. Please? What about you, dirty John Fisher?
What worse do you want to be? Your last? Good folks of Charleston,
Please hear me. My wife and I are innocent of the crime we
are being hanged for today. I will not lie before my God. We
are victims. If there are any among you I have done wrong, please
forgive me. Reverend Furman has a few words on my behalf. This letter
excuse me. This letter has been written by mister Fisher. Reverend and dear
Sir, the appointed day has arrived, the moment soon to come which will
finish my earthly career, and it behooves me for the last time to address
you and the reverend gentleman associated in your pies care. In a few moments
and the world to me shall have passed away before the throne of the eternal
Majesty of Heaven. I must stand shall then, at this dreadful hour,
my convulsed, agitated lips still proclaim a falsehood. No been by that awful
majesty. I swear I am innocent. May the Redeemer of the world plead
for those who have sworn away my life. The hour is come. Farewell,
sir, Farewell John Fisher. Now I would like to ask mister and
missus Fisher if there are any final prayers they like me to save for.
I will have none of it, save your word for others that want them.
But if you have a message you want to send the health, give
it to me. I'll carry it. Oh she really said that, yes,
sir, but in a far less dramatic way. She just kind of
said it and then stepped back into lines of the execution and could do his
job. In their white robes. The couple hugs one final time, and
then at two in the afternoon, the platform fell out from under them.
Lavinia was dead instantly, but John's rope was not the right length, and
he ended up struggling for seventeen long, hygonizing minutes. Oh So, in
the end, John and Lavinia. Fisher were hanged for a crime that they
never really went on trial for. Now. They were criminals, for sure,
but it's a little sketchy that they died and now their story lives on
in a much more exaggerated version. Nobody really much talks about how the government
had wronged them. You know that's the story I want. Well, you're
in luck because I have it. See, John Fisher had claimed that they
were being set up and strongly insinuated that it was the sheriff's doing. He
claimed that the sheriff had fed John Peoples their names when he was identifying his
attackers and confirmed that they were the folks who did it. But as she
will remember, John Peoples was from Georgia, so I doubt that he would
know them by name. And Bruce Or mentions in his book Six Miles to
Charleston, it's odd that John Peoples continued to six Mile House after passing by
the burned down five Mile House. Where's the sheriff coming to play? Well?
Mister Or speculates that John Peoples was actually never robbed, and I would
say that the sheriff paid him off to say that he was that way.
The lynch mob could ride in, arrest the Fishers, and Sheriff Cleary comes
out a hero. He was up for reelection that year, and people will
do anything to win an election. Did he win the election? No?
Then, how did an election lead to their debt? Well, that's something
else that nobody has a solid answer for, because the records from eighteen nineteen
are few and far between. I like Bruce Orris theory though. See,
local politicians wanted the land that six Mile House stood on for a naval base,
but they needed some way to get that land. Some of Charleston's politicians
had previously taken part in sketchy land deals in Florida, which was the first
time this happened in America, and they knew that if the Fishers were dead,
the land would become theirs. So the couple is arrested for assault,
but that can't easily end in a hanging but highway robbery cam So pay off
John Peoples to lie about being robbed, casually changed the charges between trials,
and then let the dumb, dirty criminals hang because well, nobody would believe
them anyway. Do you think that's what happened, though, Monkey, I
don't know honestly, it wouldn't surprise me though. What I do know though,
is even though the Fishers were criminals, feel a little sorry that they
God dealt such a bad hand and then may have lost their lives for an
unfair, slightly sketchy trial. Legends Never Die was written and narrated by me
Skyler Fasten Now, Monkey Man, what are you doing sh and executive produced
by mister Talkative Daniel Jones. Voice talent was provided by Jeremy Staple, taram
Er, Perry, Jeanette Sash, Jordan Catcher, Maurice Whitfield, Juno Nafosi,
and Daniel Jones. Our theme music was written and performed by Tracy Zales,
Editing and sound designed by Brian Campbell, and cover artwork by Catherine Fasten
Now. Thank you friends for joining us on our ghost tour of Charleston Today.
If you liked this episode, let us know by leaving a five star
review wherever you listen. It helps others find our show and makes me not
cry myself to sleep every night. To be the ultimate fan, checkout patreon
dot com slash og dead Time for a vault of old episodes, early access
to new content, merchandise, and behind the scenes videos with me. If
you're unable to pay for Patreon right now, hey, I totally get that
girl. We're in a pandemic. You can still follow us on Instagram,
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up with the show and tell us what sort of crimes you'd like to see
us cover next. The links to all of that is in our episode description.
Cool, are you done? No, we will be back in one
week with another chapter for your eager ears. This time we're going to Florida,
and I am stoked for Florida. Yes, because this one is going
to be personal to me. Florida is personal to you. No, but
I took part in the Florida Man Challenge and I have three stories ready for
our friends. Take me home, babe, all right until next week,
stay safe out there. We don't want you to become the next chapter's topic
on the original Deadtime Stories,