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Subject: Wilson Hanging in Delaware/Chester County
Date: Fri, 5 Nov 1999 10:27:09 EST

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Several of you have asked for details about the Hallowe'en incident that I
posted, so here it is.

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From:
Full-name: Websternv
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Date: Fri, 5 Nov 1999 10:23:12 EST
Subject: Wilson Hanging in Delaware/Chester County
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Sorry to be so long in answering, but I was away on business. The best
account of this long, sad story of the Wilsons is in Ashmead's History of
Delaware County, pps. 171-174. Unfortunately, It's too long to relate here,
but has been a staple in county folklore for over two centuries. Elizabeth
(aka Sarah) Wilson was the beautiful, unmarried daughter of an East Bradford
Township farmer, who went to work in Philadelphia and fell in love with a
charming man who lodged at the inn where she worked. He paid her such
attention that everyone expected a forthcoming marriage; when she became
pregnant, she was dismissed from her position. She arrived home, gave birth
to twin boys, and announced shortly thereafter that she was going to meet her
beloved to be married at Newtown Square. Taking the babies with her, she then
disappeared for a week. She was next seen at her old employment, alone and
seeming mentally unstable. Shortly after that, her murdered children were
found by Edgmont Twp. hunters.
She was unable to talk about the incident to family, lawyer or the
court, but just broke into sobs whenever questioned. Although her trial was
delayed to allow her to recover, she was eventually tried and convicted of
the twins' murder. Sentenced to hang, her family shunned her except for her
brother William. He had been working in Lancaster County, and had not heard
of his sister's problems. However, he seems to have had a premonition and
told his employer that he must leave and go to Chester. Upon arriving, he
learned that his sister was soon to be hung, having already had one reprieve.
Elizabeth had been praying that he would come, and she told him she
had a private information to tell him. He insisted that witnesses be present,
and she finally explained the murder of her children as the act of her
seducer, who had stomped them to death before her shocked eyes and threatened
her to obtain her silence. Her brother took up her cause and carrying the
affidavits of the witnesses, all of whom were convinced of her innocence,
went to Philadelphia to get her reprieve/acquittal from the Executive
Council. After overcoming many legal and geographical obstacles, including
the denial of the father and having to obtain evidence of his perjury,
William at long last obtained the revocation of her execution.
So sure of her innocence and of the arrival of the acquittal, the sheriff
posted lookouts to warn him of her brother's pending arrival by waving white
flags when they saw him coming. It was Jan. 3, 1788 and William had to ride
through a rain and sleet storm, cross the Schuylkill in full spate with
dangerous ice chunks when the ferryman refused to try (William's horse died
under him 2/3 of the way across), swim to the far bank, find another mount to
brave the deep, pasty mud... Sorrowfully, her execution was carried out and
legend says the witnesses were so busy looking for her brother that few
actually saw her death although they witnessed her avowal of complete
innocence as she stood with the rope around her neck. So affected were people
that they remained at the site in silence, watching the line of white flags
stationed down the Queen's Highway (4th Street, Chester and Chester Pike to
the east). 15 minutes later, they saw the first flag waving violently in the
distance; 23 minutes after her death, her exhausted brother arrived holding
the reprieve at arm's length. The sheriff had cut her down as soon as he saw
the flags, but she had died almost instantly of a dislocated neck.
William was so overcome by his ordeal and remorse at his failure that
those present said that he fainted; when revived, his hair turned completely
white and his face had prematurely aged. He lingered in a low fever for some
weeks, and reenacted his desperate journey in his delirium. When he
recovered, her retreated from human company and became a hermit in the
Hummelstown cave, near Swatara, 12 miles SE of Harrisburg. He was known as
the Pennsylvania Hermit until his solitary death in Oct. 1821.
19th century Chester residents reported seeing his ghost ride a white,
mud spattered horse down 4th Street and then up Edgemont Avenue to Hangman's
Hill; the last time I heard anyone claim this was in the 1960s. Such a sad
story of a naive woman seduced by a smooth talking man, and of deep devotion
between siblings. I haven't done it justice here; do read Ashmead for all the
color and description of William's efforts.
Thy friend,
Nancy Webster


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