The Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1877-1885, 1877-06-08

returned with unusual violence. McGee
at the time was at church. He was
sent for, as also was the doctor.
The latter compounded simple prescrip-
tion,-calomel and bismuth, which he di.
vided into four doses, administering one
himself and leaving directions that one Of |
the powers should be given every two
hours, These powders, or others which |
had been substituted for them, were ad- |
ministered and few hours after the last |
had been given her she expired in great |
agony, her symptoms being those of
poisoning by stryehnine. The charge was
at once made that McGee had poisoned
his wife that he might marry Miss Pad
dock. On chemical analysis of the con-
tents Of the stomach by Prot. Haines, of
Rush College, Chicago, strychnine was at
once discovered, as also adhering TO the
spoon from which the medicine had been
administered. Then it was discovered
that McGee, about week before his wife's
illness commenced, had bought arsenic at
the town of Capron, Boone county. while
holding protected meeting there. All
the symptoms Of Mrs. Mc(1ees illness in
the beginning were those of arsenic poison,
subsequently he purchased strychnine of
a druggist at Ashton. The theory is that
an overdose of the arsenic was administered
and the stomach rejected it. Then strych-
nine was administered. McGee was
arrested and committed to Jail. Then
came another phase of the case that is at
least striking. The daughter was per-
mitted to visit Mc(9ee in jail After she
had made him several visits he COM
municated to friend, and so the story
got out, that Jenny had made written
confession that she had poisoned her
mother in revenge for the latter's finding
, fault with her denny keeping company
with some young fellow. Jenny, who
is a half-witted sort of creature, then
told how, in his cell, McGee had written
; out the confession and wanted her to copy
and sign it, saying to- her that it could do
no harm. Since his confinement he has
been closely watched, and several attempts
to escape have been frustrated. Such is a
brief recountal of the circumstances of the
case which opened before Judge Heatou
on Thursday morning, May 3lst, A. G..
Bardwell, states attorney, and Hon. VIM
Barge appearing for the prosecution, and
Hon. John Y. Eustace for the defence.
The special reporter for the Chicago Tri.
] bune, in his dispatch of Friday, gives the
, following picture of the accused:
\ "McGee, the man whose fate will de-
pend upon the verdict of that jury when
made up, sits at a desk beside his counsel
+ with his hands folded in true clerical style
0 save when caressing his flowing black
beard, and wears quite the air of the par
:. son in the pulpit waiting for the ''volun
c tary' to conclude before he opens the ser
e vices with prayer. A dapper little fellow
/ of unmistakable clerical cut,-clerica
coat and collar, clerical smoothness ant
sickness all over. pulpy, clerical whit
hands; dark hair, showed back carelessl.
i from a narrow forehead, clear eye with
clerical benignancy of look in it, straight
prominent nose, and a coarse, sensuou
q mouth, complete the photograph of tn
t man who is charged with as cold -bloodet
murder as ever was committed. Will
/, the stereotyped clerical smirk upon hi
face, he sits here at my right awaitin
t proceedings that may end in his bein
O hanged, and his bland clerical name
stamps him as the mushiest of mush
. bland fools-or as man with wondrou
s powers Of self-controI, who knows we'll no.
of to don and wear a mask"