The Hickman courier. [volume] (Hickman, Ky.) 1859-current, 1878-12-06
------ff-------7- -
AROUND EsIS NECK.
The Unpleasant Experience Of
an znHocPnt Wan who was
Captured by n Mob.
lPadnnah XVI SUM

lessness with which an excited mob Of
men accustomed to fool with man 2
life. if they once get him into their
clutches The gentleman alluded to is
now in the city. en- route with his fam
ily to Texas. which State he will make
his future home. and from him per
mission was Obtained to make use Of
tie following facts:
The most of our readers are familiar
with the details of the murder OF
Marks, the Evansville commercial
traveller. at point between the Ten
nessee and Cumberland rivers, knowc
as The Narrows," several years ago.
The name of the murderer was SuIli
want. aud he was a merchant at the
place, and was in the habit OF buy
ing goods OF the firm for which Marks
was travelling. Marks, on his rounds
called on him as usual Sulivant in
vifed him to spend the night with
himself in the store. That was the
last ever seen of the unfortunate drum
mer" alive His mutilated remains
were subsequently exhumed from a
grave near by, where they had been
placed by Sullivant. who undoubtedly
slew him for the purpose of robbery
But with the strange fatality
w-hicheso aften pnrsues the perpetra
TOR of a great crime, the criminal max
es blunder, which almost invariably
makes his detection easy In this cnse
Sullivant sent forged receipt for
money paid and receipted order
for more goods. The firm, knowing
that the documents were not in the
Handwriting of their agent, retained
them And when it was ascertai ned
that he had disappeared. in the hands
of shrewd detectives they at once iur-
nished the cew which. in the end
secured The capture aud conviction of
the real criminal
This is SIMPLY a preface to the story
of Mr. George W McGee.
While the officers were searching for
clew to the Whereabouts of Mlrks,
some one. whose name McGee. to this
day, does not know. artluIly threw
suspicious on Mr.. Niece. These sns-
picions we're famed ADD kept alive
by Sulivant The result was that
Mciiee was one night taken from his
bed by mob of armed men. "a rope
attached to his neck, the other end Of
which was attached to the pomel OF
a saddle, and away he went. Arriving
at a lonely spot in the woods-und
one wLo has ever travelled the country
between the rivers, "a it il called.
knows that there are many places in
that locality peculiarly adapted TO
deeds OF violence the rope was dei2eh-
ed from the saddle, and while these
midnight maranders gathered around.
by the light OF lantern, Illuminated
by the faint glare Of one sickly candle.
the line was thrown over the low hang
ing branch of tree. made taut. and
McGee at the same time informed that
he had better speedily make his peace
with God. as he had bat few mo-
ments to live He was urged by the
leader 10 tell the whereabouts Of
Mark remains aud, if any, his accom-
plices in the taking off As Mctiee
was entirely Innocent of any know
ledge of the dark deed, of course he
he could ouly answer that he knew
nothing about it His assertion: 80
help me Cod. gentlemen, | never saw
or heard of the man before in my lie
was au-sv-red by the remark from
SuiIivant himself, "George, that Is too
d-n thin!" Mr. McGee says that he
distinctly saw the lantern wave twice
in the air He was lifted bodily from
the ground toto the air. he knew that
he was being drawn up over the limb
by the rope There was no pain as
long a. he was ascending When he
settled back. however, with slight
jerk. his suffering was ezerucia;ing
lie could feel his eyes sud lenl y turn
into balls OF FIRE and porrrude from
their sockets He tried 10 scream. but
~ sound issued from his throat. His
arms were uupiuioned. aud he endelv-
ored to raise his hands; so "a 10 grasp
the rope above his head. that he might
relieve that terrible shortening OF his
breath. which seemed, at each muscu
lar attempt at respiration. as If the air
would escape from his lungs and force
itself out through the pores Of the
skin on his breast and back. The
muscles of the arm refused to obey his
will. fli- joints experienced senSa
ton similar TO that one would imagine
the piercing of red hot needles would
produce. The knees twitched and
jerked convul>ieeiy All this map
parently a minute of time Theu, a
delicious sensation of cool numbne~s.
TO use his owe words, commencing at
his extremifies. stole gradually over
him liz lost all desire TO save himself
preferred to die where he was Al
most every act Of his life-no matter
how trivial-f l<hed through his mind
with the rapidly of lightning \
distant roar, as of far away cataract,
grew gradually more and more diS
tinct, until The fearful boise was almost
deaieuiug then changed with the rapid
ity of thought itself into The most
delicious music he ever heard. Every
thing became as light "a midday al
though he could distinguish nothing of
his surroundings and finally uncon>
seriousness III was not absolute un-
CONSEQUENCES, either said Mr.. McGee
Il do not know of any words thar
would convey to you correct idea of
the sensation. | was myself, aud [
was not myself I seemed TO be sail
ing away through space. as you have
seen large bird float through the at
mosphere without the apparent mo>
ton of wing or a feather. Another
thing, that is indeIibly impressed upon
my mind, was the terrible oppressive.
horrible silence worse than silence
Stiffness. that existed above, below aud
bout me. Still | hoated on and on.
perfectly contenied, asking for nothing
thinking of nothing, hoping for nothing
ever, aud wirh increasing rrpidity, NOV
ing on and upwards "
But gradually continued Mr. McGee
this perfectly contented, deve may
care feeling commenced TO disappear
He became conscious of bodily pain
again 1t seemed as if iron bani /,
had been tightened with screws about
his head and chest He consciously
gasped for breath. II heard voices -
The words uudistingnishable at first;
then one or two, here and there. he
understood. At last, fully restored to
consciousness. he heard his eaptors
quarreing fereely as to whether he