The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1879-01-02

7777
eys 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 ascertained that he had
disappeared, in the hands of detectives
they at once furnished the cfew w4icn,
in the end, secured the capturt and
conviction of the real criminal.
This simply as preface to the story
of MIR. George w. MCGEE.
While the officers were searching for
a clue to the whereabouts of Marks,
some one, whose name MCGEE, tOls this
day, does not know, artfully threw sus-
picions On Mr.. MCGEE. This SUSPICION
asfanned and kept alive by Sullif liant.
The result was that McGee was one
night taken from his bed by q mob of
armed men, . rope attached To his
neck, the other end of which was at
,tached to the pommel of saddles and
away he, went. Arriving at lonely
spot in the woods-and one who has
ever travelled the country "between
the rivecs," as it is called, knowa that
there are many places in that locality
peculiarly adapted to deeds of violence
the rope was detached from the sad
die, and while these midnight mafaud-
ers gathered around by the light of a
lantern illuminated by the faint glare
OF on6sfckfv caMdfe, the fine was thrown
over the low-hanging branches of a
tree, made taut, and MCGEE at thesame
time informed that he had better speed
lily make his peace with God, rs he had
but a few moments to- live. He was
urged BY the leader to tell the where
abouts Of Marks remains and, II any,
his accomplices in the "taking Off"
As MCGEE was entirely innocent Of any
knowledge of the dark deed, of course
he could only answer that he knew
nothing about it. His assertion $50
help me God. gentlemen, never saw
or heard of the man before in my life"
was answered by the remark from Sui
livant himself, George, that Is too
thin!' Mr.. McGee says that he dis
tinctly saw the lantern wave twice in
the air. He was lifted bodily from the
ground into the air; he knew that he
was being drawn up over the limb by
he rope. There was no pain as long
as he was ascending. When he settled
back, showeyer, with slight jerk, his
suffering was excruciating. He could
feel his eyes turn suddenly into balls
of fire and protrude from their sockets.
He tried to scream, but no sound is
sued from his throat. His arms were
unpinioned and he endeavored to raise
his hands, so Is to grasp the rope
above his, head, that he might relieve
that terrible shortening of his breath,
whicl seemed, at each muscular at
tempt 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. His
joints experienced sensation similar
to that one would imagine the piercing
of red-hot needles would produce. The
knees twitched and jerked convulsively.
All this in apparently minute of time.
Then a. delicious sensation of "cool
numbnesss," to use his own words,
commencing at his extremities, stole
gradually over him. He lost a!lidesire
to save himsef-preferred to die where
he was. Almost every act of his life
no matter how trivial-tlashed through
his mind with the rapidity of lightning.
A. distant roar, as of a faraway cata-
ract, grew gradually more and more
distinct, until the fearful noise was al
most deafening, then changed with the
rapidity of thought itself into the most
delicious music he had ever heard.
Everything became as light as midday
(although he could distinguish nothing
of his surroundings), and finally un-
consciousness. cit was not absolute
Inconsistencies, either" said Mr..
MCGEE. 81 cannot describe it intelligi-
bly,. l do not know of any words that
would convey to you correct idea of
the sensation-I was myself, and l was
not myself. I seemed to be sailing
away through space, as you have seen
a large bird float through the atmos-
phere, without the apparent motion of
a wing Or feather. Another thing,
that is indelibly impressed upon my
mind, was the terrible, oppressive, hor-
rihe silence-worse than silence-still-
ness, that existed above, below and
about me. sStAf l foated on and on,
perfectly contented, asking for nothing,
thinking of nothing, hoping for moth
ing; ever, and with increasing rapidity,
moving on and.ppy ardf'H z
i utgraduxlE tdlthl0aA Mr., NcQ Gee,
this perfectly coatented, devil-may-care
feeling commenced to disappear. He
became conscious of bodily pain again.
it seemed as If iron bands had been
frightened with screws about his head
and chess. lie consciously gasped for
breath. sHe heard svoioesAthe words
undistinguishable at first; then one or
two, here and there, he understood.
At last, fully restored to consciousness,
he heard his captors quarreling fierce
" as to whether he should be strung
up again or carried to the Smithland
Jail. He was lying on the ground, his
throat bleeding from the cruel rope,
which still eneircled his ueck. Water
was brought from a creek near by and
dashed over him. And at last he was
mounted upon a horse, and still in q
half dazed condition moved away.
He arrived at Smithland about day
light, was locked up in the Jail, where
he remained three days and was then
released, Sullivant taking his place.
The latter is now serving out life
sentence at Frankfort.
"And," asked the reporter, "you
think, then, you came near starting up
the golden stairs, MIR. McGee?' Gltl
"Starting," answered that gentle
man, 81 was already half way up.
They needn't tell me, sir, there is No
hereafter-no next world! l believe
have been nearer ito it than any man
alive. l do not know what kind of q
world it is, but of life after death am
satisfied. You know that all the while
l was floating upward my body was