Evening journal., 1890-08-18
From che Philadelphia Press.l
DEATH OF MRS. M'KEE
The Topic Of Much Comment and Dis
CuSSiOn In Wilmington.
WHY NO INQUEST TOOK PLACE.
A Pathetic Story of Summer After
moons Drive with a Fatal Ending.
Attorney General Biggs Making an
omcial Investigation of the Case.

torney- General John Biggs, who dis
charges the duties that in other cities
usually are administered by a District
Attorney, said yesterday that he is max
ing an investigation into the death of
Mrs. George w. Mckee, a matter in which
widespread interest is still manifested in
Wilmington.
rs this investigation personal or off
eial2" he was asked.
1t is official. and the matter will be
probed to the bottom What course of
procedure we will take do not think it
advisable to say. My department is
acting in concert with other depart
ments."
In reply to query conserving the ex
act extent of his jurisdiction, he said
We'll ! always try to see that justice is
done"
The interest shown in the case here is
extraordinary. II is probably due in q
large degree to the fact that Mrs. Nc
| Kee, to whom death came so suddenly,
and under circumstances SO distressing,
was the wife of George w Mckee, one
Of the tax collectors Of this city, and one
OF the best known politicians in this
state. AS Coroner Neyin Gamble, who
is also prominent in political matters,
felt convinced after inquiries made by
himself that the death was wholly acci-
| dental, he made no formal inquest.
The accident, which resulted in the
death Of Mrs Mckee, took place about
month ago upon the occasion of sum
mer afternoons drive, and by reason OF
the pathetic circumstances surrounding
it, as well as for the reason of Mr. Nc
KEGS prominence, it was widely TALKED
of and the action of the coroner in not
making an inquest The facts, as nearly
as reporters OF the Press could gather
them, are as follows:
The Afternoon Drive.
Mr.. Mckee went driving with his wife
in the late afternoon. 1t is said by some
of his friends, that Mrs. Mckee came
down to his office, and that he took her
out at her own request. They went in
high buggy drawn by a dark horse. He
took the reins and drove out Elsmere
way over the new road" some six or
seven miles into the country. The drive is
very beautiful, and as the afternoon and
early evening were fair and cool, it was
after nightfall when they turned back
Some where about half-past s in the even
ing, Mrs Warren, who lives at the bend
in the road about mile beyond Elsmere,
heard cries on the road. They were IN.
| 'scAbdln And NhE Ac dn0 hRPH1cnNAf S&h4p
from q distance Mrs. Warren called her
husbands attention to them.
1T is some of the neighbors' children
playing in the road, he remarked.
Further down the road on the left.
hand side. Mr.. Bracken and his daughter
were sitting on the piazza Of their
house, which stands at the end of
painless lawn, fifty yards back from the
road. They heard screams. The voice
was that of q woman, and in early dark
ness they saw a horse and buggy 90
past. The screams obviously came
from some one in the buggy Further
down on the right-hand side Mr. hail
was repairing a pig-pen on his farm.
The night had fallen before he had COM
pleted the job and he had got torch so
as to have light enough to see to drive
the nails.
Found in The Stream.
Screams came again. Then Mr. Halls
wife, who had also heard them, called out
to him that something must have
happened. Mr.. Hall thought so too, and
dropping his boards and nails and snatch
ing up his torch he rushed across the
field and Gown the road Continuing,
he came to the small bridge. Swinging
his light round about. he saw a human
form lying in the water beneath the
bridge The water was only nine or ten
inches deep near the sides, but it ran
deeper, perhaps to the extent of two feet
and half in the middle. The stream
was only three or four feet wide al.
together, but the lid was so formed as TO
hold the water in part of it, as in a cup.
The planks of the flooring OF the bridge
projected out over the stream, and hand
rails guarded the sides.
Mr.. Hall passed down the side Of the
road and through the grass to the side of
the little stream The person in the stream
was lying face downward in the water
1t was q woman. Mr.. Hall stepped
down and lifted her partly up in his
arms. She wRs small, but fairly robust
and well-made She weighed probably
100 pounds. Mr.. Hall carried her out as
best he could, and laid her on her back
in the grass beside the steam. She was
warm she WAS still alive. Mr.. Hall felt
her pulse It beat as he thought twice
While he still was looking at her and
wondering who she was, and whether she
could possibly live, man and boy came
hurrying over to him The man was
George w. Mckee. He was greatly agi-
tated. The boy was Conrad Moulton.
whose father lives opposite the Warrens,
at the bend in the road. He is 10, very
small for his age, and bright. He was
barefooted His brown face was full Of
scared curiosity.
What Mr.. Mckee Said.
my wife, my wife 2 cried Mr.. Mckee
with deep feeling.
Then he made some remark to Mr..
Hall, the remembrance Of which is not
certain, but he made it clear that the
motionless and apparently breathless
woman woman lying bruised and bleed
ing IN the grass was his wife.
He rapidly explained, that as they
were coming back on their drive the
horse had taken fright and run away or
started to run away and that his wife
became excited and jumped up in the
carriage AS they were crossing the
little bridge, after having crossed the
larger one in safety, his wife
still standing cried to to him to hold
the horse in, and leaned over
as II to snatch the lines herself. Then
he said, the carriage ran up against the
side of the bridge, and his wife losing
her balance was thrown out over the
dashboard and down beyond the hand |
rail of the bridge. The horse more scared
than ever, rushed on and so continued
| for the distance of about two hundred |
yards before Mckee succeeded in quiet |
ing it. Then he jumped out and was
| tying the animal to a telegraph pole |
1 H. L. - 81 frrr- ALL