The Indiana State sentinel., 1894-06-27
A THRILLING EXPERIENCE.
The Attorney-General Threatened
with Death-His Plea for Life.

Win DG2ANh-AAN Atta hOF
DENVER, June ga representative
of the Associated Press called upon Gen.
Tarsney at his residence this evening.
His story of his experiences was not diff
ferent from that already related, only
that it is more detailed. During the day
physicians attended him and succeeded
IN removing every particle of the coal
tar from his body. His face. however,
is inflamed and blistered because Of the
kindly intended services of a woman
who removed the tar from the face, neck
and hair by the use of coal oil.
After finding himself surrounded by
the kidnappers in the Office Of the hotel
he was informed that he was to be
killed. He requested time in which to
write to the members of his family. but
was Informed there was on time to
waste. Then he was roughly hustled
into a hack and hurried away. When
the open country had been reached his
captors took him from the hack The
masked men, with oaths and impreca-
tlons, formed a circle about him and
again he was informed that he was to be
killed
At the suggestion of the leader. every
man who felt so disposed told the gen.
eral all they proposed to do with him :;
how they proposed to do it, and their
opinions of him. He was accused Of
waging war against the mine-owners and
the deputies; he was accused OF handling
the state troops in the interest of the
strikers; he was accused of issuing an
order to the troops to fire upon the
deputies from the twelve-pounders, and
finally he was accused of indirectly be-
ing the cause of the death of the deputies
who were killed during the Bull Hill
campaign. For this they proposed to
kill him. Every humiliating epithet that
profanity and obscenity could suggest
was hurled against him.
When all those who wished had had
their say Gen. Tarsney was given an Op-
pOrtunity to speak for himself. Without
a thought other than that he was I'm the
presence Of death. but determined to
make every use OF his only weapons,
argument and persuasion. that his life
might be spared to his family he plead
ed as he had never done In court. He
rehearsed the entire situation during the
time the troops and deputies were in
the field. He explained TO them that he
was not in command of the troops but
that Gen. Brooks was in command un-
der Governor Waite, the commander-in-
chief. Ii was true he mingled with the
miners. but he had not tried to shield
the leaders by Withholding their names,
for he knew their names only by news
paper and other common report. When
the order to fire the artillery upon the
deputies was given he was miles away
from the scene. If die he must, die he
would, but they had the wrong man
and punishment by death would be un-
just TO him.
Requested That They shoot Him.
When he had concluded the men held
a conference and decided to give the
general 100 lashes. When informed of
this Gen. Tarsney requested them to
shoot him, as he could never survive the
punishment and death by the bullet
would be merciful. Then the leader
turned TO one of the men and told him
his work. The man spoken TO
went away and in few min
utes returned with a pail of coal tar
a brush and a rag and feather pillow.
The general disrobed and the coat of
tar and feathers was applied.
When the dirty work was finished
and the general was daubed from head
to foot-he put on his clothing. He was
then faced down the road and the leader
said to him:
Roswell lies in that direction. Go
down that way and don't turn back.
Keep straight ahead. Don't ever step
foot in Colorado Springs or Cripple
Creek again or your life will pay the
forfeit"
So Unexpectedly had life been given
the tortured man. SO great the strain
through which he had passed and so Sc
we're were his physical sufferings that he
scarcely realized the situation. Never
theless he started on his walk without
looking back TO see If he was followed.
His ears, however. were unnaturally
awake to every sound, and, after walk
ing about two miles, he thought he heard
horses hoofs in the rear. Fearing the
fiends who had tortured him had re-
pented of having allowed him to escape
with his life, and that they were in pur-
suit of him to kill him. he left the
road and concealed himself After
a painful interval the horseman
Gen. Tarsney felt convinced, had either
given up the search or had turned off on
a cross road. so he resumed his walk.
Suffered Great Pain.
Continuing in the direction indicated
by his prosecutors. the suffering man
walked fourteen miles. The tar stiffened
about his person and walking caused ex-
cruciating pain. Several times he de-
cided to apply to one of the farm houses