The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1908-06-10
MeGAHA ARRESTED.
Sheriff Lyon Nabs John McGaha
in Madison County, Georgia,
While Playing Checkers.

On last Thursday evening Sheriff
GLyon received certain information,
THAT John McGaha was in Georgia
and he took the first train in that
direction. Arriving very early in the
morning at Conner, Georgia, he hired q
bu ,gy and drove down to the county
seat.
Finding the sheriff of the county he
asked him If be would not help him
arrest McGaha. The sheriff willingly
acquiesced. Lyon then.told the Sheriff
that McGaha was desperate charac'
ter and that it would be on the safe
side TO 90 armed. The Madison sher.
iff lefr Lyon there and went to con-
suit some one. He returned shortly to
say it would be impossible for him to
60.
Sheriff Lyon then approached the
city police of Madison, but. the police,
after the Mayor gave permission, re-
fused to 70. Lyon, then In straits for
some one to take him to the place i'm
portuned q boy who showed grit
enough, and with this boy he started
on his mission.
1t was not long before they droYt
to the place where McGaha was sup;
posed to be, and on nearing the house
McGaha was seen sitting outside the
house playing checkers. The ,Shrrift
WAS nearly on McGaha before
McGaha noticed him; when be turned
and recognized the Sheriff he flew In
the house and slammed the door.
McGaha had two pistols buckeled
around him and otherwise seemed
ready for business. AS soon az
McGaha lodged into the house Sheriff
Lyon leaped into the piazza.
The Sheriff then told McGaha that
be had come after him quite q little
distance and that he could not see his
way clear to return without him. fur,
ther, that he would not appreciate
.any funny work from McGaha. In
short he told McCaha that he was
in trouble enough already and that
it would not he wise to resist, for one
or the other would die sure. The
Sheriff told him to leave his guns in
side when be came out. McGaha
shortly unbuckeled his two pistols and
came out and surrendered.
The Sheriff then gave his automatic
shot gun to the boy who had come
with him and ordered the boy to hold
the gun, or McGaha until he could
secure McGaha. The young man took
the gun but under the circumstances
the gun seemed possessed and persisted
in wiggling in the young mans
hands. So much did it wlygle thai
McGals became uneasy for fear the
boy's finger might touch the trigger
and so besought the Sheriff to per-
NIT the boy to point the gun In an
other direction, Throughout the whole
trip, however, the young man showed
pretty good grit.
Sheriff Lyon was within half az
hour of catching McGaha sometime
ago in Washington, d. q. He tele-
graphed the authorities to lrok out
fnr McGaha just half an hour afte,
McGaha had left the city. MtGaha
was then supposed TO be on his way
to Panama, Instead ofgoing to Pan
anna however, he bought ticket to
New York and left New York in the
lurch and struck bee-line for Buffalo.
From Buffalo McGsha made a tour
Of Capada and from Canada back
down through the Central States to
Georgia. He could not resist the
temptation to revisit Honea Path.
McGaha is now in the tolls awaiting
his trial.
The Anderson daily mail says that
McGaha surrendered to Sheriff Lyon
at Abbeville. When Sheriff Lyon
goes after them they usually surren.
der. 1t is not often. however, that
such as McGaha look the Sheriff up
to surrender to him. The Sheriff has
to do all the looking.