Show I a i ar x 1 Li VA T i. i uA T The McGee Murder Mystery tho wisdom of 01 a D of Illinois in re re- McGee murder my illustrates om JL T THE fusing to reprieve a man condemned to death although deluged deluded with appeals for lor minute last minute confession con con- circumstantial but a leniency The Tho convicting ot evidence was teas purely lurel on removed all aU doubt Tho The story is it taken from Enemies of 01 the lac Underworld by bV defective stories doric with all the tho thrills of 01 the detective de dc- F F. Dalton O'Sullivan a series of 01 truo true of 01 fiction Data Contributed by P. P D D. OBRIEN O'BRIEN Former of 01 Detectives Police pollee Department III Ill 1711 l HE story begins with tho the dato date Fob 26 6 Shortly before U noon on that day ny tho the attention of ot Lieutenant P P. P D. D OBrien O'Brien of or ortho tho the Cottage Grovo Grove avenue station was 2030 called to an unoccupied building at nt Indiana avenue where tho body of or a man tho the hall hall- was found lying h unconscious In way Officers who ho were dispatched to the scene rushed him to tho the hospital I. but he without without without with with- died In the ambulance on tho way out regaining consciousness The name nameon card established tho the fact tact on Ills his visiting of ot his Identity with one ono Andre Andro Fergus McGee an nn old bachelor of or 72 years who lived In style stylo In an nn apartment house building In a D. fashionably fashionable neighborhood on tho the North Side W Without being being- a 3 man manof manof of or great means ho moans ho was wan merely merel a n solicitor for the Charles Creamery Charles Creamery Company ho Company ho dressed In tho the height of ot fashion and was exceptionally well welt groomed Always carrying plenty of et loose cash which made mado robbery apparently tho the motive of ot the murder Mr McGee when searched b by bythe bytho tho the police ponce was found to bo be penniless even his watch and chain thing missing As a first m measure sure it was decided to take the address of ot customers on whom It was known ho he had called on tb the fatal tatal day and learn If Jt anything an could bo be dis dis- covered Accordingly a squad of ot police was wan sent to Interview the tho whose whoso addresses were t found In tho the dead dad drad mans man's notebook Among Amont others was the name of at Mrs Bell BeU keeper of ot a n quest questionable ques ques- t resort between Wabash and Michigan avenues This was considered an nn important clew and tho the lieutenant de determined determined do- do to interview the tho lady Indy himself He Ho found her willing to answer ques ques- When asked If it Mr McGee McGeo gave any definite evidence of ot wealth she sho replied I remember when Why hy hy certainly once ho he was hero he ho drew drow a n big roll of ot bills billstrom from his pockets Did that you know 1110 observe this 7 Yes res sho she answered Two men wore sitting d In another part of ot the tho room and andI I noticed they watched Mr McGee closely What hat were their names 11 George H H. H Jacks and William 7 J Willows Willows Wil WIl- lows both pretty prett shady shad I know that and the officer smiled Inquiries among arnon Mr McGees McGee's customers custom custom- ers rB had elicited no important information excepting that early in tho the evening Detectives Detectives Detectives De De- and had ar arrested arrested arrested ar- ar rested a man who ho had held up ta a drug drugstore drugstore rug store with a a. revolver close to tho the scene of ot tho the murder mui A short piece of ot pipe had fallen Callen from irom the tho mans man's pocket as ho he ran and this had been picked up and taken to the station for tor closer examination Lieutenant Lieutenant Lieutenant Lieu Lieu- tenant OBrien O'Brien found the robber waiting In his office See here old man You bad best get set this robbery ot oft off your our chest I 1 did it muttered the tell fellow ow a cinch then rejoined the lieutenant sending his prisoner to a cell there to wait until the next day when he ho would bo be taken to the tho bureau of or catlon As they ro rode e in tho patrol wagon tho the lieutenant read rend his paper and was wa about to throw it away when the prisoner spoke Lets have a look Jook at your paper boes boss Sure replied tb the tho officer genially Overlooking O tho the account of ot his own arrest on tho the front p page e tho the prisoner turned to tho the account of ot the Indiana avenue avenue ave ave- nue murder Ho lie read the details and scrutinized tho the columns with a nervous anxiety lety that did not nol escape the watchful eye eyo of ot the tho officer The mans man's description tallied with that of or Jacks and the findIng finding finding find find- ing of ot tho the pipe was recognized as DS sus sus- It camo came as 3 a surprise that the tho bureau possessed no previous record of ot tho the prisoner Later Loter In the day one ono witness was called for the tho poll police co inquest and to him Alone the Ule coroner addressed his questions That solitary witness was Lieutenant OBrien As AB you know Mr OBrien O'Brien ho said death la In this case o was vas caused by a a. skull fracture The Tho lieutenant agreed Mr McGee McGeo was struck on tho the head by a blunt Instrument and tho the peculiarity peculiar peculiar- ity of ot tho the wound is that the scalp isn't lacerated Tho The injury must therefore presumably have been caused by a blunt instrument Is there any trace of ot such an nn Instrument Immediately the lieutenant bethought of ot tho the pipe He lie hurried back to headquarters headquarters head head- quarters and nd returned with it Ono One end was covered with soft lead and it fitted exactly the dent in the tho unfortunate mans man's head This led lcd him to question tho the pria- pria i oner over Jacks but tho the man furnished api ap- ap a n. perfectly good alibi Although there seemed no doubt that tho the pipe was wan r the tho blunt instrument tho the coroner was wan looking for tor It did not seem Beem at the mo moment ent f E that much prO progress had been mado made toward toward to- to ward ard the discovery of ot the tho murderer About this thin time however the tho detectives arrested Willows Wil was was th the wayward d con an o of an as Ohio minister and he ho had in his pocket several letters from his father pleading with him to tu lead lend an nIl honest life Willows denied all knowle knowledge ge of ot tho the murder and said Bald he ho had never nover heard of or Jacks His denial went a a. little tittle too far tar for ho said ho had never novar been In the tho resort Tho The police decided to try tho the effect of ot ofa ofa ota a little solitary confinement on an uneasy conscience and after aCter a few hours In a acell acell cell coll ho broke broko down and confessed Tho The first firs part of ot his story agreed STeed very well with that of or Mrs He lIe had visited the tho tho place in company of or Jacks 9 They had seen McGee McGeo draw a n. roll rollof rollof of or bills bUls from his pocket and they understood understood under under- stood that ho he was waa In the habit of ot carrying carrying carry carry- ing ing- large lar-e sums about ut with him They asked Mrs about him and sho she his namo name and place of ot employment employ employ- ment Then said Bald Willows wo we made mado our definite plans I went to McGeo's McGees office pr myself as a 1 friend of ot Mrs Mm Belmont Belmont I told McGee that sho was fashionable house boarding at opening a l 2030 Indiana avenue As sho she wanted to place an order with his firm sho she would be bo pleased if u f he ho would call at her home about 11 o'clock the next morning This building bUilding- was chosen by Jacks A small l sign was placed on tho the glass door In tho the vestibule notifying callers to go to tho the rear When McGee entered it was necessary necessary noces- noces sary for tor him to stoop a little to ta read the sign and as ho leaned over Jacks Tacks camo came out from behind tho the door struck him on tho the head robbed him then camo came out on the street to meet me me Willows was waa very excited as ho told this story Lieutenant OBrien O'Brien calmed him down by a little encouraging talk and then took him to tho the scene of ot the tho murder He then satisfied himself of ot Willows Willows' knowl knowledge dg of ot tho the premises promises and got him to point out the exact spot where tho the body W was 8 and the position in which tho the unfortunate man fell tell This Information information tion exactly coincided with what the police po- po lice had discovered when the they were summoned summoned summoned sum sum- to the tho spot in the tho first instance Tho The next point was for tor Willows to identify identify iden iden- tit Jacks which ho he did most Jacks however calmly persisted In his denial of ot all knowledge of ot Willows and of or the crime and stuck to his biB alleged alibi aUbr The trial was short Jacks Jacka was sen sen- to 10 be DO hanged ana and willows willows W to the tn penitentiary to servo a term of or fourteen years Even after his sentence Jacks continued to protest his innocence and In view of ot Willows Willows' character there were many who were inclined to credit him Repeated appeals wore made mado for his pardon pardon pardon par par- don but tho the governor maintained that the evidence against him was complete completo and refused to interfere with tho the cour course e of ot the law law- Tho The case had yet ret to provide one more mOtO sensation While Jacks was lying under sentence of ot death the tho mayor of ot a small smalltown town in Michigan came camo to see Lieutenant Lieutenant Lieutenant Lieu Lieu- tenant OBrien O'Brien and requested permission to Interview Jacks His request was granted and ho Immediately identified him as the former chief chier of or police of ot his town This chief had a remarkable rec rec- ord During DurinS' his tenure of or office there thero had been many burglaries committed commUted and considerable con con- quantities of or Jewelry and household household house house- hold furniture were sto stolen n and never noyer re ro- ro covered One day lay tho the chief chiet of or police had left leet for tor Chicago on a couple of ot days' days leave of ot absence A Jeweler had been murdered murdered murdered mur- mur dered in tho the course courso of ot ono one of ot tho the burglaries burglaries bur bur- and tho the criminal was never brought to Justice Several thousand dollars dollars' aol aol- lars lars' worth of ot diamonds were stolen As the days da g went by and tho the chief chier never re returned ro- ro turned suspicion was aroused and when whon his house caught fire tho the firemen discovered dIscovered discovered ered it was waa furnished with the tho proceeds of ot these mysterious thefts All An attempts to trace the missing chief had failed tailed Appeals for tor reprieve continued to pour in but tho the day before ho was waa executed Jacks Justified the governors governor's firm refusal by making a n full tun confession conCession Ho admitted admitted admitted admit admit- ted he ho had struck the fatal blow robbed tho the victim and made mado off ort with tho the booty Jacks he said was not his real name namo Ho was really th the tho son of ot wealthy and distinguished distinguished distinguished distin distin- parents |