McGranon, the Federal spy.
--The telegraph informed us Monday of the execution, at
Demopolis, Ala., of
David McGibbon, a Yankee spy, who ranked as
Major in that service.
He was formerly a lawyer in
St. Louis, and partner of
Henry N. Hart,
Esq. Having been detected by the latter in drilling a company of "Wide Awakes," the co-partnership was dissolved.
Mr. Hart was soon after arrested as a rebel and thrown into prison, McGibbon using every means in his power to have him executed.
Mr. Hart, after several months' imprisonment, was released and sent South.
The
Selma Mississippian says:
‘
McGibbon was arrested last summer at
Grenada, Miss., and on being questioned as to his intentions and objects, stated he formerly belonged to the
Confederate States infantry, but had been discharged on account of inability for that line of the service, and was making his way to the sea coast to join the Confederate Navy.
Not having the requisite papers about him to substantiate these facts, he was arrested as a spy, and taken to
Pontotoc for safe-keeping.
He soon after broke jail, but was shortly after again apprehended and taken to
Columbus, and tried, convicted, and condemned to be shot as a spy. He made application for a new trial, and pending the motion, again cut his way out of jail.
He was a few days since, again arrested, in company with some others and brought to
Demopolis and heavily ironed, there to await the action of the military board.
’
It has been reliably ascertained from news derived from
Memphis that this man McGibbon, with two others, left
Memphis last summer as a secret agent or spy for the
Federal Government, and $20,000 was to be their reward for such information as they might gain of interest to them, and, of course, detrimental to our cause.
One of them was caught and hung last summer, the other was apprehended and lodged in jail, but soon made his escape, and the third one (McGibbon) is the subject of this sketch.
