George's daughter recounted many stories from her childhood.  She told us of the 40 pound piece of coal she received one Christmas.  She told us of how she was expected to work at age 11 to buy clothes for school.  She also told us of how resentful George was of his children's daily food consumption and of the occasion when George forgot to pick up his children after school.  She and her brother walked 9 miles home in the rain.  They returned home to find George "overmedicated" and passed out on the sofa. 

But her most memorable story was George's first attempt of suicide before her eyes.  She was 13 and her brother was 15.  George's common law wife awoke his daughter early in the morning explaining to the child that she could "be a witness too."  As she approached George sitting on the couch in the living room she caught his eyes darting around the room as though he were watching a fly.  She watched as he spoke to a man in the room although she saw no one.  His one sided conversation turned to the topic of a ukulele and George attempted to pick up the unseen instrument from beneath the coffee table.

She knew her father was almost always "in pain" yet she watched as George leapt off the couch and ran for his suitcases in the closet.  He quickly filled them with clothes explaining that he had to hurry or he would miss the Titanic which was set to sail shortly in their back yard.  George's wife spoke to him, calmed him and he returned to the sofa, sat down and appeared to doze. 

Suddenly, George leapt from the sofa again returning to his bedroom.  Minutes later he returned to the living room with a shot gun.  Upon seeing the gun, George's wife scooped up the child fearful of what George might do with the weapon.  George walked past the two to the back door to shoot turkeys he believed were in their upper pasture.  His wife was able to convince him to give her the gun and she hid it elsewhere in the house.

George returned to his conversation with a man - then determined to be his deceased uncle.  He roamed about the room stretching his legs and took a broom from a closet.  He placed it under his arm and complained how "they don't make crutches like they used to."  He tried to walk down the hallway on his newly acquired crutch.  He finally set it against the wall and walked from room to room about the house and settled in his bedroom.

George's wife and daughter assumed he went to lie down but they were wrong.  His wife phoned George's mother relating details of what transpired that morning.  She told the daughter to check on George.  The daughter complied and approached George's bedroom.  She found him sitting on the side of the bed with a prized 9 mm handgun placed under his chin.  He was sobbing like an inconsolable child and apologizing to God, asking for forgiveness for what he was about to do because he "couldn't take the pain anymore." 

The child was shocked by what she saw and let out a gasp.  George looked at her and waved the gun in her direction screaming for her to "get out."  "You don't want to see this" he cried. 

The child slammed the door shut and ran into the kitchen.  She told George's wife that he was about to shoot himself.  George's wife hung up the phone upon agreement that the police should immediately be contacted.  She instructed the child to awaken her brother, leave the house with him and sit and wait in her car.  As they sat and waited in the front passenger seat of the car George's daughter explained to her brother what was happening.  In short order 3 police cars, 2 fire trucks and 3 ambulances arrived and parked on the front yard.  As the police approached, George's wife ran from the home and the children saw George walking around the house with a gun holding himself hostage. 

George's daughter recalls a SWAT team, FBI officers and a hostage negotiator assembling on the scene.  She remembers the negotiator talking with George through the glass.  George continued his pacing and at times he was out of site.  During this period he likely hid the gun.  The negotiator convinced George to exit the home and he was immediately handcuffed to a gurney. 

George was taken by ambulance to the local police station.  George's wife arrived at the station with the children.  They stood nearby the ambulance at the side door and watched George attempt to get his wrist out of the handcuffs.  The effort left him bleeding.  They heard George scream that he was going to kill them all including his mother who had phoned the police. 

The children walked away and took advantage of the opportunity to smoke a cigarette on the far side of the parking lot disturbed by their father's actions.

When they finally arrived home they phoned their mother who was at the time living in Kansas and explained that they had to move in with her.  She immediately left her job, packed and arrived to get her children the following day.  They packed what they could, said goodbye to George's wife and left for Kansas. 

It was 3 years before George's daughter spoke to him again although George attempted to speak with both of his children over the years.  George's daughter considers her brother the fortunate one because he witnessed nothing of George's suicide attempt.  She, however, suffered a severe depression and underwent treatment and therapy at Green Oaks Hospital. 

********************

Is it not pathetic to pose as your young children and write a letter to a computer company hoping to snag free computer parts? He first wrote in January.  He didn't receive the requested parts so he wrote again in July. 

George neglected to pay his child support.  As of 09/01/2006 the arrears balance was $17,693.11.  He currently pays only $5.00 per month. 

********************

Don't you just hate it when you accidentally open credit cards with your son's Social Security number, buy things such as large screen televisions and sofas and then can't pay the bill?  George shares the same name with his father and son but during life those two Social Security numbers got confused with his own. 

This letter below is to a Collection Agency that contacted George regarding the debt he created.

Dear Mr. Fox,

Greetings!  Enclosed as per our conversation is a money order for 500!  I'm very sorry I could not get it to you imediatly but I live day by day.  I still have a lot of medical problems to get thru mostly the cancer.  I wish my son would come back home so my last time on earth would be spent with both my children.  I can only hope the Lord will move his heart.  You know when I first spoke with you my imediate urge was to drive/fly to your office!  pound you into the ground for lack of respect.  It changed when I found out your Christian.  I pray the Lord keep me on an even Kielh at 6'3 230lbs I don't take much agravation I'm an ex Navy Seal.  I wish I could go over to IRAQ and straighten those people out.  We weren't aloud in NAM. 

Anyway I'm just upset do to the news I'll let you go.  Take care and GOD Bless  Oh Yes.  Please E-mail or send Name Redacted a letter of release & get his credit account straight O.K.

Take Care,

George C. Mauger II

P.S. Sorry printer down can't afford a new one yet.

Dictionary.com loser noun Slang. a misfit, esp. someone who has never or seldom been successful at a job, personal relationship, etc.