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‘Okay, this is really odd.’ I did it two more times to make sure | wasn't hallucinating." The same thing happened both times: the screw disappeared and silently reappeared a few feet away from the device sitting on his kitchen table. "About the time | thought, ‘Damn, I gotta borrow a camcorder,’ the laser burst into flames as it wasn't meant to be constantly on at the power | was running at,” he said. Marcum sat back and wondered what he had done. "At first 1 considered simple light-bending or invisibility," he said. "That idea was discarded after | realised that I would still hear [the screw drop] and it reappeared silent." He could only think of one other option. "Time warping was really the only possibility | could think of that fit the observations.” ‘Okay, this is really odd.’ I did it two more times to _ the whole block up. He had a transformer sitting righ make sure I wasn't hallucinating." The same thing _ in his front room," Raymond said. "The one he was happened both times: the screw disappeared and supposed to be building his time capsule with was righ silently reappeared a few feet away from the device on the back porch. He had that Jacob's ladder hooked sitting on his kitchen table. "About the time | thought, up." The house now sits empty and quiet at the corner ‘Damn, | gotta borrow a camcorder,’ the laser burst into of Elm and Third streets. Raymond said that Marcum flames as it wasn't meant to be constantly on at the might have been the last person to live there. power I was running at," he said. At the time of his arrest, Marcum was ready to star‘ arcum sat back and wondered what he had done. _ buying parts to build a new laser for the man-sized "At first | considered simple light-bending or machine. "The power drains on the grid got their invisibility," he said. "That idea was discarded after] attention," Marcum said. "I was pretty sure | was realised that I would still hear [the screw drop] and it eaded for prison at this point. They asked me what reappeared silent." He could only think of one other — was doing with them after they saw the contraption, and option. "Time warping was really the only possibility | went ahead and told them what I was doing since could think of that fit the observations.” didn't think they'd take it seriously.” Some of the officers did take it seriously, and tha The Scaled-up Time Machine night Mike Marcum’'s life began a ride of nationa arcum had to try it again, but his second Jacob's publicity that still has life on the Internet. "Somehow ladder experiment wasn't word got out to the AP wire tha confined to his kitchen table. "I a Missouri guy was building a decided, withou much ime machine," he said. "They forethought, to scale this up The same thing happened were probably thinking before about 100 times," he said. "And . . hat I was just a typical thief ou what followed is still all over both times: the screw o make a quick buck from the the Internet and newspapers." disappeared and silently copper in the transformers.” Marcum figured that if he had The Gentry County Sheriff's built a time machine, building reappeared a few feet Department arrested Marcum another tabletop machine away from the device on 29 January 1995 and charged would be futile. He had to im with a felony, according to build something large enough sitting on his kitchen table. he St. Joseph News-Press. Marcum to go through himself. "I pleaded guilty to stealing the decided to borrow...pole ransformers and received five transformers from the power years’ probation. After two company in King City that were sitting outside a — months in jail for his crime, Marcum moved to nearby St substation fence unused," he said. Although Joseph. "I think he thought he could do it," Lupfer said. newspapers, in by what was now 1995, claimed that the | "He was smart. He wasn't a dumb guy. He just had this transformers were behind a padlocked fence, Marcum __ in his head and thought he could do it." said that isn't accurate. "I'd never be able to lift them over the fence—six of them, and they weighed 250 to _ Pros and Cons of Publicity 350 pounds each." Marcum got the transformers one by During the time that Marcum served his two months one to his little white house in Stanberry. Over the next in the Gentry County Jail, the Associated Press story o' few weeks, he hooked a few of them up. Sheriff's is arrest appeared in papers from the Kansas City Star to deputies arrested him soon after. he New York Times. Television and radio stations Gentry County Sheriff Eugene Lupfer remembers _ interviewed Marcum about his time experiments. But i working on the incident. "He stole some transformers," wasn't until he received a telephone call from Lupfer said. "He had them hooked up in his house and syndicated radio host Art Bell, inviting him onto the he was going to make a time machine." The ate-night paranormal talk show Coast to Coast AM, tha transformers were each capable of producing anywhere e gained true national attention. "How Art Bell found from 12,000 to 76,000 volts—and when Marcum flipped —_ out was a few of his listeners from different parts of the the switch, the people of Stanberry knew something was country faxed him a few newspaper articles about me," wrong. "When he turned it on, the houses for blocks = Marcum said. “Before | was on, I'd never heard of Ar would go dim," Lupfer said. Bell as I don't listen to much AM talk radio." Terry Raymond, Stanberry city manager and lifelong Marcum had moved to St Joseph to find a job after his resident, worked in the city's utility department when _ release from jail because, as he said, there was "no Marcum made headlines across the country in 1995, and ~— much work in Stanberry, especially when you've been on was one of the first people at Marcum's house. TVand most think you're nuts". That's where Bell found "Neighbours called it in. It's a wonder he hadn't blown him by telephone. "Basically he introduced himself and The same thing happened both times: the screw disappeared and silently reappeared a few feet away from the device Pros and Cons of Publicity During the time that Marcum served his two months in the Gentry County Jail, the Associated Press story o is arrest appeared in papers from the Kansas City Star to he New York Times. Television and radio stations interviewed Marcum about his time experiments. But i wasn't until he received a telephone call from syndicated radio host Art Bell, inviting him onto the ate-night paranormal talk show Coast to Coast AM, tha e gained true national attention. "How Art Bell found out was a few of his listeners from different parts of the country faxed him a few newspaper articles about me,” Marcum said. "Before I was on, I'd never heard of Ar Bell as | don't listen to much AM talk radio." Marcum had moved to St Joseph to find a job after his release from jail because, as he said, there was "no much work in Stanberry, especially when you've been on TV and most think you're nuts". That's where Bell found him by telephone. "Basically he introduced himself and 60 * NEXUS sitting on his kitchen table. AUGUST - SEPTEMBER 2011 www.nexusmagazine.com