The Bottineau pioneer. (Bottineau, N.D.) 1885-1895, 1889-08-29
Elopsd WITH ! Ronan Priest.

Mrs. Michael Mcdonald, wife OF the famous
politician and the three times millionaire of
Chicago, has eioped with o Catholic priest.
July "a Mrs. Mcdonald left her home osten-
sibly for the purpose Of visiting her mother
at Tifin, Ohio. She did not go to Tifin, but
Joined Rev. Father Joseph Moysant, assist.
ant pastor of the church of Notre Dame,
Vernon Park Place and Sibley street. Since
the day Mrs. Mcdonald left her home no one
has seen her in the neighborhood except once,
three days after her departure, when she re
turned to the house dressed in the garb OF a
nun. Her visit was 50 timed that her hus-
band would not see her. Mrs. Mcdonald is
forty-four years old. Her prisstly paramour
Is seventeen years her junior and not at all Il
man b would ordinarily tascinate or ar
tract q woman. Mrs. Mcdonald is the motto
or of four children I'M the grandmother o.
two. Hugh Mullaney, the ~coachman. and
Mrs. Johanna Candy. the housekeepcr, knew
of Mrs. McDonald's intrigue, but neither
said anything to Mr.. Mcdonald until his
wife had been gone two weeks. Mullaney
said Mrs. Mcdonald had sworn him to. Sc
crecy. Moysant had been stationed at
Dixon, ILL.,, for the past three months. Hb
was sent from Notre Dame into retreat ut
B~ourbounais Grove, near Kankakec, fol
neglecting his duties in the church and be
cause of his bibulous habits. He did not rv-
turn to Notrc Dame, but went from Bour
bounais Grove to Dixon, where he remained
until the elopement. rs r.
priest has sat ut my table countless times.
He has blessed my food, and has had my liz
tie boys get down on their knees that h:
might bless them. He first came to ms
house two years ago lastJuIy. My wife, wht
had been to church. came home and told me-
she had met q poor priest whom she had in.
vited to visit us. Imade no objection. The
fellow came. His shoes we're filed witt
holes, his dress was ~slovenly and his man,
ners were very offensive. But in spite oi
all this my wife fell desperately in love with
the fellow. He seemed to have charmed her
He even put her up to rob me at night, no:
only OF money that was in my clothes, but
OF shirts, handerchiefs and stockings. He
was o frequent visitor to the house. He
would eat five and six meals q day and drink
my beer by the bucketful. They had their
meetingplaces at this Grand Pacific hotel, the
Palmer house and the Sherman house. My
wife kept all these clandestins
engagements in the garb of
a nun. Tn scoundrel, l am convinced, plan.
III some manner, for he circulated the story
that it would not be a great while before
there would be a funeral at Papa Macs as
he always called me-, 49,, - ~ s.
Mrs. Mcdonald, when she left home, had
about 1880 in money and between 81, ZOO
and $4,000 worth OF jewelry. She has prob
ably turned oil this stuff over to her para
mour. In 1875 Mrs. Mcdonald ran away
with Billy Arlington, the minstrel, and mar
ried him in Cincinnati, although she was then
the vile of Mr.. Mcdonald. She was at this
time an invalid, and it was thought she was
near her grave. When she returned to Chica-
20 she said nothing about her. escapade, but
complained about her lungs. Mcdonald
sent her to Denver for the mountain air. The
next thing he knew she was in California
with Arlington. Mcdonald lost no time in
getting to the slope and retaining his wife,
whom he brought back to Chicago. It was
learned that Father Moysant led Mrs. Nc
Donald to the altar of Notre Dame church
just before they lett town, and there he per-
formed the marriage ceremony by slipping a
plain gold ring IN one of her fingers and
pronouncing her his wife. 1t is believed that
the priest and his victim have gone to En-.
gland. Before she loft town Mrs. Mcdonald
pawned $4,000 worth of diamonds tor $500.