Crawford avalanche. (Grayling, Mich.) 1879-19??, 1889-08-29
ELOPED WITH A PRIEST.
MIKE M'DONALD's UNFAITHFUL WIFE
CAUSES A SENSATION.

| I'm tho Garb of . Nun, Sho Carries ON a
Liaison for Two Years.
| [Chicago speciall
What has for many days past been neigh
| borhood gossip In the aristocratic resi-
| dence portion OF Ashland avenue yester-
day crystalized into fact. and it became
known upon the streets that Mrs. M. O.
Mcdonald. wife of the well-known politi-
clan and ex-gambler, had eloped.
1t is supposed that she is by this time in
Europe, and that she will over be seen or
| heard OF again hero is doubtful.
This Is not her first escapade of tho kind.
she having in 1876 decamped to Fan Fran
cisco with BILLY" Arlington. the minstrel
! TO this point her husband pursued her,
and, much to the disappointment OF the
residents OF the coast, refrained from kill
| ing Arlington. Mcdonald. however. thought
OF nothing but his young children and his
love for his wife. the companion OF the
years when his afliuence was not as great
as now. and so he forgave his erring part
] ner. brought her back, and strove as the
yea. went by to make them both forget the
past.
But 1t seems that the woman could not be
! induced to behave. Mike McDonald's Bit
terest enemies must say that he lavished
| everything on his family. AS things pros
| pered with him In the past ten Yeas. and
his accumulation of wealth sayors of the
luck OF modern Monte Cristo. he spared
nothing to surround his household with all
the comforts and luxuries money could
purchase.
II palatlal home. fine raiment. costly
! Jewels. an army OF servants, blooded horses
for riding and driving, and above all
young and growing family, and the touch
OF baby fingers. could make a woman half
way contented. then Mrs. Mcdonald ought
to have been happy. But 1t seems 1t was
| not to be.
ON the 24th day OF July Mrs..McDonald
left her husbands palatial home, at the
corner OF Ashland boulevard and Harrison
street. ostensibly for tho purpose OF visit
ing her mother at Tlffin, Ohio. She did not
go to Tiffln. but eloped with O Catholic
priest. Rev. Father Joseph Moysant. assist
ant pastor OF the Church OF Notre Dame de
Chicago at The % s0Tner Il yeEn9n lds nJ Psnk snS
| left her home no ons has heard from or
seen her. except once. three days ater-
ward when she returned to the house
secretly attired In q nuns garb. Her visit
was so timed that her husband would not
$50 her. and she left to return no more.
The elopement is one of the most sensa-
tlonal on record. Mrs. Mcdonald is forty
four yea s OF age and looks older on az
count OF her hair; her supposed priestly
paramour Is seventeen years her junior.
and not at all a man who would ordinarily
fascinate or attract woman. Mrs. McDon-
aid is the mother OF four children and the
| grandmother Of two.
Mr.. Mcdonald was found at his home last
evening by repol ter. who explained his
mis- sion as delicately as possible.
"Ihave nothing to conceal. said Mr.. NC
Donald In tone which was almost pathetic
in its sadness. He seemed quite crushed
by the blow which has fallen upon him.
Come in" he continued, "and 1 will give
you all tho particulars as fully as / can. :"
He led the way into a sumptuously fur
nished parlor, lifted up with all that the
most captious woman could desiIe. Ex-
quisite Turkish carpets and rugs covered
the hardwood floor; costly pictures hung
pds she stod5 Near the braad ioiaa doors
and marble busts OF Mr.. and Mrs. Mcdonald
and their eldest boy stood in an alcove
formed by large circular front window. !.
Yes it is true that my wife has gone.
said Mr. Mcdonald as he seated himself
and motioned the reporter to another chair.
"She has gone with priest-Father Moy-
sant-of Notre Dame Church. OF which she
has been a member for some years, and
whore tho family attended. the children
also attending the school belonging to the
church. She left July "a. telling mo she
was going to make visit to hec mother at
Tiffin, Ohio. / supplied her with money for
her trip, and heard nothing from her Tor a
week. when Mrs. Candy. who has been in
our family three years and seven months
and had charge of the boys. told me she
had gone away with this priest. Moysant;
that she and Moysant had been sustaining
improper relations for over two years. OF
course. it was stunning blow to me. TO
think that she should be guilty OF so base
an act. Why. she will be forty-four years
old the Goth OF next November; she Is the
grandmother OF two children. while he Is a
fat. little. lecherous French priest, dirty
and greasy.
"Moysant had been stationed for the last
three or four months at Dixon. III. He was
bonnais Grove, near Kankakee, ILL.,. Tor
neglecting his duties in the church and be-
cause OF his drunken habits. He did moi
return to Notre Dame. but went from Bour-
bonnals to Dixon. where he remained un-
til this escapade took place. They were
in constant communication with each other
all the time.
This dirty. lecherous dog has sat at my
table countless numbers OF times. He has
blessed my food, and has even had my little
boys get down on their knees that he might
bless them. All, the scoundrell Ii could
only have him before me and see him ask
them to get down on their knees againl ]
and the wronged husband clinched his lists
and made meaning gesture.
He came to my house the first time two
years ago last July. My wife, who had
been to church. came home and told me
she had met O poor priest at the church
and asked II she could bring him home tC
supper. why. OF course, replied; bring
them all home and fill them up; feed them
IL they are hungry. She brought the dirty
dog to the house, and, mind you. he was nc
pleasant looking object. He had no shoel
nose on his coat-sleeve. / said to- he
quietly, Mary. you'd better go up and ge
Father Moysant a handkerchief She d1S
0 so, and brought him one OF my finest sill
Q handkerchiefs. -,
This thieying, rascally fellow so worked
= upon that poor little woman that she die
: whatever no asked her to do. He got he
to rob me; to take money from my pocket
. at night, and In various ways made OF ou
J. house all he could. He was Rlutton-
o hog-and would eat flvo meals day an
h drink beer by the bucketfuL He was her
. day after day and was made welcome to tn
q best in the house.
"They had their places OF meeting at tn
!, Grand Pacific Hotel, the Palmer House an
I, the Sherman House, she going TO thes
u places In the garb OF "a nun; and, by tn
u way. she returned to the house three oay
| after the elopement and was then dresse
as a nun, with long string OF beads hang
T ing down by her side. and wearing hoo
70 and all the other uniform OF nun.
This scoundrel. l am convinced, planne
n TO have me poisoned or put out OF the wa
by her in some manner. He circulated
story to the effect that IL would not be
i great while before there would be afunerf
% at Papa Mac's'-he always called me Pap
Is Mac. and my wife Mamma Mac. He sal
II Ihad heart disease, and was liable to al
m suddenly any moment Ho lied whom \
80 told these stories, and am positive
y tried 10 get my wife to murder me. Sh
either would not or did not have the nerV
to make the attempt.
Il can conceive no reason for my wife
" strange infatuetion. loved my home an
n children and wife, and did everything
4 could to increase their happiness. MY WI
T. was never stinted for money; she ha
"a everything she expressed a desire 10
A Three weeks bofore she finally lett me 81
- went down to Tifiln for visit and aske
5. me for somo money to make some chan9'