Los Angeles herald., 1892-05-07
THE CATHEDRAL BURGLAR,
He Appears to Be a Most Ac'
complished Thief.
A Sensational Safe Blowing In
Which He Took Part.
The Confession He Made to Clerk MOI
fat He Wrote for Harpers
Monthly-Bome of His
Exploits.

There were some sensational develop
ments yesterday in the trial OF A. +.
Mcdonald, who is charged with having
broken into the cathedral and stolen
sacred vessels from the altar. Among
the witnesses examined for the people
were ]. V. Collins, W. s. Young, J. d.
Carter. James Russell. Mrs. De Cour-
cey, Maggie Chavehick and Miss Anna
Hayes. Clerk Charles Moffat, of Chief
of Police Glass Office, was then put>on
| the stand.
Mr.. Mofat's testimony was regarding
a confession Mcdonald made to him
while in Jail as to his past life. Accord.
ing to the confession Mcdonald had led
a tough life, and in 1870 Re concluded
to reform, and then wrote his biogra-
ply, owning his past misdeeds, and sold
it to Harper's Magazine, which period
ical he claimed had published it, giving
an expose of his crimes and OF noted
criminals with whom he had been asso-
ciated.
Mcdonald also told him the story of a
noted robbery in Chicago, being none
other than the looting of the safe of the
Chicago Rolling Mill company. The
office of the Rolling Mill company was
located in lonely place. and as large
sums Of money were left there before
payday. he agreed with three other
pals to rob it, There was watchman
with shotgun and dog in charge OF
the office, and one of the parties who
| berry was the son of prominent ex-
oldorr,on q nf Nh.oonA Thou vuont IN 4 he
place one cold, dark, winter night, when
they knew that there was about $50, 900
in the safe. When they got to the
door one of his pals weakened, and they
were afraid to make the attempt with
out him. t.
Some time later the son of the ex-al-
derman came to Mcdonald with an ex-
convict and said he woold 90 into the
jub with him. They went out to the
place together, and threw some meat to
the dog which was outside of the office.
Then Mcdonald initiated the dog
scratching on the door, and the watch
man opened it. The moment he did 80,
Mcdonald and his pals knocked him
down, and in few minutes had bound
and gagged him in chair. Mcdonald
then went to work on the safe with his
drills, and in fifteen minutes had bored
hole in it, loaded it with explosives,
and blew off the outer door of the safe.
He then found that the wedges which he
had made at country blacksmith shop
were not of sufficient temper to pene-
trate the steelscasing surrounding the
money box. He sent one of his accom-
plices out to get steel wedges. but he
went across the street and borrowed q
hatchet from q saloon.
With the aid of the hatchet they then
| managed to break open the money box.
They secured two or three packages con-
tanning $4,000 each, $500 in S. gold
pieces, and an immense amount of
money done up envelopes to be paid to
the men. They divided the money, and
the son of the ex-alderman nipped an
extra $4,000 package which he had man
aged to slip into his pocket while his
associates were not looking. Before they
left the Office Mcdonald said he slipped
$50 bill into the pocket of the watch
man, saying they had no grudge against
him and that the money would come in
handy in case he lost his job. McDon-
aid then went east, where he remained
for some time, and finally returned to
Chicago. He had not read the papers
and was not aware that they
had announced that the police
were on the huut for him.
While walking on the lake front
one day he was nabbed by one of Billy
Pinkerton's men and was then sent up
to Joliet prison for a long term. Nc.
| Donald in his biography stated that he
had never robbed any parties except
| soulless corporations. Dan and Patsy
Kavanagh we're two Of the men who
were implicated with him in the Chi
cago rolling mill robbery.
Mcdonald also told Moffat that he
was skilled mechanic, particularly in
electrical appliances, and had made part
| of the silent clock now in the court
house tower. He had also worked at
the Fulton engine works. He said that
he was possessed of great literary talent
and was anxious to commence writing
again, as he was satisfied that he could
make plenty of money contributing to
Harper's Magazine. He said that he
did not expect to be convicted of the
robbery of the cathedral and had been
fully punished for all OF the crimes he
had committed in the past and had re-
formed. The prosecution rested.
John Hewitt, young saloon-keeper
of San Diego, was the first witness put
on the stand for the defense. He testi-
fed that he saw the defendant on OF
about November 2Sth sitting in the
wine room back of his saloon, He saw
Mcdonald shove over some money to
the stranger who had been introduced
to him as "Mr. Hoffman," and that the
latter then pushed over paper box con-
tanning some metal to Mcdonald. Wit.
ness was friend of the defendant, and
had known him for two years when he
worked at the Standard iron works neal
his saloon.
| George J. Chambers was sworn and
testified to selling ciborium to Father
Ubach. He had bought the said vessel
from John A. Rogers, who witness un
derstood resided in San Bernardino. He
had it in his possession for two or three
months before Father Ubach purchased
it.
The defense then rested, and thil
morning the case will be argued by Dis
trict Attorney McComas and Mr.. james
Collen, attorney for the defense.
A veritable family medicine boz, BEEcHAM'
i PILLS.