The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-11-11
WAS A MAN WITH APAST
PROMOTER MCDONALD HAD A MATRI-
MONIAL CAREER,
And the Indica tons Are that 1t Was
Varied and Extensfve-His
Canadian Wives.

anu lOI or dupeS VINO had placed money
with him for investment" between two
nights. was man with a past. In the
province of Ontario, Canada, there are at
least two families who have been blighted
by the fellow. and they have grave sus-
picions that he is a bigamist as well as
swindler. Victims of the man living in In
dianapolis have received copies Of the Sem
tinel-Review, of Woodstock, Ont. of the
issue Of Nov. g. containing four-columa
story of the mans history under the caption
THE Path of a Svengali" in which it is
intimated that Mcdonald was something of
hypnotist and that he used his powers to
ensnare young women with plenty Of ready
cash into marriages.
His first Canadian victim was Miss
Sarah E. Smith, of the town of Sarnia. In
September 1896. man introducing himself
as Alexander Mcdonald appeared in the
little Canadian village, where he gave out
that he was a resident of Scotland, and
that he was in Canada to write up that
country for various Scottish newspapers.
He professed great interest in school work.
and prevailed upon a nember of the School
Board to show him through the schools.
where he was introduced to Miss Smith,
who was ona of the staff teachers. In some
way Mcdonald ascertained that she had
saved about $500 from her earnings He
wooed and won her consent to marriage.
Oct. IL, 1896, the couple went to Windsor
without the knowledge of the young
vomans parents Mcdonald, while in In
dianapolis. courted newspaper notoriety
1t seems that this was sort of mania with
him. 1t was by indulging it in Sarnia that
his well-laid plan to get possession of Miss
Smiths $500 was frustrated. Two or three
days after the couple eloped to Windsor
they returned to her parents town, and
Mcdonald caused the following notice to
be published in the Sarnia Observer, Oct
%, 1885,
Alexander Mcdonald, of Paisley, Scot
land, and Miss Sarah E. Smith, of Sarnia.
were married in Windsor on Saturday, the
All Saints Church by Rev. j. z. Hincks.
rector. The groomsman was Angus Me
from Fort William were also present. The
happy couple will reside In Sarnia unit
spring, when they will leave to make their
home in Paisley.
The appearance Of the notice caused the
parents to make inquiries, and they discov-
cred that Mcdonald was a scoundrel and
liar. There was an angry scene, when they
forbade him to have further relations with
their daughter. They were none to soon
Il
to Port Huron, and she was about to leave
with him, when the parents believe it was
his intention to possess himself of her
money and then desert her. Mcdonald dis
appeared. He has not been heard of in Sar-
MIA since. The deserted bride continued
teaching school until last March, when she
resigned About three months ago child
was born. The father notified the police
and although every effort was made to
find him all traces were lost in Chicago.
HIS NEXT APPEARANCE.
He next appeared as p. A. Mcdonald,
stock broker and banker of means and affiu-
ence, with headquarters in Chicago. 1t
was under that guise that he became en-
gagged to Miss Maggie Thomas formerly
of woodstock, who had had an unfortunate
marriage with swindling insurance agent
who deserted her after his true character
was discovered. Miss Thomas went to Chi
cago. where she obtained employment, and
was incidentally divorced from the insur-
ance agent. 1t was after her maiden name
was restored that she met Mcdonald. The
self-styled Scotchman sent glowing notices
of his marriage to the Woodstock papers.
Then he set about creating the impression
in the second Canadian town that he was
a very prominent and influential man in the
speculative fields of the Chicago Board OF
Trade. After he appeared in Indianapolis,
Mcdonald sent a personal to the Wood
stock Sentinel-Review, giving an account of
the visit of his second wife's mother at his
beautiful residence, 1415 North Meridian
street Indianapolis" This letter was char
acteristic Of the man. 1t read:
Mrs. Margaret Thomas. of Woodstock
is visiting her daughter, Mrs. p. A. Nc
Donald. INDIANAPOLIS. r.
Mcdonald is well-known banker and stocA
broker. Mr.. Mcdonald is not unknown in
Canadian financial circles, being largely in
terested in Northwestern lands and British
Columbia mining property. On the lSt OF
July Mr.. and Mrs. Mcdonald took posses
sion of the beautiful residence, l4l5 North
Meridian street, Indianapolis, recently va
Gated by Hon. Henry d. Pierce. Here, we
are requested to state, all Canadian and
a hearty welcome. Mr.. McDonald's wed
ding present to his wife was the deeds of
valuable, Indianapolis properly, which Will
provide her an income for life.
Mcdonald believed in free advertisements
and kept the woodstock paper posted about
his movements in Indianapolis, including
the opening of his get-rich-quick office here.
He called 1t branch Office" where he was
to carry on an extensive brokerage bust
ness" A good many persons went broke
on it, by the way, here in Indianapolis.
Mrs. Thomas's son Charles was induced to
come to Indianapolis, according to the
Sentinel-Review, last July. Then Mcdonald
interested his wifes mother in his business
affairs and succeeded in getting her to in
vest $500. Afterward he made her believe
that the little investment had netted $1I, 600,
most of which was reinvested. Mrs. Thorn
as, since her return to Woodstock, has in
formed friends that her Son-in-law paid her
$l,OO0 as her share of the profits on the $40
investment McDonalds favorite trick was
to interest women with no knowledge of
business in his wildcat schemes, and he
succeeded in convincing a good many that
he was sort of a wizard III the specula-
every day or two. The trickster tried to
get Mrs. ThomaS'S other son. Charles to
come to Indianapolis from Woodstock, but
the young man, fortunately, was not allured
by the golden promises of his brother-in-
law.
HIS LAST LETTER.
Under date of Oct II. few days before
Mcdonald began having trouble with clam
oring creditors. and fled from Indianapolis,
he wrote letter to the Woodstock paper
stating that his wife was in very delicate
health and that her physician had ordered
her TO winter in Los Angeles, Cal, where
he wrote that he had sent her with her
mother and brother, Charles. az am doing
my hest" he wrote in that letter TO the pa
per, ito influence some Eastern capitalists
in scheme to build an electric railroad in
Woodstock and lngersoll and joining these
two towns, with public park at an eQua
distance from each place. Some Toronto
friends of mine have asked me to take up
the matter, and | shall be in your city next
month with two capitalists to look over the
ground and look UP prospects of franchise
| have just succeeded in organizing forty