The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1898-09-07
Was Known in Richmond as AIexan-
der Mcdonald,
HE DEFRAUOED PEOPLE HERE.
Worked "A KIondikc Scheme on Well
Known Citizens-Takcn Into Gus
toby i'm Canada. and II Turns
OutThat liz Has Four Wives

| hero.
Middleton boarded while here at Mrs.
Iierbcrts. 40. l3 east Main street
when lac left he owed "a go0d-s.zcd board
Din The man claimed 90 Dee interested
in a great scheme for working the gold
mines of the KlOullke country. lie was
such a plausible talker he managed to
interest q few citizens Boo hls enterprise
and dcfraudcd them out Of sums OF
money ranging from 500 downward. Just
about the time his actions aroused sus-
picion, Mcdonald. as DE called himself
while here. departed. a detective traced
him TO Baltimore.
HIS ARREST.
Recently Middleton has been spending
his time ~ Brantford and Woodstock.
and was planning 20 build "a railroad
between those places. IIe had gotten
the people much interested in his enter
prise. The night OF his arrest he gave
a grand reception 90 the residents of
Burford village. During the evening De
made a speech in which he told of what
he Intended doing. At the close ~ the
festivities Middleton was arrested 0u the
charge of practicing fraud. Tho man is
a civil engineer and had engaged "a largo
staff of assistants. Men with good pcsi-
lions had given them up and signed five
ycer contracts with Middleton under thc
promise of larger salaries.
THE MANS HISTORY.
The Toronto Globe says Of Middleton:
"Middleton's history SIS gradually un-
folding. md enough IS known TO show
him 90 have had plenty Of incident in
DIS career. He is still remembered in
Toronto. where Eve or six years ago ho
perpetratcd "A cruel WRONG upon friends
who had received him with hospitality
tie came 10 town in the autumn of
1882. "a his name as Lancclot VII
l0uehty Middleton. and described HIM
self as "a civil engineer occupying 20
high position in the c. T. r.. AS "a
matter Of fact. hc occupied q subor-
dinato post 10 hat Office. lie has ale
ways claimed 90 be "a civil engineer. is
p hrst-class drauehtsman. was q ready
and fluent speaker. wrote well. and
was generally a most plausible person.
Tie had 10 vices. and lived an eXcm-
! plary enough life. 10 an appearance.
He attended the Unitarian church here
and became intimate with Rev. SIR.
Jackson. the pastor Of the church. He
stayed some time at Mr.. Jacfs0n's
homo. and on this house met Miss Lliias
Monroe. daughter Of AIR. vs.. J.. Monroe.
of > Scat0u street. Acquaintance with
A1r. Monroe followed. and The Young
man. with his excellent appearance and
/ good manners. succeeded 300 establishing
l himself ON a footing of friendship with
I SIR. Monroe. and for % while was 90 guest
. at their house. What Middlcton's anto-
coionts were prior to chat SIR. Monroe
does NOT know. and has never been able
10 find out The young man represented
himself to be % Norkshiroman. and told
stories of having been in Egypt and
Australia on railway c0rs fruction with
his uncle whom Doe described ass "a raii-
way engineer. Among other statements.
be said that he had worked ON the rail-
way from Poppa TO Jerusalem.
HIS TORONTO MARRIAGE.
Middleton soon succeeded in onraF-
lug Miss M0urocs affections. and on
December %, 1892. the two were married
hy Rev. Mr.. Jackson al his house. This
step was taken without Mr.. Monroe
knowledge. though Middleton and Dee
were ou friendly terms. ON the marriage
| certificate MIddlcton's Christian names
are given as Laucelot Wilouchhy, 10
viii Doe remembered that ho was known
iu Woodstock as r.. j. Middleton. OF
t4wa was given hy Middleton as lis ad-
dress on the marriage certificate, and 10
Ottawa hc took his bride almost at once.
There Dee described himself as being "a
| G.. T. Il. official. in charge of the bridges
ON the section between North Bay and
Winnipeg. and drawing "a salary of 5000.
in reality he Was living by odd jobs
which he got. and. 10 is believed. was not
in the services of the o. h. r. 90 ail.
This lasted tul the spring Of 1898. %
then hc took his wife TO Niagara Falls.
~. r.. where he described himself as "a
! representative Of the LonQOn Graphic.
| Subsequently he got some employment
with the Power Company in Niagara
Falls Iu 1894 DE was arrested. ohareed
with forging names to a number OF
small notes and obtaining the cash at
The bank. found guilty and sentenced
to two years ut Auburn. n. Y. Prior 90
this Lfr. Monroe. whose ewes had been
opened TO the character of his s0u-in-
law. had persuaded his daughter 20
como home. and she has not seen her
husband since.
CHANGED HIS NAME.
"Middleton's sentence at Auburn was
commuted 20 eighteen months. but Doe
made an extremely uufavorable inn
preston upon the prison authorities. who
described him as "a born sWindler. For
some time Mr.. Monroe heard nothing OF
the man who had SD wr0nged him. but
in January Of this year Dee noticed the
| statements of the newspapers relating
90 the man Alex. Macdonald. whose siu-
gular attempt 20 impose on the Depart
ment Of the Interior az Ottawa 10y rep-
r%esenting himself as acquainted with the
! KIondike viii be remembered. By an
! odd coincidence a number of the circu-
lars relating 10 the klOndlke company
with which Macdonald Mas connected
were sent 20 Mr.. Monroe. His sus-
picions became aroused and he sent a
/ Dhotograph Of Middleton 10 Ottawa.
There IL was shown 10 Major Sherwood
and was by him identified as being that
! of Macdonald who. however, had by
this time fed. The circulars which Mr..
Monroe had received were sent from
| Richmond. Va. and acting ON this clue
Mr.. Monroe communicated with the chief
/ OF police there. That gentleman proved
20 De already suspicious OF Macdonald,
and he identified the photograph which
Mr.. Monroe sent him as being one Of
Macdonald" From him Mr.. Monroe
! learned that ne was living there. and had
an office I'm the town and bad q wife. This
was tho FIRST intimation which Mr.. Mon
| roe received that bigamy had been added
10 NVddlet0n's other misdeeds. The chief
of police was very anxious 10 get cyi-
dence from Canada. bat Middleton fled
as soon as suspicion was aroused, and
he was once more lost TO view. Now
ne turns up in Woodstock. the identiiCa-
ton being complete, and the indications
are tina he has gone through the sham
| OF marrying two other unfortunate young
women. The indications are that Middle
ton IS involved in q large number Of
/ other questionable transactions. Mr..
Nonroe's acquaintance with him estab-
fishes the fact OF his Toronto career and
, OF his identity with the nan who made