The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-08-28
M'DONALDUNDER ARREST
THE "GET-RICH-QUICK" BROKER
CAUGHT IN A CANADIAN SCHEME.
Promoting RailrOad-BiGamy
Charge Also Against the Ex-COn-
vict-His Career Here.

Patrick A. Mcdonald who will be remem-
bered by a number of Indianapolis people,
more particularly people in the laboring
class, who lost money to him while they
thought they were playing the wheat mar
ket has been arrested at Woodstock, Cana-
da, charged with having obtained goods
under false pretenses. This is the charge
he is being held on, but it is probable that
he will be tried for the more serious crime
of bigamy. All through the province of On
tario great interest is manifested in the
case of Mcdonald whose right name, there
is little doubt, is Middleton. The name Mid
dleton stands for Mcdonald on the docket
of the Woodstock Jail, where the former
Indianapolis financier and would-be society
man is confined A picture of Middleton,
secured from the Sentinel Review, of
Woodstock, which has done much to ex-
pose this scheme, was identified here yester-
day by persons who dealt with Middleton
as Mcdonald.
Middleton's career seems to have been one
of skillful manipulation. He was exposed
here by the newspapers in October of last
year. Prior to that time he was quite promi-
nent in this city as promoter of an indie
pendent telephone system to connect forty
Indiana towns, and he also claimed to be
preparing plan for 7O-cent gas plant for
this city. Oct. Is, 1897. the Journal printed
a story of McDonalds doings here which is
now being circulated through Canada by
the newspapers.
Mcdonald came here in May, 1897, from
Chicago, and opened an Office on the
eleventh floor of the Stevenson building as
soon as ever it was ready for occupancy.
He rented a handsome house on North
Pennsylvania street. built some time ago
by H. d. Pierce, and furnished it in style.
He represented that he had purchased the
property in which he resided. He fitted up
his Office in the Stevenson handsomely and
began to make deals" He had a connec-
tion with the brokerage concerns of Richard
Oliver and Jones & Co., in Chicago. McDon-
aid sent out circulars and began running
pools upon the most approved "get-rich
quick plan. He sold shares in these pools
at $40 each and declared dividends upon
them, with occasional losses. In his office
he employed three young men, his broth
ers-in-law William and Charles Thomas
and John Mullen. After the collapse OF his
skin game here he disappeared.
AN AIRY RAILROAD.
When Middleton, alias Mcdonald, left this
city he could not be traced by those inter
ested in finding him. 1t appears that he
went to Canada. After a time he went to
Woodstock and interested the business men
in a railroad he proposed to build between
that town and Brantford. Since Middleton's
arrest he has been identified as the P. A.
Mcdonald, who married Miss Maggie
Thomas, of Woodstock. This girl was with
Middleton when he was in business" in
Indianapolis. Subsequent developments go
to show that she is not his only wife. Mid
dleton's claim that he came from the en-
ploy of the Canadian Pacific Railway gave
the people of Brantfords and Woodstock the
impression that the big railroad was behind
the proposed smaller road. When Middle
ton was here he was affable gentleman,
VINO gave all who met him the idea that he
was a man of great affairs. He lost none
of this personal magnetism after he left
here, for the people of Woodstock, Brant-
ford and the intermediate towns flOcked
around him, and the merchants deemed 1t an
owes them something like $1,000 Middleton
pictured Klondike prosperity for the towns
Then the officials of the Canadian Pacific
repudiated him. While the business men of
Woodstock were preparing to have Middle
ton arrested for obtaining goods under
false pretenses. and even while officers were
after him with the warrant for his arrest,
Middleton was giving receptions all along
the line of the airy railroad. At Woodstock
he gave grand fete in grove, and the So
ciety people crowded about him and buzzed
Middleton was arrested at Brantford and
was taken TO jail at Woodstock. Middleton
had shortly before told one of his surveyors
that he had known a man who once got
$4,000 from prospective contractors and
owners of property along the route of pro-
posed railroad before the survey started
Middleton might have turned the same trick
if things had gone right with him.
All this time Middleton's wife was living
railroad. Middleton protested his wife was
a Toronto girl. but people who saw her
of Woodstock Since Middleton has been in
Jail he has spent his time reading If
Christ Came to Chicago. Middleton. as
once himself, and he probably knows that
some things described in Mr.. Stead's book
In regard to Middleton's former doings
and the charge that he is a bigamist, the
following evidence has been collected: On
Dec 81 1892, Middleton was married at To-
ronto to the daughter of w. +. Munro. He
claimed to have influence with the high Off
Gals of the Canadian Pacific Railroad and
in England. In the spring of 1898 he took
his wife to Niagara Falls. There he forged
several small notes and was sentenced 10
the New York penitentiary for two years.
II is claimed Middleton has another wife at
Sarnia Ontario, whose name is supposed to
be Sally Smith. Maggie Thomas. the last
girl Middleton married. has admitted she
knew Middleton had been married several
times before. She married him in Chicago,
May. 2. 1897 and they tnen came to g., ln 1.l
his business in Indianapolis. She was asked,
Where did he get all this money!" She
replied. smiling, .-Oh. by lucky accident"
She says Middleton is a liar, but "a virtu-
Gus man with loose way or doing BUSH
ness"
The Canadian government has detailed de-
tectiyes TO work on the case and 1t has
created sensation there. The newspapers
print column after column of the develop
ments of the case and interviews with men
whom Middleton employed as surveyors
and who have not been paid. Middleton
persists in pleading not guilty to the
charges against him. but the feeling is that
the law has got him hard and fast. Ca
madam police officials regard Middleton as
"a. born criminal There are many people
In Indianapolis who will agree with the po-
lice officials
TIE II ID e. m.