New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1900-12-16
LIVED AS A RECLUSE ININDI4E4.
CAREER OF WEALTHY sCoTCHMAN WHO
LEFT GLASGOW BY REASON OF POLIT-
ICAL OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES
TY WILL GO TO STATE

Indianapolis Dec Is (SpeciaD.-An investigation,
which has Just been completed by the Attorney
General Of Indiana and which was undertaken for
the purpose OF legally declaring 100 acres OF land
to have escheated the State. has developed some
strange phases in the life OF a Scotchman and
solved a mystery that for years caused the people
of Lawrence County a great deal Of concern
Soon after the close of the Civr War man
arrived at Bedford. the county seat OF Lawrence
County, and registered at the hotel George Don
ALLISON. He was well dressed. his manners lose
Of a of culture and his Scotch accent clearly
indicated the place OF his nativity. He stayed at
the hotel for several days and made occasional
trips into the country. Returning from one OF
these he announced that he had purchased a farm
and intended to make it his home The conveyance
duly made and Donaldson left the place and
did not return for several months In the mean
time the Of the farm purchased another, and,
what unusual at that time paid part of the
price in gold. saying that he had received it from
Donaldson in payment for his farm.
When Donaldson again visited the town he pur-
chased modest furniture for his home. and few
days afterward four or FIVE large drygoods boxes,
a couple of hunting dogs and shotgun and rifle
were brought to his farm in a wagon from Seymour,
the nearest railroad station. A woman at Bedford
was installed housekeeper. and through her 1T
was learned that the boxes contained books, many
of which were printed In foreign languages, and
she stated that Donaldson. when not out in the
woods with his gun and dogs. devoted all his time
TO reading. With the coming Of spring, Donaldson
empIoyed a number of men to fell trees and make
rails and his farm was incIosed by high rail
fence which built just within the fences that
separated his land that of his neighbors This
act was construed to mean that he did not want to
"neighbor with those around him. and the extraor-
binary height Of his fences added force to the sug-
gestion and those who would have cultivated his
friendship gradually drew further and further away
from him. After a time his housekeeper returned
To Bedford. but she entered complaint against
her employer. saying only that it was intoieraby
lonesome at his farm.
In the mean time the people OF the neighborho0d
were sossipng at DonaIdson's expense. Every few
weeks a wagon drove up TO his home and unloaded
demjohns and boxes. supposed TO contain bottles
of wine and it was said that he living life OF
debauchery and was rarely sober. The woman, who
had been his housekeeper for a few months denied
these reports but said that he drank regularly
and in great quantities. but she had never seen him
affected by the liquor, and that his manner toward
her had always been that Of a polished gentleman,
treating her in fact equal She stated that
his table was provided with the best OF every
thing that the country afforded. and that some OF
the things which came 10 his home from seymour
were delicaces that she had never heard OF before
and that he had taught her how TO prepare many
dishes entirely TO her. 1t also developed that
he had correspondents in several parts OF the coun
Try and it was learned later that he had lived IN
Alabama and also in Virginia
Years went by. and Donaldson continued 10 1--we
at his farm, but completely isolated from his neigh
bors They did not wish TO iEtrude upon him, and
he showed no disposition to cultivate their friend
shin The wagon from Seymour arrived at regular
intervals till railroad line completed 10 Bed
ford and then the demiJohns and boxes came TO
that nont and were sent to Donaldson's home II
was then learned that the shipments came from
a house in Louisville and occasionally from a house
in cincinnati and that the boxes contained cham
nagne sherry and other hne wines, and occasional
iv one was labelled "Old Kentucky Bourbon" IN
the years that followed Donaldson was frequently
sway from home for several weeks. sometimes for
two or three months, but nothing was known as 70
where he was on such occasions, soon after one
the station at Bedford one evening. and were met
by Donaldson They ranged in age apparently
from seventeen to twenty and the greetings be-
tween them and Donaldson were Of the most cor
dial character. Carriages were hired In Bedford
and they driven 10 Donaldsons home.
The visit lasted for two weeks. and the people OF
the neigh borhood testified that they had
ANYTHING like the commOtion that II caused. The
young women rambled through the woods, climbed
late into the night. for one OF the neshbors found
his curiosity strong that he could resist the
Of two weeks the visitors departed and each pur-
chased ticket at the railroad station for Louis
Vile but their destination beyond that point was
never known A second visit OF young women, out
not the ones, was made two years later. and
protracted nearly a month. While there was
nothing TO indicate a suggestion OF immortality IN
the bad esteem in which Donaldson held by his
neighbors. but they continued 10 keep watch over
from home he would send money 10 the taxes
on his farm and would have repairs made t.rough
an agent at Bedford and paid the bills always
without = murmur.
Fcur years ago he went away. closing up the
house but saying nothing 20 hts friends at Bedford
regarding the care Of the farm. When the taxes
assumed that the owner would return and thus
time passed But Donaldson failed TO come: nor
ago the state began an investigation with a view
to collecting the taxes. u Was then learned THAI