The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1900-12-27
INDIANA HAS A
QUEER RECLUSE
Career of a Wealthy Scotchman Puz-
zIes the Hooziers.
ALL A MYSTERY TO NEIGHBORS
Entcrtains In Striking Manner His
Unknown Visitors and All OF His
Actions Extremely
Strange.

An investigation which has Just been
completed by the Acknowledgement of In
diana has. according to an Indianapolis
correspondent OF the New York Tribune.
developed some strange phases in the life
| OF Scotch1nan and solved a mystery that
for years caused the people OF Lawrence
county q great deal OF concern.
Soon after the close of the civil war a
| man arrived at Bedford, the county seat
OF Lawrence county, and registered at the
hotel George Donaldson. He was well
dressed. his manners those OF a man 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 intend
ed to make it his home. The conveyance
was duly made. and Donaldson left the
place and did not return for several
months. In the meantime the owner OF
the farm purchased another and, what
was unusual at that time, paid a part OF
the price in gold, saying that he had re-
ceived it from Donaldson III payment for
his farm
A woman at Bedford was installed as
houSekeeper, and through her IL was
learned that the boxes contained books
many of which were printed III Foreign
languages, and she stated that Donstluson
when not out in the woods with his gun
and dogs devoted all his time to reading
In the meantime the people OF the neigh
borhood We're gCssiPing at Donaldson eX-
pense. Every few weeks wagon GROVE
up to his home and untoaded demiJohnS
and boxes. supposed to contain Bottles of
raif he
a life of debauche-y and was rarely sober
The, woman who had been his house
keeper for few months. denied these re-
ports, but said THAT ne drank regularly
and in great quantities. out she had
never seen him affected by the liquor.
and that his manner toward her had al
ways been that of a polished gentleman,
trea ting her, in fact, us an equal She
stated that his table wa!, provided with the
best of everything that the country at
forded and tilat some of the things which
came to his home from Seymour were del
icacLes that she hnd never heard of be-
fore and that he had taught her how 10
prepare many dishes entirely new to her.
1t also developed that he had correspou-
dents in several parts of the country. md
it was learned later that he had lived in
Alabama and also in Virginia
STRANGE VISITORS.
In the years that followed Donaldson
was frequently away from home for sew
eTaI weeks, sometimes for two or three
months, but nothing was known as 70
where he was on such occasions. Soon
after one of these trips a number of young
women arrived at the station n't Bedford
one evening and were met by Donaldson.
They ranged in age apparently from sew
euteen to twenty. and the greetings be-
tween them and Donaldson were of the
most cordial character. Carriages were
hired in Bedford and they were driven
to Donadsons home
The visit lasted for two weeks. and the
people OF the neighborhood testified that
they had never seen anything like the
coEnmotion that 1t caused. The young
men rambled through the woods, climbed
the fences. sang and roIlicked all day
long and even late into the night. for one
Of the neighbors found his curiosity so
strong that he could not resist the i'm
pulse to go near the house and listen. A
the end Of two weeks the visitors depart
ed and each purchased ticket at the
railroad station for Louisville, but their
destination beyond that point was never
known. \ second visit Of young women,
but not the same ones. was made two
years later. and was protracted nearly a
month. While there was nothing to indi-
cate a suggestion OF immortality In these
visits. the stra ngeness of the affairs in
creased the bad esteem in which Donald
son was held by his neighbors. but they
continued TO keep watch over him and
note his every movement When away
from home he would send money to meet
the taxes on his farm and would have
repairs made through an agent at Bed
ford. and paid the bills always without
LEFT HIS HOME
Four years ago he went away. closing
up the house. but saying nothing to his
friends at Bedford regarding the care of
the farm. When the taxes fell due and
no one appeared TO pay them it was as
sumed that the owner would return. and
thus time passed But Donaldson failed
to come: nor was any word received from
him. Several months ago the State began
an investigation. with view to collect
ing the taxes. It was then learned that
Donaldson was a native of Glasgow,
Scotland and that for years he had main
tanned 4 residence in Donaldson Square.
in that city: that he was a bachelor and
wealthy ard had left his native country
because of disappointment in some poiiLI-
cal ambition, and that during his resi-
Gence in this country he mad received re-
rnittanceS regularly through MS agents
from the proceeds Of his estates. When
these facts came to the knowledge of the
attorney-C;eneraI Donaldson had been dead
for nearly four years. ana it appears
that he died at his home in Donaldson
Square soon after reaching that place.
Proceedings were then instituted 10 ae
aIare the land escheated to the State. and
th he. suit is now pending in the Circuit
Court of Bedford
A. some time. not certainly known.
Donaldson adopted a girl and made her
his heir. She is now grown ana livihs at
path AS Donaldson was never nat
,,,.I;-a,i cittzal his Indiana estate under
th lev cannot be inherited by an adopted
(tT and as he had no near kin. the land
+, rayrance county will doubtless fall to
the State.