The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1904-02-26
MCDONALD TAKEN FROM
JAIL AND IS BAPTIZED
Sheriff Thrasher's Act Severely
Condemned by Pinkerton
Detective.
HIS HEARING ON MONDAY
Special to the indianapolis; Journal.

Special to the Indianapolis Journal.
BEDFORD, Ind. Feb 25.-James Nc
Donald. confined in the Bloomington jail.
charged by Pinkerton detectives with the
murder of Miss Sarah Catherine Schafer.
will be given preliminary hearing before
Mayor ]. Hixon Smith. Monday morning
at 10 o'clock. Mcdonald will be brought
from Bloomington at $50 o'clock and placed
in the Bedford Jail until the hour of his
trial. Mrs. Mcdonald, who has been So
Letting subscriptions to defray the expense
of her husbands defense, stated tonight
that competent attorneys had been retained
to care for her husband interest, but re-
fused TO divulge their identity. Prosecutor
Miller. who is here tonight. vouchsafed
the information that the grand jury would
likely take up the Schafer case Monday.
Under the terms of the commitment on
which Mcdonald is held the State must
accord him a preliminary hearing Monday,
as he can be held in custody no longer than
that date.
Detective Reed returned from Linton to-
night, where he has been investigating the
young man known the Linton suspect.
Both the detectives and the man in ques-
ton were passengers on the same train
that reached Bedford late this afternoon.
The officer was surprised when informed
that Sheriff Thrasher, of Monroe county,
had taken Mcdonald from solitary TO
the Christian Church Wednesday night for
the purpose of being baptized. Both Pros
ecutor Miller and Detective Reed do not
attempt to conceal their displeasure at
what is termed Sheriff Thrasher's unwar-
ranted and unauthorized action in the case
Detective Reed had given the sheriff per-
emptory orders not to admit any one to
McDonalds cell, but it appears these or
ders were disregarded, and the prisoner
taken from the jail To the church. Owing
to Sheriff Thrasher's action. 1t is possible
Mcdonald will be removed from the Bloom
ington Jail to Indianapolis, following his
preliminary trial on Monday. The local Of
ficials are charging that McDonald's desire
to be baptized is but a subterfuge TO enlist
public sentiment in his favor
Mrs. Nellie Hagenwald, a Terre Haute
woman, was again closeted with the officers
In charge of the investigation to-day, and
may possibly have thrown some additional
light on the mystery. If the detectives
visit to Linton resulted in anything tan
gible he gave no evidence of this fact. The
Linton suspect is here tonight and his
every movement is Swallowed.
Prosecutor Miller, Detective Reed and
President Lowe of the School Board were
in consultation behind locked doors to-
night discussing the latest phase of the
mystery. The latter very frankly stated
the object of the officials was to apprehend
the murderer Of Miss Schafer. and no stone
would be left unturned to accomplish this
Mr.. Lowe, who is one of the most con-
sentative men in Bedford. conveyed the
impression that he doesn't believe the evil
dence at hand is sufficient to convict Nc
Donald. The opinion of three physicians
Drs. Freeland, Emery and Short-that no
criminal assault attempted on Miss
Schafer virtually clears McDonald's skirts
of the charge on which he is held. II is
conceded his only motive for the murder
would have been assault.
1t is stated that T. III. Anderson, the Jew
eler, who accompanied the Pinkertons to
Linton yesterday. is to be used in identify
ing a cuff button of peculiar design picked
up in the cab shed the morning following
the murder. Detectives do not attempt to
explain how this piece of jewelry came to
be dropped at the scene of the crime, yet
they have devoted considerable time search
ing for its mate and their efforts have been
rewarded. During the past twenty-four
hours the public has shown renewed inter-
est in the case and the general opinion is
that another arrest will soon follow.