The Indianapolis journal., 1904-02-12
Court OF Inquiry to Meet To
Day and Probe New Clew to
Miss Schafer's Murder.
MUST RETURN M'DONALD
Sheriff Notified by Governor that
Prisoner Cannot Be Longer
Held at Reformatory.
TALK WITH THE PRISONER
Now Wishes to Return to Bedford
from JeffersonvilIe-Still Pro-
tests His Innocence.
Special to the Indianapolis Journal.

that James Mcdonald is now incarcerated
In the Reformatory at Jeffersonville charged
with the murder Of Sarah Catherine Scha-
fer. few people in Bedford believe that the
slayer OF the Latin teacher has been taken
into custody. That the locs,I officials place
little credence in the arrest of McDOn-
aid is evident from the fact that the court
OF inquiry IS to reconvene tomorrow and
will subject a certain individual to cross
examination.
At a consultation in S. B. loves office
this afternoon, participated in by Olin
Bundy. Chief of Police S. p. Lowe. F. X.
Johnson and Magistrate Fred Fletcher, 1t
was decided to recOnvene the court of in
quiry. following the arrival Of Mayor j.
Hickson Smith and Detective Reed from
Jeffersonville. The procedure was decided
on after Information OF a reliable charac-
ter was placed before Mr.. Lowe concerning
the movements of a certain individual, a
stranger in Bedford. The stranger in ques-
tion is tall wears a long. black overcoat,
slouch hat and has a sandy mustache
Attention was attracted TO him by his
peculiar actions at night. He would talk in
Nis sleep. saying he had killed some one.
- impressed with his actions were the
members cf the family with whom he
roomed that they this afternoon
notified Chief of Police Russell and
President Lowe, Of the School Board. 1t
was then decided by the latter gentleman
to reconvene the court. which will be done
Tomorrow This is an admission that the
guilty person has not been apprehended
and that the officials entertain little con-
fGence Of conviction
a letter from Governor Durbin urging the
immediate return of Mcdonald from the
RcfOrTnaIOrV Sheriff
late tonight. Its receipt caused a mild
sensation among the few people on the
streets at the late hour. No action on the
letter VIII be taken until the city officials
confer tomorrow. Mob violence is not now
feared. as the majority of Bedford citizens
believe the man guitless. They say he is in
trouble through his own foOlishness.
Tne talk against Mcdonald was strong
the morning of the arrest, but this sent-
Tnent is no longer in evidence He win be
perfectly safe, even i'm the weak structure
known as the Lawrence county Jail.
GROCER GRIGSBY'S STORY
McDonald's chief misfortune is that he
is devoid of friends and but for this fact
he would be enabled TO prove an albi. 1. E.
Grigsby. a grocer. to-day stated TO the
Journal representative that Mcdonald was
IN his store the night of the murder at
go O'Clock Grigsby's store is some seven
blocks from the scene of the crime and IL
would be impossible for a man to have
Grigsbys store in ten minutes, without
displaying some signs of fatigue or ex
haustion. Grigsbys statement is corrobor-
ated by Mrs. Grigsby. who happened to be
in the store at the time and looked at the
clock the time Mcdonald entered.
In this connection Mr.. Grigsby says: ION
the night Of the murder of Miss Schafer
James Mcdonald. who has been arrested on
the charge of committing the crime. en-
tered my store at $50 o'clock 1 know 1t
was at that time becaus my wife, who
was i'm the store with me the time, hap
pened to glance at the clock as Mcdonald
was coming IN. My wife was under the
impression that Mcdonald came from the
south before he entered the store, which is
the direction in which his home lies 1t Is
two blocks south of my store. Mcdonald
was not nervous or excited or out of
breath when he entered the store. He
remained for fifteen or twenty minutes,
buying groceries, after which he left. going
south again. He had not changed his
clothing and was in his working clothes.
They did not appear more disarranged or
torn than a wagon drivers clothing might
be expected 10 be. The reason l said moth
ing about this before was because / did
not know Mcdonald was even suspected
and did not regard IL as important"
Mrs. Hattie Dorsey, who conducts a
restaurant states that the actions Of the
mysterious stranger now under surveillance
have alarmed her. He frequents her place
OF business and continually casts fugitive
S'dHceS dl al COhhFiS' apptaAsh hClNOuS
and excitable.
THE STRANGER TALKS.
The stranger came TO Bedford the day
preceding the murder. Tonight he entered
Messick & Dodd's drug store. took a seat
near the stove and exclaimed:
Il will bet $50 they have the wrong man
Who killed Sarah Schafer? / guess know,
and there are others.
In appearance he resembles the mysteri-
Gus tall man who stopped at the Park Hote
the night OF the murder, departing suddenly
the morning Miss Schafers body was dis
covered. Charles II. Grimes, proprietor OF
the hotel. is confined 10 his room tonight
by illness and is unable To identify the
stranger.
Mrs. Ruth Jones. a seamstress, whC
claims TO have passed strange man stand
streets at 6:55 the night of the murder was
taken by Detectives Reed and Smith yester-
DAY in the presence of Mcdonald for the
purpose of identification. Mrs. Jones en-
phatically stated he was not the man she
passed on the fatal evening.
The Hon. James Earring. former prOsecut-
ing attorney, stated to-day that the fact
the court Of inquiry was to be reconvened
Is an admission on the part of the officers
apprehended. Judge r. y. Palmer, who
defended Mcdonald In a shooting scrapE
here some years ago, expressed the same
opinion. and IL is safe TO say that not one
in ten persons in Bedford believe Mcdonald
is the SLAYER Of Miss Schafer.
The general feeling here tonight is the
arrest OF Mcdonald is only a subterfugC
practiced by the detectives. whose object
was 10 divert suspicion from the real cui.
prit strong sentiment prevails here
that Miss Schafer's murderer is not only Z
resident OF Bedford. but that he was &C.
ouafnted with the deceased. Every indica.
ton points 10 this fact and the argument
Is presented In support Of this contention
that the dead girl would not have accom-
panied Mcdonald, an ordinary teamster
as far west In the alley as the telephon,
pole where the only evidence OF a struggl,
has been found. OF her own vOlitfon De
tective Reed has stated the motive OF tn,
murder was robbery, but no indication o.
this was apparent. Miss Schafer's watch
and other tewelry were found undisturbeC
on her person.
Instead OF clearing. the mystery grow.
more perpIexing with each succeeding houl
and appears as far from solution th'
morning the crime first became known.
Judge Robert -. Palmer has been re
tained as counsel for Mcdonald and will de
rnand that his client be returned 10 Bedford
otherwise habeas corpus proceedings viii
be instituted
The contention has been raised that TIT