The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1904-02-11
MCDONALD SAFE BEHIND
BARS At REFORhATORY,,
SAYS He IS INNOCENT
Alleged Slayer of Sarah c. Schafer
Taken from Bedford to JEFF
ferSOnville.
DISPLAYS MUCH NERVE
Valves Right to Speedy Hearing,
and VIII Remain in Prison
Till Feb. 20.
PRISONERS STATEMENT
Evidence on Which Warrant Was
Issued for His Arrest-Ex-
citement at Bedford.
PRISONERS STATEMENT
Stan Correspondence Of the Journal.

JEFFERSONVILLE. Ind, Feb. To-
James Mcdonald. alias William Parsons or
as he claims il is, William Parsons, alias
James Mcdonald. the Bedford teamster ar
rested for the murder of Sarah Catherine
Schafer. is safe behind the walls and bars
OF the Indiana Reformatory. confined in a
solitary" closely guarded and in COM
nunication with no one save the officers
who brought him here and Superintendent
Whitaker and Assistant Superintendent
Barnard.
Mcdonald protests his innocence Of the
terrible crime with which he is charged.
admits that he was brought into the affair
by his own folly, desire for notoriety hav-
ing led him to make untrue statements to
the members Of the Bedford board of in
quiry and says that while he is not afraid
to go back 10 Bedford he is perfectly will
ing 10 remain here and believes that such
a course would perhaps be best under the
circumstances.
An important development in the case
since the arrival of the prisoner at the Re
fOrmatory was his claim that his right
name is William Parsons, instead of James
Mcdonald, the name under which he was
arrested. This he revealed to the officers
who brought him here. giving them at the
same tlIne q Dr1er story OF MS lie.
The officers with the prisoner, arrived
at the Reformatory soon after o'clock this
morning, coming via the Monon to New
Albany and taking the Pennsylvania dinkey
to this place. The prisoner was hustled into
the ReformatOry with little ceremony and
the officers. Mayor j. Hickson Smith, Sheriff
Smith and Detective Reed. gave Superintend-
ent Whitaker the commitment papers on
IL - hold hora
until Feb. 20. The prisoner was taken at once
to a solitary cell in the hospital building and
placed under a close guard, and then the Of
ficers went into conference with Superin-
tendent Whitaker, while the small army of
newspaper correspondents and artists be-
gan laying their plans for securing inter-
views. sketches and pictures of the accused
These plans were quickly frustrated by the
I, announcement of the superintendent that
no one would be permitted TO see the pris
oner and that no picture would be taken of
him. while the man is here serious
charge" said Mr.. Whitaker, I'VE shall
treat him on the assumption that he is in
nocent."
QUESTION RAISED.
A question was at once raised whether
Mcdonald can be kept here until Feb. %.
The commitment which is signed by Mayor
]. Hickson Smith. follows:
''State of Indiana, Lawrence county, S.
S.:
formatory, Greeting:
"Whereas. James Mcdonald. of said coun-
". has been arrested on the oath of James
M Myers on a charge of murder in the first
degree and has been brought before me, j.
HicksOn Smith, mayor of the city or BED
ford. Ind. for trial, which trial has been
necessarily continued until the 18th day or
February 1904 therefore, / command you
I'm the name of the State to receive the
said James Mcdonald into your custody In
the Indiana ReformatOry at Jefersonville,
Clarke county, and therein cOnfine him un-
til discharged by law and to let no person
or persons confer or converse with him un-
less by order of the court.
The question raised was as to whether the
hearing before Mayor Smith could have
been legal preliminary hearing on the
murder charge and whether the mayor had
the authority 10 commit the prisoner TO the
Reformatory until Feb. %. 1t was suggested
that unless Mcdonald were taken back to
Bedford for a regular preliminary within
forty-eight hours after his arrest he might
secure his release here by instituting pro-
ceedings of habeas corpus.
Superintendent Whitaker at once COM
municated with the office of the attorney
general in indianapolis for advice as to his
might be raised as to the mayors author
ity and that to be on the safe side he should
ask Mcdonald 10 consent TO remain here.
This consent Mr.. Whitaker promptly Sc
cured. the prisoner stating that while he
was not afraid TO go back TO Bedford he
thought il might be best 10 remain here for
few days and was perfectly willing to re-
main.
THE PRISONERS STORY
Mcdonald told the Bedford officers who
brought him here a brief story of his life
as an accompaniment to his protestations
of innocence of the murder of Sarah c.
Schafer. Briefly epitomized and put in
what were substantially his own words the
story is as follows:
My right name is William Parsons, al
though am known TO some people by the
name OF James Mcdonald Ny mothers
name was Mcdonald and have two uncles
OF that name l lived with my uncle Mar
tin Mcdonald, in Benton, H.. after l was
fourteen years old, having lived up 10 that
time In the Soldiers Orphans Home al
Normal Ill / am twenty-nine years old
i have two sisters. Mrs. Ida Robinson. OF
12l4 Rock Road, St. Louis. and Mrs Mary
Estus. Of Taylorville. III. / went to Bed
ford I'm 1893. married Mary Greer. a widow
in November. 1898, and was married under
my right name OF Parsons. have been a
drinking man, but have not touched droI
since Jan. IL
charged is concerned. l am as innocent as
man could be- but i have done wrongs iu
my life, and II / get forgiveness for them
! don't care what becomes of me In this
case I got into this through my own fool
fshness. / made false statements before
the court OF inquiry. l can't explain why
did IL, but l suppose IL was because
wanted 70 make people think | knew some
thing about the murder. / know abso-
luteiy nothing about the crime. The nearest
i was TO the place where Miss Schafer was
murdered over half a block away nj
the doctors Office. 1 did not see her fhat
night never did see her and did not know
there was such woman living / am no,
afraid 20 go back TO Bedford for / know
am innocent. / do not care about goInp
back, though, and maybe il would be Inore
sensible for me 20 stay here"
DOES NOT APPEAR TO WORRY.
Mcdonald sustains his declaration OF
nerve with a courageous demeanor ac.
cording TO the officers and does not ap.
pear greatly worried over the position he
Is IN. He manifested no desire 10 get an
attorney 10 look after his interests and
seemed rather to rely implicitly on Sherin
Smith and TO feel that the further investI
cations OF the sherin would result in his
vindicatiOn Of the serious charge
After leaving Mcdonald at the Reforma-
CONTINUED on PAGE 0. col. IL