The Washington herald., 1907-08-12

Chicago, Aug. l1-Many were the
tributes paid to-day 70 Mike Mcdonald,
the gambling king, who died in hos
pital Friday His two wives, both of
whom had deserted him at different
times. were among those who shed tears
at the grave of the man who robbed
the rich 20 give to the poor"
Gambling king. political boss, and all
round sport, Mike" McDonald's name
was familiar from coast to coast. Not
withstanding many people were fieeced in
his old Clark street gambling house. he
had warm friends up 20 the last moment
of his life. 1t was rather roughly said
of him that II he robbed the rich he
generally evened matters a little by Civ
ing something to the poor.
Mr.. McDonald's domestic life never was
peaceful His first wife eloped with
BILLY" Arlington, an actor, who starred
in a minstrel show that was popular in
Chicago. He forgave her this. and opened
his home to her. But the woman repaid
him with infdelity. the second time Sc
lecting a French priest as her companion
Att AMD N41Ntu III 4Po0f t$l4A 44As sANA<DiAcAtA
made no effort TO follow the couple.
The gloomy termination Of his second
marriage still is before the public mind in
the Guerin shooting
Through these years OF trouble at home
the gambling king was having plain sail
ing In bus. less." His Clark street place
coined money for him. and other invest
ments netted good returns. His share OF
the price paid for the old Lemont quar-
ries was $4,000, and he had many mort
cages and real estate investments.
Rise from NewsbOy.
He had won his way-crOoked as it was
from a place as a railroad train butch
er" or ''newsIe" TO that Of millionaire.
He sold prize packages" on trains. and.
noting how eagerly the public bought
when it was supposed a 8 or a $40 gold
piece lurked in one Of the little boxes, he
took up gambling as a business.
Some notoriously high stakes were won
and lost in the Clark street establishment.
where Maurice Martin and Harry Law
renee were in charge OF the game. Dur
ing the regime Of Mayor Joseph Medin
THE Store" was raided and Martin and
Lawrence We're arrested on the charge Of
winning sl7.000 from farmer. Alfred S
Trude was city prosecutor, and the gam
bier made his acquaintance Mr.. Nc
Donald grew to admire Mr.. Trude and
thereafter retained him as counsel in
other matters
The scandals in which Mr Mcdonald
was the central figure were numerous.
and all were sensational As the hacker
Of the Garfield Park race track, Re was
indicted. but escaped without punish
ment, although the State made a vigor-
Gus effort TO convict him. He later was
indicted for beating Jim BIcGarry, the
original of Peter F. Dunne's Mister
Dooley." The indictment charged Mr.
Mcdonald with assaulting AfcGarry with
a loaded pistol. and in the trial the State
failed to prove that the frearm was
loaded
Again Escapes Conviction.
In 1SSS Mr.. Mcdonald was before the
public eye as one OF the ring OF grafters
that made fortunes out Of the old county
building contracts. Several members Of
the county board were sent TO the peni-
tentiary. and Senator c. B. FarweH head
ed a public subscription to prosecute the
offenders with donation Of S5,oe0. Again
Mr.. Mcdonald escaped conviction.
He was virtual boss OF the local De-
in 1852 Later he was arrested
on complaint of Justice Charles W.
Wo0dman. who asserted the gambler
politician had tried 70 bribe him. and
after his acquittal Alr. Mcdonald re-
signed from the party organization.
while Justice Woodman was expelled
from his Office and afterward died in a
sanatoTium without means
The real estate holdings Of the decedent
are valued AT Sl.000,000. The most valu-
able single piece is the northwest corner
)f Harrison and Franklin streets, l76 by
a feet which has just been assessed at
s50S.5S0. This is under a ninety-nine-year
lease TO James B. Glow & Sons.