A Strange Story of a Curious Career.

Pelorus Guardian and Miners' Advocate., Volume 1, Issue 28, 2 May 1890, Page 3

A Strange Story of a Curious Career.

' Tpe Melbourne Evening "Standard .givers, what it alleges, to bej some pafyioafcH'Jhearing on the charges which have'been', broiight against Dr'lVfaclebd, late of Napier arid Sydney. “ Some three (years ago .the inhabitants of Ocean street, Woolhara (Sydney), were duly apprised of the fact that Mr John MacUdd, M.D., : had settled , among them. They became aware; of his arrival partly because of a brass plate, and partiv bv reason of the appearance of a well dressed gentleman, faultlessly attired in well-fittingelothesand smiles, who drove about in a buggy. This was John Macleod, M.D., and he penetrated into the homes and hearts of gaining favour by his affable ,km% ways,jiis.ready) jphps,jand his. manner., .rfffeji, sefctidn 1 of the people of Woolhara became acquainted with a grave (apparently)

youngish man, with sad expression, as of some deep trouble, who came and spoke gratuitous words of condolence , and comfort, and intimated generally that he was ‘in religion/ That was I Dr Macleod, D.D. Well, Macleod prospered hugely. If he could not . always save bodies he could at least ; save souls, and when the soul was all right he dkf a lively trade in tonics and pills. He was generally respected throughout the was so kind, and yet so bright, The older ladies thought him ‘ so superior,’ and such a ‘ good man/ whilst the younger ladies cherished thoughts of marriage. Macleod opened a church in.the neighbourhood, and greatly edified'by his eloquent morning discourses. Macleod, as the sequel will prove, was not a marrying man. Whilst his popularity was at its height, the doctor disappeared. He had gone without leaving so much as a word behind him. A week passed, and the tongue of gossip was busy with the good man’s disappearance. Some said that in his pious work amongst the lower classes he had been set upon and foully murdered ; others that he bad been drowned. Another week passed, and the evil-tongued rumour, never quiet, with the most spotless of reputations, began to whisper and bruit strange motives as to the sudden lapsing of the virtuous doctor. Light was to be thrown speedily on the mystery, and an unpleasant ugly light it was. A young girl named Wilkins, who had been employed bv Macleod as a servant, attended at the focal Police Court, and, through her solicitor, asked for a warrant for his arrest. The warrant was duly granted for Macleod’s arrest, but it was never executed until two weeks | ago, when the news came that he had been captured in Napier. Had the luckless servant girl been the only person who demanded justice against | Macleod, it is more than probable that I he would still be at large. ' But that j lords to another part of this gentle- j man’s, in a way, interesting .life. In the year 1872 Macleod, by some means or another, became acquainted with the family of John Ewing, of Darling Point, which consisted of Mr and Mrs i Ewing and their daughter, Mrs Manson, j a widow. The same grave humour, the j same fascination of manners, address, and conversation that had given him such a hold, on the esteem of Ocean ' street, enabled him to worm his way into , the affections oi Mrs Manson Her i male friends saw his designs, mistrusted < the man, and advised her to be on her J guard. The lady listened to the advice, and allowed Macleod to make love to j her. She had .£1,500 a year in her ' ■ own right, left to her by a former husband, £1,000 ; of'which she was te lose if she married Macleod. The pair set out for a ihridal tour through Americaand Macleod, it, is alleged; quickly.threw off’ids spurious mark of affection.' The uhhappy lady returned to her relations, and they‘protected her from the importunities,of her husband. Then the escapade at'Ocean-street was im.ade'public; and Mrs Mansou’s friends’ suspicions were aroused in.-another direction. They began to suspect him of bigamy. Determined, if: possible, to free Ins unfortunate daughter from the clutches of Macleod, at all costs, Mr Ewing employed detectives, regardless of. expense, to find out something about ( Macleod’s early life. Two years, had passed, and Mr Ewing began to despair of bringing horae the charge of bigamy j to. M;icleod,: but .the detectives were certain they were on the right scent. But now comes the strangest part of this strange and sordid story. In the . month of May, 1889, a young lady | named Miss E. Cameron became acquainted with a man in the city of St. Louis, Missouri, U.S.A. The lady fell in love, and they were married. Six months of married life were passed, and. the husband began ;to treat his wife brutally; then he deserted her. Carelessly turning over/a newspaper one day, she came across an advertisement which struck her. It was an appeal-'to any .wife- who. had been deserted by a man to give information to r— —— ; and then" followed ! a description of the man. Advertisements giving descriptions of people can necessarily convey but! a very faint idea of the person described-; but somehow Miss Cameron’s instinct told her .that the man sought for in-the advertisement was her husband. She corhniunicated with the address, and as a result made a journey of several hundred miles. At the end of It she was shown a photograph, and she at once recognised it as the man •who had married her six months ago. The detective set to work,, and, rightly or wrongly, arrested a man named John Macleod ao Napier, they think that he is the man who married Mrs Munson and JJiss Cameron, and is wanted for the Ocean-strcfet charge'. It remains to. be seen whether they are right. Meanwhile Miss Cameron is in Sydney, wait-, ing to prosecute. Another extraordinary thing in this extraordinary case is the fact th-t, though a warrant was issued for Macleod’s arrest; over three .years ago, and, although, since its issue he was seen in the colony, he was never arrested.” There is reason ;to believe that Macleod is identical with a person of the same name who held; services in the Queen’k-Thektre, Reefton, a few years ago. 1