While Mike was running the place at 89 Dearborn street he became
involved in an affair that put him in jail for three months and made
the portals of the penitentiary loom up largely across his path. It
looked for a time as if his career was about to be nipped in the young
bud.
In 1869 Charles Goodwin, assistant cashier of the Chicago Dock
Company, was found to be a defaulter to the extent of $30,000. He fled
from Chicago and went to California, but in a few months came back and
surrendered himself to the authorities.
He testified that McDonald had lured him into the game at 89 Dearborn
street, where he had played and lost his money in a series of brace
games that lasted during a period of several weeks. At first he lost
a few hundred dollars, and he was persuaded to go back to the Dock
company's office and get money out of the safe in order that he could
return the next evening and win back the money he had lost.
He never won anything back, but kept getting in deeper. At length the
poor, deluded victim was told to make a big haul and skip the town.
He made a last pull at the strong box for $15,000 or $18,000, and his
friends at 89 Dearborn street let him play one last farewell game, at
which they took the trouble to see that the boy should not be bothered
in his flight from justice by lugging a big bag full of money around
with him.