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IndexAlva McDonald, U. S. Marshal
Former U. S. Marshal, State Politician, Dies
Alva McDonald Won Fame as the ‘Hard Tracker’
January 4, 1942—El Reno, OK—The end of the trail came here Sunday for Alva L. McDonald, who weathered four stormy years as United States marshal for the western district of Oklahoma to win the label “hard tracker” bestowed grudgingly in the state’s criminal circles.
The Spanish-American and Philippines insurrection veteran, whose career as a marshal from 1921 to 19325, might well have been labeled a chapter in the “Passing of Oklahoma Outlaws,” fell dead as he entered the lobby of a downtown theater building to attend Sunday school at l:30 am.
Death was due to a heart ailment.
State Resident Since 1901
He was born September 16, 1876, at Cordsville, Ky., and was graduated from Hartford College, Kentucky in 1894. He served with the Seventh California volunteers and later with the 31st infantry in the Philippines. In the last 10 months in the Philippines he was military postmaster at Zambonanga.
He came to Oklahoma in 1901, settling at El Reno and in 1905 was elected a member of the city council, serving s president of that body for two terms. In 1907 Theodore Roosevelt appointed him clerk of the third district federal court in Alaska and he was stationed at Fairbanks
After three years in Alaska he returned to El Reno and in 1912 was chose a delegate to the Republican national convention. He had been a delegate to several conventions since, including the 1940 enclave.
Bolted Republican Ranks
An old-time Republican of the state he was a personal friend of Theodore Roosevelt and led the Bull Moose movement in this state as chairman of the party in 1912. In 1928 he bolted Republican ranks to favor Al Smith.
McDonald was appointed marshal by President Harding. He was the old type of officer and went with his men on cases
Under his leadership a band of deputy marshals handled some of the most difficult cases in the state’s history.
Weeks of painful work through the brush hills of the Osage country were more attractive to him than the pleasant office of the marshal.
Beginning with the breaking up of the notorious Al Spencer gang, he perhaps accomplished as much as any other man in the organized war on the bandit who terrorized the state in his day.
Mail Robbery Solved
He and his deputies played an important part in the running down of such men as Jeff Duree, the ghost bandit, Blackie Thompson, the Thayers, Frank Nash and a dozen others.
It was I the autumn of 1923 that the Okesa mail robbery was solved. Spencer slain and members of his gang arrested following week of McDonald’s usual “hard tracker” tactics.
An outstanding feature of his officership was his investigation of the “Shawnee reign of terror,” which accompanied the shops strike in the spring of 1923. Twenty-three men, including high officials of the shops craft, were implicated by McDonald in these disorders.
On one occasion he mounted the platform alone and told a strikers’ meting of several thousand shop men what he thought of the incidents in Shawnee.
He withstood a constant political barrage while holding the post. Rumors of his resignation or his removal from office occurred with regularity from time to time. From each investigation he emerged unscathed.
Survivors include his wife; a son, Alva Ferguson McDonald, Fairview; a daughter Mrs. Gordon Bierer, Guthrie, and two brothers and four sisters.
Arrangements are pending the arrival of relatives.
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Alva L. McDonald, was born in C0rdsville, Kentucky on 15 September 1876, to Hiram C. and Sarah (Brogan) McDonald. He attended Hartsford College and graduated in 1894. He was a Veteran of The Spanish-American war and later served in the Philippine Insurrection. Serving 37 months in the Philippines as a member of the 37th California Volunteers and the 131st Infantry Regiment, during the last 8 months he served as military postmaster in Zamboanga, Mindanao Island.
He came to EL Reno, Oklahoma Territory in 1901 and on 27 November 1902, married Scottie Bell Barker.
Being elected to the El Reno, City Council in 1905, he served as President for two terms. Alva moved to Fairbanks, Alaska in 1907, being appointed as Clerk of the Federal District Court in Fairbanks by President Theodore Roosevelt. He returned to his home in El Reno in 1911. He was a personal friend of Theodore Roosevelt.
During the Bull Moose Movement of 1912, he led the movement in Oklahoma as Chairman of the party. He was elected a delegate for The National Convention in 1912 and served as a delegate at most of the Republican Conventions , until his death on 4 January 1942.
Appointed as United States Marshal of the western district of Oklahoma on 28 July 1921, by President Warren G. Harding. Marshal Alva L. McDonald, was known by law enforcement and outlaws as a "Hard Tracker" His aggressive campaign against the outlaws brought many enemies, Several attempts were made on his life and on several occasions attempts were made to force him out of office. Despite all this, he managed to complete his four year term with the distinction of having been the nemesis of the bandits and outlaws of Oklahoma in that era.
During his career as an officer, his investigation of "The Shawnee Reign Of Terror" uncovered and implicated twenty three men, including high officials of the railroad shops unions. Under the leadership of Marshal McDonald, several of the states bank bandits and train robbers were arrested and sent to the penitentiary.
One of those arrested were Jeff Duree, who was known as a ghost bandit for his habit of carting off steel safes from country banks. Then at some distance, he would clean them out. However, contrary to his dubbed title, he was arrested for his participation in a train robbery. Marshal McDonald, happened to think this man was innocent. Duree, was convicted to a twenty five year sentence in federal prison. After he was released, Alva McDonald helped him obtain a job and apparently the experiment failed as Duree was again arrested and at that time, Alva McDonald was again convinced that he was not involved and had been "set up". Duree was again sentenced to federal prison in 1940.
On 20th of August 1923, the MKT train had been robbed by the Al Spencer gang, near Okesa, Oklahoma. Within a few weeks, there had been eleven arrest made in connection. The eleventh arrest, was that of George "Whitey" Fallon. He had been taken first to the jail in Pawhuska, Oklahoma and thereon to Oklahoma City.
On a tip, McDonald learned that one of the suspects was to meet Al Spencer on a dirt road in Osage County, near the Kansas border to get his share of the Katy train loot. Marshal Alva L. McDonald and Postal Inspector Jack Adamson, of Kansas City led the band of men who brought the abrupt end to the life of AL Spencer.
Saturday night, the 15th of September 1923, Marshal Alva L. McDonald and the band of men that totaled thirteen met and lined the lonely dirt road at a point where Al Spencer was though to be crossing. They laid wait, it was cold and raining and at some time after midnight Al Spencer was spotted crossing the road and a command was hollered, and apparently Al Spencer raised his Winchester riffle to fire, when part of the band of men responded with their own guns, killing Al Spencer.
Other bandits that were later captured were Frank "Jelly" Nash, Blackie Thompson and many others.
Marshal Alva McDonald was considered one of the most active Marshals in Oklahoma's history. After he served his four year term, he continued to play an active role in the state's politics