JOHAN (John) F Magnusson - Johan F Magnusson (a/k/a John, JF, Mangnuson, Magnuson)

Looking for information regarding my great-grandfather, Johan F. Magnusson, from before 1890. He was born in Sweden, 10 Feb 1850. When a teenager, lore has it he fled Sweden after an altercation with a public official's son, escaping legal authorities. He boarded a Chinese merchant ship in Sweden, hiding out until asea - then sailed with them for 4 years, becoming fluent in Chinese. He immigrated to the United States, through New York c. 1871, and made his way south. He and a gentleman named Willingham (also my grandmother's family) began Chattanooga (TN) Box Company, and Johan was the accountant. The business eventually folded, and he lived in Cherokee County, AL, and Dekalb County, AL, for the remainder of his life. He died in 1934, and is buried in AMI Cemetery, Jamestown Rd., Menlo, GA, USA. He was married three times, with his first two wives dying. I can find NO information on one of the wives, but his second wife was Mary Jane Bullard, with whom he had my grandfather, John Henry, as well as Archie King, and Elizabeth (?) Lizzie Magnusson. After Mary Jane's death, he married Oveline, and had 5 other children. ANY information on these families predating 1890 would be very much appreciated. It is my understanding from my mother and my aunts that Mary Jane Bullard was a Cherokee Indian - however, I have no native American DNA, per recent testing. Possibly the native American wife was the missing wife I find nothing about? Thanks for any links you may be able to send to me to put me on the right path for research.