The Sun.
London, England, 1869-12-22 00:00:00

(From the Anglo American Times)
We have often raised our voice against what
threatens to be a great curse in America, the free
use of the pistol, and it is not from any sentiment
that we instance the death of ALBERT D. RICHARD-
SON to point the moral. This journalist was born at
Franklin, Massachusetts, Oct. 6, 1833, of a family
who had lived in that neighbourhood 200 years,
their ancestor, JouN lircuannsox, haring crcssed
the Atlantic not long after the Mayflower. Albert
early took to journalism, his first productions ap-
pearing in the Warerley Magazine, Boston. At Cin-
cinnati he wrote for the pross, there finally occupying
a p'ace on the staff of the Cincinnati Gazette; thence
he proceeded to Kansas as correspondent of the Boston
Journal, where he lived during the worst period of the
border ruffianism, which he afterwards graphically
described. In 1859 he joined Mr. GREELEY on that
gentleman's overland trip across the Continent, ac-
companying him through Denver up the Rocky
Mountains, then turning South, he left Mr.GREELEY
on his way to California, while he passed through
New Mexico to the Rio Grande, visiting en route
Santa Fd and Taos. Again he returned to Colorado,
remaining there till 1860 as editor of the Western
Mountaineer and correspondent of the New York
Tribune. in that year he was sent through the
South on a secret journey for the Tribune, passing
down the Mississippi to New Orleans and reaching
Charleston two days of t erFort Sumter had been fired
on. This alone shows RICHARDSON'S daring spirit,
for hazardous as was travelling in 1' ew Mexico, as was
a residence at that time in Kansas, yet it was still
more so for a New Englander of the New Eng-
landers then to pass through the Southern States as a
sort of spy engaged to report for a journal like the
Tribune. The outbreak of hostilities left him far
South with the task of getting safe back to New
York, which he did after a perilous journey. His
first campaign was with FREMONT in Missouri ; he
was at Fort Henry, Pittsburg Landing, the siege
of Corinth, of Island No. 10, of Fort Pillow, and
the capture of Memphis, where be was appointed to
the editorial charge of the Avalanche. In 1863 he
attempted to join GRANT below Vicksburg, running '
the gauntlet of the batteries, and had almost suc-
ceeded when a shell sunk the tug, killed the captain,
and fired both barges, only 16 of 35 persons escap-
ing unhurt, and all being captured by the enemy.
After a residence in Vicksburg gaol they were sent
to Libby prison. RICHARDSON'S confinement lasted
for more than two years and a half, during which
he saw the inside of seven different gaols. After seve-
ral attempts to escape he got away on the 18th of
December, 1864, from Salisbury Prison, walking,
mostly by night, 400 miles, till he reached Knoxs•
vine, when he sent to the Tribune a telegram which
at the time excited much interest, commencing--
" Out of the jaws of death
" Out of the mouth of hell."
At Washington he gave important evidence touch-
ing the condition of the Union prisoners in the
South ; and his book, entitled " Field, Dungeon,
and Escape," sold so rapidly that the publishers
could not supply the demand, the number of copies
eventually reaching nearly 100,000. Mr. RICHARD-
SON accompanied Mr. COLFAX in 1865 on the well-
known overland journey to San Francisco, but
he was obliged to remain on the Pacific Coast as
his health had been greatly injured by his im-
murement in Southern prisons. There he wrote
"Beyond the Mississippi," of which the circula-
tion has now reached over 75,000. Last April he
purchased a cottage at Woodside, where he has since
resided, but he again went to the Pacific for the
Tr;bane, and iu September took a trip to Chicago
and to Kansas. His last article was on the Chinese
for the Boston Congregationalist, which his brother,
the editor, received two days before he was shot.
He was married to MARY LOUISE PEASE, daughter
of SYDNEY W. !'EASE, of Cincinnati, and had five
children, of whom one 'laughter and two sons are
living. His wife, who resided during his imprison-
ment at his native town of Franklin. died there
it March, 1861. Mr. ALTA et.aso was, we be-
lieve, born in New Hampshire., and educated in Bos-
ton. lie was traine las a lawyer, and would have
succeeded in his profession, having considerable
abilities and many goal qualities, but that he took
to drink, which made him for several years a burden
to all connected with him. His wife, whose maiden
name was ABBY SAGE, is handsome, engaging, clever,
and well educated. As her husband earned nothing
to support herself and her two children, she went
on the stage. Mr. GREELEY, touched by her posi-
tion, became a kind friend; and generously endea-
voured to help her husband as well as the lady, and

thus the three, Mr. RICHARDSON, Mr. and Mrs.
M'FARLAND came to belong to what is called
in New York the Tribune set. Through the
influence of HORACE GREELEY, BPFARLAND ob-
tained employment under Government on different
Occasions, and on the Tribune, being assistant-asses-
sor of Internal Revenue under Mr. CLEVELAND at
the time of the assassination, and this accounts
for his awaiting his victim in the office of that
paper. Some three years ago Mr. RICHARDSON
occupied rooms in the house where Mrs. 111.‘Fan-
LAND boarded. At that time she had separated
from her husband, with the mutual understanding
that they should obtain a divorce. His intemperate
habits had led to the separation, for she could not
support the family thus burdened, and would not
endure his cruel conduct when drunk. Upon thesepa-
ration it was arranged between Mr. RICHARDSON
and Mrs. M'FARLAND that they should he married
after she had procured the divorce, and it was on
these terms that their intimacy was maintained,
with the consent of many friends on both sides.
Mr. M`FARLAND at that time intercepted a letter
from RICHARDSON to Mrs. M'FARLAND, which he
said frenzied him. three d tys later, at eleven
o'clock on a dark rainy night, in Nlarch, 1867, Mr.
RICHARDSON was escorting Mrs. MTARLAND home
from the theatre, as he often did, when Mr.
M'FARLAND, who had been lying in wait, began
firing at him, but though the muzzle of the pistol
was almost at the back of his enemy only one shot
in three took effect, entering RICHARDSON'S thigh,and
that wound was so slight that it did not keep him
in bed more than a week. RlCllARDSON,closing,threw
M'FARLAND on the ground, awl kept him there till
the police secured him, but he did not prosecute the
case. The lady sought a divorce in the proper place,
Indiana, and some two months ago, as a matter
of course, succeeded, but M'FARLAND, who had
commenced a civil action against RICHARDSON
for $45,000, grew furious when their plans were
thus far matured, and swore that he would kill Mr.
RICHARDSON if he attempted to marry Mrs. M'FAR-
LAND. Further, Mr. M'FARLAND was informed that
Mr. RICHARDSON was getting rid of his property
with a view of evading the probable result of the
action, and of settling in California; and it was under
these circumstances that he went to the Tribune office
and awaited his victim, who he knew would call for
letters about five p.m. Mr. M'FARLAND is little less
than 50 years of age, and his wife was two or three
years younger than RICHARDSON. Hence this tra-
gedy has been enacted by people who might have
been expected to have grown out of the romantic
and reckless period of life. The subject brought up
is the degree of culpability attaching to a man's act
who thus avenges what he has pronounced to be his
wrong or dishonour. The Tribune is furious, but its
indignation is clearly provoked by personal feeling,
Mr. RICHARDSON having been its valu:d employe
and the personal friend of the editor and its staff.
But other journals discuss the matter more from au
American point of view, and it is clearly of advan-
tage that it should be calmly and dispassionately
commented upon. Essentially Americans are send-
mental ; indeed there are no other people so ruled
by sentiment. A woman may with impunity deli-
berately and cruelly murder any man against whom
she can, with any degree of truth, allege an insult to
her honour. man may shoot another on sight who
or do-
lma in thinway trenched upon his peace