Muscatine weekly journal. [volume] (Muscatine, Iowa) 185?-1890, 1858-06-26
A Terrible Trage DIV.

Some of our citizens will remember the
arrival in this city, two summers ago, OF
North's circus, and the astonishing feat per-
formed by female dttache of that estab-
lishment, who, in the presence of thousands,
ascended wire stretched from the ground
to the top of a pole some sixty feet high.
This parsonage, called Miss Castella in the
bills, was married to James Mcfarland, the
tig gh5. rope performer, four years ago.
Mcfarland was devotedly attached to his
wife, whose mother and sisters he supported
in the most liberal manner. Over year
ago Mrs. Mcfarland left her husband,
seduced away, as Mcfarland believed, by
Mr.. N orth, since which time the unfortunate
man has been afflicted with mental aberra-
ton, and had become a mere wreck OF his
former self. More recently he was informed
that his wife, with the assistance of North,
and without notice to himself, had obtained
divorce from him, and although advised
that divorce under such circumstances was
null and void, his hallusination took a more
violent type, and he continually brooded
over some method of vengeance. On the
26th ult., he went to Kansas City, where
North's Circus was performing, with the
avowed intention of killing North, if he
found him in Mrs. McFarland's room.
Luckily, neither of the parties were found in
her apartments, and Mcfarland left, express
ing a determination to make the same exam
ination in Liberty.
The next day, May 27, Spalding & Rogers
Circus, to which Mcfarland was attached,
and North's Circus, with which Mrs. McFar
land Miss Castella) was performing, both
exhibited in Liberty. Mr. Roberts, the pro-
pretor of the Thompson House, with whom
Norths company boarded, was Informed
that McF Farland was desperado, and that
from an imaginary grievance against North
and Miss Castella, he would doubtless
attempt to gain access to their room with
murderous intentions. Roberts is man of
noted courage, and, determined to preserve
order in his own house, and especially with
ont any intimation Of the merits of the case,
| the hallucination of McF Farland, or his mar
ital relations with the lady, Immediately
armed himself, with the laudable purpose of
protecting his guests as he supposed, from
an outlaw. On Mr. McFarland's arrival at
Liberty, he called at Roberts Hotel and
pointing to Miss Castella's name on the reg
lister, desired to be shown to her room.
Roberts declined, adding that that he would
send up McFarland's card to the lady, and
then, if she wished, show him up. McFar-
land answered that she was his wife. Rob-
erts replied that she did not come there
under his name or charge. Mcfarland i'm
mediately moved towards the hall leading to
the sleeping apartments, remarking he would
like to see anybody prevent his going to his
wife's room, when Roberts sprang to bar his
passage, and both simultaneously drew their
weapons Mcfarland a revolver and Roberts
Il bowie-knife. Roberts gave Mcfarland
four mortal thrusts; at the same moment
McFarland's pistol was once discharged
whether in the paroxysm Of death or at
Roberts spectators differed in opinion.
The Coroner's Jury, with this evidence.
rendered verdict Of justifable homicide
against Roberts.