Clearfield Republican. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1851-1937, 1869-12-08
lore, .sduSfov, .uariaEs and
Murder.

lore. .ssurfo.v, .uerriaFs and
Murder.
The office Of the New York Tribune,
on the 8Otb, ultimo, was the theatre
of tragic scene, by which the we'll
known Albert d. Richardson, one Of
the cdsors of that journal was shot,
Eos being too intimate with another
mans wife, named Mcfarland, who
was also employed in the establish
ment The result ofthis affair caused
a sensation in the circle of socialism,
and is directly traced TO the socialistic
and free.love viows entertained by the
writers of the Tribune, and retailcd
daily and weekly throughout the
country. One thing is certain, the
Tribune men and women practice
what they preach. This is amply
illustrated in the case under consider.
alton Mrs. Observation-Disclosures
has now ono husband in the grave
and one in Jail, and can console her.
self that she is not n widow, thrown
upon the cold charities of tho world
for support. We advise her however
to get another one soon for fear Nc
Farland will be hung. Two years ago
last March, Mcfarland met Richard
son and his wife on the street one
night, recognizing them he drew n
pistol and fired at them, shooting
Richardson in the thigh, inflicting a
wound which disabled him for some
considerable time. This we should
have supposed was warning enough
to put all parties on their guard =
Richardson fingered along until Thurs
dav ,..i,en no died from the effects Of
the wound. But before dying he was
married to Mrs, Mcfarland, by that
clerical buffoon, Henry Ward Beecher
Mcfarland is one of Grants Assessors,
and a daily contributor to the columns
of the Tribune. His and Richardson's
pite is also a contributor. She is the
mother of three children and two
husbands, and all write for Philosopher
Greeley.
The New York Herald in referring
to the tragedy and the parties, says;
"The causes, we apprehend, may
DO traced to those pernicious teach
ings of certain schools of moral and
social reform which Of late years have
been operating in our midst to the
Generalization and disorganization of
the established order Of society. Ma.
terialism in various manifestations,
Fourierism and its congeners, spiritual
aliinitics, free love and woman rights,
embrace the doctrines taught in these
pernicious schools of reform. How far
the peculiar relations established be-
tween Mr.. Richardson and Mrs. Nc.
Farland may DO rightly charged TO
any of these dcmoralizing teachings we
cannot tell; but from the associations
surrounding them, their moral atmos
phere and the divorce laws of Indiana,
VIC cannot resist the impression that
the dclusive facinations of spiritual
affinity and free love werc the false
lights which led these parties astray.
We would not PREJUDICE this case
We have avoided il so far on this ac.
count but when we find it taken up by
woman suffrage association, in this
city, and in advocacy of the free and
easy divorce laws OF Indiana, and the
conduct of Richardson in all this mel.
anvl'vly business prvciaiuaed ny -" o.
gan of the Puritans rs worthy of ad
miration, we feel at liberty to discuss
the vital principles Of social order
involved. Tho Rev. Henry Ward
Bcccher, shining light of modern
reform, and President of tho National
Woman Suffrage Association, has in
this matter given us an extraordinary
piece of evidence of his endorsement
Of these Indiana divorces. 1t was this
Indiana divorce, no doubt, which di.
rectly led Mcfarland TO the murder
which followed. Thus (leaving Nc
Farand in the hands Of justice) il ap.
pears from the facts disclosed that
this dreadful tragedy, from first to
last, on both sides, bctrays that con-
tempt and defiance of personal deco.
rum, vested rights, public sentiment
and law and order which are sapping
the very foundations Of our social fab.
ric. The moral is to be found in that
commandment which says, "Thou
shalt do no murder" and that other
one, which says, "Thou shalt not COW
ct thy neighbors wife,"