Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1869-12-07
Killing of A. Richardson by McFar-
land.

On Friday Nov. 10Th, Mr.. Albert
ID. Richardson, an old and valued
dttdche OF the Tribune, well known TO
the country as Que OF the war cores
pondents OF the paper during the re-
belllon, and as the author OF Beyond
the Mississippi" and other work.,
was hred upon and shot In the publ
cation office of the Tribune by Daniel
Mcfarland.
The ball entered the body OF the
victim between the breast and abdo-
men and lodged in the stomach
The wounded man fingered until
Thursday last and died. A few days
before his death he was married TO
Mrs. McFarland by Rev Henry Ward
Beecher. The scene was quite i'm
pressive, it being known that he
could not live.
The trouble which led to this I'M
fortunate occurrence dates back to
the spring of 1867, when Mr.. Rich
ardson occupied rooms in the same
house in which Mrs. Mcfarland, wife
0: Daniel Mcfarland, was boarder.
The lady was member of a theatre
cal company, andwas at this time liv-
ing on bad terms with her husband.
Mr.. Richardson frequently escorted
Mrs Mcfarland home from the thea
ter In which she was employed and
this fact, coupled with the desire Of
his wife to be separated from him.
Infatuated Mcfarland. On the even
ing OF the 18Th 0: M arch, 1867, as Mr.
Richardson and Mrs. Mcfarland
were returning to the clearinghouse
they were met by Mcfarland, who,
without a word of warning, drew a
pistol and fired, the shot taking effect
IN Mr.. Richardson's thigh. The at
fair created some excitement at the
time, but as the wound aid not pr ye
fatal and as it was not deemed ad-
visable to give the matter more pub
licity, the assassin was not mOlest-
ed.
Mr.. Richardson is a native of New
England, and brother OF the editor
and proprietor of religious journal
in Boston. Ho was the secret cor
respondent OF the Tribune in the
South while the the acts Of secession
were being passed there, and the ar
my correspondent Of the Tribune in
the West during the war While in
the discharge OF the duties Of that
position he was captured, and suffer
ed confinement for u time in both
Libby and Salisbury prisons. He
escaped from them, and, crossing the
country reached the Union lines
soon atterward he published the
Field, Dungeon and Escape" u
book which has reached the extraor-
binary circulation of SO 600 copies
lie subsequently, published the lie OF
General Grant, regarded as one OF
he most complete OF the mauy books
written about that distinguished Gen.
Ou tho opening OF the Pacific Rail-
road, Mr. Richardson WAS sent over
10 that road py the Tj1bune, and gave
10 this newspaper mucn interesting
correspondence, replete with tacls
not not previously known in relation
to the far West. He has also pub
lished work entitled Beyond the
Mississippi" which already has OBJ
tanned circulation of 10000 copies
RccentlT Mr.. Richardson was sent
by the Tribune to Chicago, st. Louis,
and other places in the West and
Southwest, from whence be has only
returned about week, and the re
suits OF his observations in those sec
tions OF the country have appeared
IN these columns Mr.. Richardson
has for many years been known as
one of the most industrious workers
on the press, and his writings have
always been noted for their simplici-
ty and power of expression, and for
the great amount of valuable and
interesting information they CON
tain.