Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1870-07-08

the shootng.
8. Fourteen months ago the prison er
told Archibald Smith that he was going
to kill Richardson. This is insanity.
Q. Twelve months ago he told Mar
shall p. Jones that he was going to kill
Richardson. Insanity.
10. Nine months ago he was lurking
about Richardson's home in New Jers ey.
and said he was going to kill the said
Richardson. Insanity.
IL. Seven months ago he showed a
pistol to Seth Brown and said that was
for Richardson He said Brown testified
that at that time it seemed plain that
there was something the matter with Nc
Farland, for he crossed the street diago-
nally nine times in fifty yards, apparently
without any settled reason for doing so,
and finally fell in the gutter and went to
sleep. He remarked that ut the time
that Mcfarland "acted strange"-believ-
cd he was insane. Upon hearing Browns
evidence, John W. Galcn. NJ. d., affirm
ed at once that Mcfarland was insane.
u. Five months ago, Mcfarland
showed his customary pistol, in his Gus
tomary way, 10 his bed-fellow. Charles
A Dana, and told him he was going to
kill Richardson the first time IN oppor-
tunty offered. Evidence of insanity.
Is. Five months and two weeks ago
Mcfarland aked John Morgan the time of
day, and turned and walkcd rapidly
auraiJ rithom ,cditing for an anSwer. Al
most indubltablc evidence of insanity.
And
Il. II is remarkable that exactly one
week after this circumstance the prison
er, Daniel Mcfarland, confronted Albert
d. Richardson suddenly and without
warning and shot him dead. This Is
manifest insanity. Everything we know
of the prisoner goes to show that If he
had been sane at the time, he would have
shot his victim from behind.
Is. There is an absolutely ovcrwhclm-
inr mass of testimony TO show that an
hour before the shooting, Mcfarland was
ANXIOUS ASp UNEASY, and Hh .fre mtn-
utcS after IL he Cas EXCITED. Thus the
accumulating conicctures and evidences
of insanity culminate in this sublime and
unimpcachablc proof of it, Therefore
Your Honor and conference.-the the
Jury pronounce the said Daniel McFar-
land INNOCENT or MURDER, But CALAMI'
roUsLy INSANE"
The scene that cnsucd almost dcfcs
description. Hats, haudkerchiefs and
bonnets were frantically waved above
the massed heads in the courtroom, and
three tremendous cheers and a tiger told
where the sympathies OF court and peo-
pie were. Then hundred pursed lips
were advanced TO kiss the liberated pris-
oncr, and many hand thrust out to
give him the congra,ulatory shakc-but
presto with 4 manilc's own quickncsss
and 4 maniac's fury. the lunatic assassin
OF Richardson fell upon his friends with
teeth and nails, boots and office furniture.
and the amazing rApidity with which he
broke heads and limbs, and rent bo-
dies, ill near Il hundred citizens were
reduced to mere quivcring heaps Of flesh
ly odds and ends and crimson rags, was
like nothing in this world but the cXult
ant frenzy of plunging, tearing. roar
ing devil of steam engine when it
scratches human being aud spins him
and whirls him ill he shreds away to
no,hngness like "four o'clock before
the breath OF child.
Tie destruction was awful. 1t is said
that Mcfarland killed and crippled some
six score of persons and tore down 4
large portion of the City Hall building,
carrying away and casting into Broadway
six or seven marble columns fiity-four
fcetlong and weighing nearly two tons
each. But he WAS finally captured and
sent in chains to tho lunatic asylum for
life. BY late telegram it appears that
this is a mistake.-EDIroR EXPRESS.
But the really curious part of this
whole matter is yet to be told And that
is, that McFarland's most intimate friends
believe that the very first time it ever oc-
Cured to him that the insanity plea was
not mere polite pretense, was when
that verdict came in. They think that
the startling thought burst upon him,
then, that if twelve good and true men,
able to comprehend all the baseness OF
perjury, proclaimed under oath that he
,caS a fanatic, there WaS no gatn-Saytng
such ertdeMce, and he UNoUEsTIoNABLY
WAS INSANE!
Possibly that was really the way OF it.
1t is dreadful to think that maybe the
most awful calamity that can befall q
man, namely, loss Of reason, was pre-
cipitated upon this poor prisoner by ju.
rv tha: could have hanged instead, and so
done him mercy and his country Ser
vice. MARK TWAIN.
POSTSCRIPT-LATER.
MAY Ill do not expect anybody to
believe SO astounding thing, and yet it
is the solemn truth that instead of in
stantly sending this dangerous lunatic to
tho insane asylum, (Which | naturally
supposed they would do and SO l prema-
turely said they had,) the court has ac-
tually SET HIM AT LIBERTY. Comment Is