Buchanan County bulletin. [volume] (Independence, Iowa) 1869-1891, 1870-05-27
MFRS. ElcFAisLAN D.RlCEIAKD DSON.

After the conclusion of the recent trial
in New York City of Mr.. Mcfarland for the
shooting of Mr.. Richardson, and the jury
had rendered their verdict acqutting the
accused, Mrs. Richardson published, in the
New York !. i6une, long lette giving III
de = history of her married life, alleging
/ long and continued neglect and abuse on
the part of Mcfarland, charging him With
deception, diss patton and brutal conduct
during almos: the entire period o! their con-
jugal rels ,ionship. During all this time of
suffering ol her part, she claims 70 have
Submitted to her husbands neglect and
abuse without doing or saying aught to just
iy anything but al ection and the kindest
OF eatme 1t from him, snd - have so y.
to cover up and keep secret from the wo 4
the brutality OF her husband. The follow
ing is Mrs. Richardson's statement of the
immediate cause of Der final separation
rom Mr.. Mcfarland:
"On the evening of the 18th of Februa1 J,
when Mr.. Mcfarland came in f'om the
Custom House. where he had been employ
ed since the lst of February, as clerk in the
Office, procured for him through the inhu-
ence of the Sinclairs, / was standing at Mr..
Rcha rdson's door, in the front hall, and he
was handing me some manuscript, which
he had offered to lend me if l could use
them in some literary work. Mr.. Richard
sons room was used as his working room,
and at this time, as at all parts of the day,
he haa with him stenographer, messenger
boy and artist, who were engaged in his IL
Ia nNl in
he objected to my going to Richardson's
room, to which / replied had rot been in,
was not in, and had not been in the habit
of going there. Even if had been there,
it was not a private room, but an office in
the day time. With this the matter drop
ped, and supposed this was all of il, but
| in few moments Mcfarland commenced
to say something on the subject. l saw he
was in i'll humor, and | supposed he wished
| to make anything the pretext tor one OF his
! passions, and | said little. From this he
worked himself INTO great fury, in which
| | left him to 90 to nv work at tie theatre
He continued in this rage throughout the
night, and spent a terrible night with him.
All the next day, the 10th, he remained at
home abusing and tormentlng. de used
to me expressions which never could for
give or endure, ana still harping on the fact
of nv being at Richardson's ROOM lie
asked me, before Percy, who was all the
time present, .'Did Richardson ever kiss
Won? Have you ever been in his room
alone with him ?" and others, which con
sidered insulting and objectionable. lie
was under the influence Of liquor all the
day remaining at home. and going out eve
ry little while drink. and then coming IN
still more furious. At last he declared he
was willing to be separated from me, and
that might eo home to my father's' ana
leave him. When l assented, he wanted
me to bring in some of my friends to talk
the matter over before them, but l refused
to I, ke conncl from any one till my father
could be sent for, and only preJented him
from calling in some of my friends by rep
resenting to him that be was then so intox.
;cated that his cause would be prejudiced
bv that fact. On the morning of the goth,
before going to the theatre, secreted his
razors. his pocket-krife, nv scissors, and
all articles l thought dangerous, as l often
& d;a % on sucb occasions and left him. When
7 came back he was still raging. He fire.
ouantlv made threats Of committing suicide,
often going out of doors for that avowed
nnrnose. On this occasion, about midnight
be bade me an unusually solemn and etern'
al farewell, and told me this time he was