The Fremont weekly journal. [volume] (Fremont, Sandusky County, Ohio) 1867-1877, 1870-05-20

had ceased to live with him. | was
told that adultery was the only
ground on which Il divorce in New
York was obtainable, but l repeat
now, what / said then with all my
soul upon my lips, that l consider
his treatment of me, his personal
abuse, his terrible profanity, his out
RACES of all kinds, an infinitely great
er sin against me and my wOmanhOod
than if he had committed, again and
again unknown to me, the crime
against the marriage relation which
is the only cause the New York
courts hold as a just ground for di-
yorce. My opinion in this remains
unchanged, even while / write. Dur
ing the long time, nearly three years,
that ensued between my former sep
aration from Mcfarland and nv le-
gal divorce my acquaintance with Mr.
Richardson has been most carefully
guarded. During all my stay in In
diana, and all his frequent journey
ings west, ! never saw him once, and
he carefully avoided passing through
the city where [ stopped, to give no
shadow of cause for scandal. On
the 31st of October, 1859, I came
home. On November II, 1869 Mr..
Richardson came on to his mothers
house in Midway to Thanksgiving.
On Thanksgiving evening 1 met him
at the railroad station as he came
from his aged mothers, whose young
est son he was. For the first time
since he was shot in 1867, / walked
with him in the street. In all that
time we had entered no place of
amusement together, and had only
once met, accidentally, at an, eve
ming party atthe house of a mutual
friend.
''On the day after Thanksgiving,
Mr.. Richardson went back to New
York. Nothing definite was plan
med about our future. Just a week
after he left, a dispatch came that he
was mortally hurt, and 1 came to
New York to nurse him till he died.
When l came he asked me, if there
should seem at any time to be no
hope of his recovery, if / would mar
| ry him at once, and l said I would.
Otherwise we decided to wait till he
recovered. | supposed he wished to
be married that l might have firm
er legal right to take the charge and
rearing Of his three orphaned child
ren, and also because he could die
more peacefully after having made
me his wife"
As for myself, if l had ten thou
sand lives, should have been more
than glad to have given them up
for him who was dying for the crime
Of having loved me, and his Eghtest
wish in the matter would have weigh
ed with me against all other motives
in the world, so when it became plain
that he must 60 away from all the
hearts that yeaFned to hold him
here, we were married.
Albert d. Richardson, in a letter
to Junius Henri Browne, dated De
cember 1st, 1867, SAYS, s'Should the
mad man who has once attempted
my life, and who shows symptoms OF
renewing his attempt, succeed in kill
ing me as he has threatened, please
set forth some of the facts for the
lady they involve, and Of my own
children, so that they may see that
my conduct has left them nothing
to blush for. Some Of these facts
are: first, that he has inherited q
taint Of madness in his blood, and
second, that before he had been mar
ried two years he struck his wife vi
olently and has frequently abused
her, besides threatening violence to
her and himself with knives and pis-
tolls; third, that from pride and deli.
cacy she shielded him and kept these
things secret, and finally explained
fully to two of her trends their stu
alton and asked their counsel. A
letter to one exists and can be seen,
Fourth, that all this was before
knew her or had anything but amOst
formal acquaintance" Richardson
further said that she separated from
Mcfarland and sent for her father,
and in the presence of him and other
friends had interviews with MeFar-
land in which he consented to sepa.
ration and left the children With her
father; that after this final separa-
ton and she had taken steps for di-
vOrce, Richardson was thrown much
in her company and his interest de.
yeloped into warmer feeling. 1t be,
came understood that they would be
married when she should be legally
free. He declares that before the
separation no such thought had evel
entered his heart and she had never
uttered one word which the most
loyal wife might not say to any gen
ltleman she knew and respected
Richardson said he did not prosecute
Mcfarland after the first shooting
because he wished to avoid public
scandal, because he knew Mcfarland
was half mad man, and because he
felc having done wrong to mention
marriage so soon after mentioning
arrangements about the children.
Richardson says he did not want the
blood of any man, especially of this
on his hands, and he was determined
if attacked again to run great risk
rather than do bodily harm to Nc
Farland. He could have taken Nc
Farland's life on the first attack, but
was always glad he did not. He
commends his children snd the lady
he has loved to the care Of the friends
to whom the letter is addressed, and
says they both have faced death too
often and seen the sweet sleep and
perfect rest it brings, to have any
fear oft.
How Lawyer was Repaid for his
Kindness.
About twelve years ago a we'll