The Emporia news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1859-1881, 1870-05-20
STATEMENT BY ALBERT ID. RICH.
ARDSON.
LETTER TO MIR. JuN1Us HENRI Browne
FoRDHAM, New YORK,
Sunday Night. Dec. l, 1867.

My DEAR JUNIUs: On the last nine
pages fmy "Household Expense Book"
in my desk here, you will find a clear
statement of my business affairs.
Should the mailman who has once at
tempted my life-and who just now
shows some symptoms of renewing his
attempt-succeed in killing me, as lie
has threatened so vehemently to scores
of people, will you please set forth
clearly a few of the facts for the sake of
the lady they involve (yOW know how
hard, how seh-sacrificing, and how pure
her life has BEEN and Ofmy own chill
dren, whom l wish to have know all
about them, that they may see, in ma
turer years, that my conduct i'll this
matter has at least left them nothing to
blush for. Some of these cardinal facts
are:
First That he has inherited a faint
of madness in his blood, his grandfather
(maternaD having died maniac, and
one of his brothers having been for
years notorious for his absolute mad
ness when under the influence ofliguor,
and having so abused his wife ut such
times that she will carry the scars to
her dying day. In has liquor fits his
family have been obliged to keep him
shut up like any other madman.
Second: That before Daniel McFar-
wears. he had, i'll q fit of passion, struck
her so violently in the face that she car
ried the marks for days, and that again
and again. in his mad fits, he had terri
fed her with threats of violence to him
self and her by the display of revoivers,
knives, ETC., etc.
Third That from pride and delicacy
she had shielded him as far as possible,
had kept his infirmities secret in the
vain hope that he might reform, had
worked hard and uncomplainingly for
the support of her children and of him
that finally she had explained fully to
two oil her friends, about the 1st of jan
uary last, the terrible life that was kill
| ing her, and asked their counsel that the
letter to one of them i'll which she did
| this is still in existence to be seen by
any one who has right to inquire into
the matter, and that it bears on its face
such evidence of truth and candor and
moderation that anybody with any
knowledge of character can fail to be
| impressed with its judicial eXactness.
| Fourth: That all this was before
had anything but the most formal ac-
quaintance with her.
| Fifth: That finally, late in February
last, i'll one of his frenZied fits, while l
CHANGED to be rooming in the same
house with them, heard enough of his
violence to give me the gravest appFe-
tensions of tragedy.
Sixth: That she then separated from
him; sent for her father, and in his
presence and that of other friends had
an interview with him; began to re-
count what she had undergone; that he
would not hear her go into details
which he kneLC was so humiliating to
him; that she told him in presence of
these witnesses it was her inflexible de-
termination never to live with him
again that in the same presence he &C.
quiesced in the separation, and volun-
tarily said that he consented for the
present that the custody of the children
should be with her father.
Seventh: That in spite of all his as
severations that her story only a few
: weeks before they did separate he had
: himself proposed that they should sep
arate that he wished to go and talk
the matter over with gentleman whom
both knew (Mr. e. }, and she kept him
from going because he was in liquor.
} Eighth: That she now has in posses
, sion q letter of his, written to her siY
; years before / knew either party, in
which, over his signature, and in his
! own hand, he fully admits his violence
to her, and corFObQrates in general, ev-
cry word of her own statements about
: it.
Il have been thus minute, because hC
: has asserted so frequently that therS
: had been no trouble between them
: save the usual ''tiffs," as he phrases it
, between husband and wife and that
: all assertions to the contrary, are the
3 result of "plot or conspiracy, between
: her, two or three of her lady friends
: and myself, to take her from him ant
Q destroy his domestic peace.P)
ri Ninth That affair this final cou0 20
= ton last February, after she had applied
a to her lawyer, Mr.. Runkie, to take thu
4 necessary steps for a divorce, she wa
e so situated that I was thrown mucl
= with her, that knew her character and
I worth thoroughly, that my sympathie
9 for her suffering aud halBlessHsss IL
e facing the world with two children Il
S support, which had existed all the while
: developed into warmer feeling-tha
/ tOeed her-that 1t became an under
s stood thing between us that when sh,
4 was lasaily free che should become M
: wife, Before the separation no sucl
e thought had ever catered my hGaFt, anC
S she had never uttered ono word to me
o which the most loyal wife might no
+. speak TO any gentleman whom sht
n knew and respected.
i Tenth: That some weeks after tn,
e separation, he Intercepted letter from
me 10 nef, Wnlon showed MIN tnat Wh6I
= she should be legally free ] hoped t.
S marry her--a letter couohed in tn,
Il terms usually employed by q man to
/. ward the lady who is TO be his wife.
b Eleventh: That after getting this let
r ter, early on a Monday morning, b.
g kept 1t !; said nothing to any one abou
IS it; did not seek me either in HARTFORD
l. or New York, though he knew nay
y places of business, and exactly how 4
g find me, but concealed his purpose, chi
\ never approached me until IL oiciOcl
= of the dark, rainy Wednesday might
d nearly three days after obtaining Il, a
{, we were going from the thsatbF wheF
N she was employed, and where haI
n called to escort her to her friend
: house, where she was staying for
5. month, till her engagement should b
lie over, and she could return to her par
W ents IN misunderstanding stole stealth
E lily up behind me, and, with his pisto
n within IA inches of my, body, shot M
e. in the back. That he fIrod two NOR
n shots at me In ALL and while he wa
4 trying to get olfa fourth grapplefl hin
y, threw him to the pavement, and tRer