North Iowa times. [volume] (McGregor, Iowa) 1867-current, 1870-05-18
WHOLE No. 709.

The history of her acquaintance with
Mrs. Calhoun is given, as also the engag-
ment at Winter Garden, together with
the letter in which she told the story of
her married life to Mrs. Calhoun. Mrs.
Richardson then passes to review of
her acquaintance with Mr.. Richardson,
and his connection with her case up to
the time of her coming to the room at
the same house in Amity street. Their
acquaintance had been very slight and
formal. They had met occasionally at
Mrs Sinclair's, and Mrs. Calhoun's, and
up to the Goth Of January, 1867, her
acquaintance with Richardson consisted
solely of two calls at the request of her
husband to solicit his (Richardson's) J
aid in getting Mcfarland place
in the employ of the Pacific Railroad
Company. OF the Amity street lodgings
she says: "If l had any feelings about
MIR. Richardson's coming to take room
50 near Mr.. Mcfarland and myself, it
was one of aversion, from the fact that
he could not be there without knowing
something of my unhappy life. 1 saw
him then often. He did me many kind
nesses. There was never, prior to my
leaving Mcfarland, a word, or even
look, passed between us which I should
not be glad if all the world had seen
and heard" On the day of the separa-
ton, February 21st, 1867, Richardson
told Mcfarland "This is matter in
which 1 cannot advise you, but what
You do | shall be glad to help you in. -
On the evening of the separation, as
Richardson was leaving Sinclair's, he
bid Mrs. Mcfarland goodbye, saying,
Il wish you to remember my child, that
any responsibility you choose to give me
in any possible future, l shall be very
glad to take," and two days after made
a formal avowal of his love, he counsel
ling her to tell her friends all he said
and take their counsel. Richardson
was first shot on the 18th of March,
1867, and then Mrs. Mcfarland says
she heard of the intercepted letter for
the first time, but never saw it, or knew
its contents, until it appeared in print.
After the shooting, Mcfarland rifed
all his wife's correspondence, manu-
scripts, private papers, etc., appropriat-
ing letters form Mrs. Sinclair, and Mrs.
Calhoun, which we're read on trial Mrs
Richardson incorporates this portion of
her narrative letter from Richardson,
dated March 81, 1867, containing, in
most earnest terms, affection avowed in
the intercepted letter, and which she
says is the keynote to absolute love
and trust, in which Richardson held her
for three years, which passed till his
death
The history of the habeas corpus case
and Indiana divorce case are also given.
OF the latter she says: ''The laws there,
as | found on consulting, permit a di-
vorce from drunkenness, extreme cruelty
and failure to support wife. l knew
beyond doubt Mcfarland had commit
ted adultery while | lived with him.
had been offered proof that he had COM
mitted that crime against marriage.
Since | had ceased to live with him
was told that adultery was the only
grounds on which divorce in New
York was obtainable, but I repeat now
what l said then, with all my soul upon
my lips, that l consider his treatment
Of me, his personal abuses, his terrible
profanity, his outrages of all kinds, an
Infinitely greater sin against me and my
womanhood than if he had committed
again and again unknown to me crimes
against the marriage VOW, which is the
only cause New York courts hold just
grounds for divorce My opinion in
this remains unchanged even while
write. During the long time, almost
three years, that ensued between my
former separation and my legal divorce
my acquaintance with Mr.. Richardson
had been most carefully guarded. Dur
ing all my stay in Indiana, and in all
his frequent journeyings West, l never
saw him once, and he carefully avoided
passing through the city where l STOP
ped, to give no shade of cause for
scandal. On the 3lst of October, 1869
l came home on November II, 1869
Mr.. Richardson came on to his moth.
er's house, in Midway, to Thanksgiving
On Thanksgiving Eve, l met him at the
railroad station, and he came from his
aged mother, whose youngest 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
evening party at the house of mutual
friend. On the day after TAanksgiv.
ing Mr.. Richardson went back to New
York. Nothing definite was planned
about our future. just week after he
left despatch came that he was mortally
hurt. came to New York, to nurse him
till he died. When came he asked me il
there should seem at any time to be no
hopes Of his recovery, if would
marry him at once, and | said l would
We decided to wait till he recovered. II
otherwise l suppose he wished to be mars
ried that might have frmer right to
take the charge and rearing of his five or
phan children, and because he could die
more peaceful having made me his wife. !.
"On the evening Of the 10Th of Feb.
when Mr.. Mcfarland came in from the
Custom House, where he had been EN-.
ployed since the first of February, as
clerk in the Office, procured for him
through the influence of the Sinclairs,
l was standing at Mr.. Richardson S
door, in the front hall, and he was
handing me some manuscript, which
he had offered to lend me if [ could
use them in some literary work. Mr.
Richardson's room was used as his
working room, and at this time, as at