The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1870-05-16

tai and two for conviction of one of the grades
of manslaughter, when they first entered the
Jury room. The matter was discussed for some
time, and finally the two jurors yielded, and a
unanimous verdict was agreed upon.
Statement of Mrs. Mcfarland.
The New York Tribune of Wednesday con-
tains an affidavit by ''Mrs. A. D. Richardson, +"
giving history of her married life with McFar-
land and her relations with Richardson, hav-
ing, she says, after waiting in patience the YER
dict of the newspapers, the public and New
York court and jury, decided to speak the first
and last word she will ever speak for herself.
1t the age of nineteen, in the year 1857, she
married Mcfarland at her home in New Hamp-
shire. He was then 81 or 38 years ofage, had
some years previously been admitted to the
Massachusetts bar, but al the tllue OF the mar
riage represented himself member of the bar
of Madison, Wisconsin, with a hourisnlng law
practice, brilliant political prospects, and
500, 900 or $4,000. He also professed to be a
man of temperate habits and purest morals.
Immediately alter the marriage they went
to Madison, as she thought to reside
permanently. While in New York on the
way, he had to borrow the money to continue
the Journey. They had been in Madison only
few weeks when he told nef that ne was 60
Ing to New York to live, as he could trade his
lands there for real estate or personal proper
ty. They were detained at Rochester on their
way to New York, by her illness for ten days,
and he had to pawn his watch and chain for
his hotel bill. In New York, where they ar
rived in February, 1858, he kept her three or
four weeks, and then after pawning all the
jewcry she had to pay the board oil, sent me her
returned home in less that three months after
marriage. With the exception of a week or
two, she remained at her fathers until the
fall of 1858, Mcfarland representing in the
meantime that his business required much
travelling about. She had discovered enough
to feel suspicion that he was intemperate, and
1t was not without misgiving that she returned
with him to New York. Then commenced their
life of Wretchedness. They hired cottage in
Brooklyn, furnished two or three rooms, for
few weeks kept servant, and being without &C
quaintances, lived almost entirely alone. He
here first began to come home intoxicated.
He would also come home sober, bringing with
him quart bottles Of Scheldam schnapps; would
put them by his bedside, and sometimes drink
the whole before morning This was only two
or three months before the first child was
born. and his conduct had become SO disgust
ing that "her affection for him was very much
chilled nearly, she might say, destroyed" J"
Although he professed during this time to
have made several trades of his Wisconsin
lands, making what he called excellent bar
gains, she was always oppressed for want OF
money, and with great difficulty got scanty
wardrobe for her baby, which was born in De-
cember. This child died the following spring,
when she was at her fathers, where, 1t seems,
she spent the best part Of her time up to their
separation in 1867, Mcfarland paying but
small amount for her board, but frequently
borrowing money from her father, When he
was out of any employment, it was at
length evident that she should do some
thing for the support OF the family, ana
after they had shifted about from place to
place, she finally, at Madison, Wisconsin, in
1861, gave some public readings, on his propo-
sitlon, which she repeated after coming to New
York Hert she met with many vicisstudes,
and met with many kindnesses from Mrs. CAL
houn, Mrs. Sinclair and others, who at one
time found herin abject poverty, nearly always
miserable on account Of the drunken brutali-
ties OF her husband. In one of her later letters
to Mrs. Calhoun, in which she conhded to her
her troubles, she says: "You know when was
married had not much experience of life or
Judgment of character. When Mr.. Mcfarland
asked me to marry him, said yes without
proper delibcration. I was not in love with
any one else; everybody got married,
thought. and I never questioned whether
was sufficiently iu love or not" On Christmas,
1862, he pawned oil her Jewels He was un-
speakably cruel to her, and threatened to force
prussIc acid down her throat and to let his
hearts blood out before her. One morning,
after drunken orgie, he struck her q blow
across the face, making her reel backward,
and which she never could forget. After this
She always caught his eye when in a passion,
fancying he could not do her mortal violence.
By silence or self-control she believed her life
was thus saved. Sometimes be approached
her with hands extended, and his fingers bent
like claws, as If about to clutch at her throat,
CRYING, "How I would like to strangle you
Your life Is bound sometime to end in TRACE.
dy, and your blood will be on your own head"
He became bitterly enraged, drank heavily,
and used expressions in Mr. Richardson n's hear
ing she could not endure. At last he declared
he was willing to separate; that she might go
to her father. At midnight he bade her an
eternal farewell, saying that he was certainly
going to destroy himself. He took another
notion, and begged forgiveness. She placed
herself under the protection OF Mrs; Slnclalrs s
roof, and never after saw Mcfarland except IN
the presence Of others. Mr.. Richardson's treat
ment Of her was always most respectful and
reserved Her boy, seven years old, was al
ways present at his calls He pitied her.
In passion Mcfarland seized and broke
lamps, glasses, mirrors and would tear up her
bed and night clothing. She then speaks OF the
accidental introduction to Mrs. Sinclair, who
treated her with kindness and got her husband
situatien-Mrs. Sinclair giving house rent
free. On New Years Day Of 1867 Mcfarland
drew two weeks OF her salary at the theatre
and went on drunk, leaving her unable to
pay her board I'LL. She relates her accidental
meeting with Richarson, who came to lodge at
the same house, and Mcfarland seeing her IN
his working room getting her some manuscript
She says he saw her struggling through the
world with her children, separated from her
husband, and loved her. This love was re-
turned. The formal separation from McFar-
land, in which he seemed to release her from
the bondage in which he had held her, had to
her the moral effect Of divorce. Regarding
the intercepted letter, she says 1t was mix
ture of lest and sentimentallsm. ANY one who
knew Mr.. Richardson would readily understand
his allusion to his love Of her as the growth OF
years. 1t was simply sentimentalisn, az ne
hal known her only few months.
She admits the improperly Of her conduct
and that of Richardson in their mutual express
sions of love, but declares that further than
this their intercourse was most pure and hon.
orable, and that they rarely met from the time
of her husbands first shooting Richardson, in
1867, until their marriage, in 1869, and then
only in the presence of others. She expresses
great regret at ever having allowed herself to
agree to division Of the children. Regarding
her divorce in Indiana, she knew Mcfarland
had committed adultery while she lived with
him, and had been offered proof of his COM
mitting the crime since she left him. But she
preferred divorce on the grounds of drum
kenness, extreme cruelty, and failure OF sup
mort She aonclndps rs follows