Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1870-05-18
The Mcfarland Trial

The Mcfarland trial is ended, at last,
by a verdict of acquittal. This result has
been often predicted by those who have
had patience to mark the progress of the
| trial. The jury were out two hours. The
New York dispatch reports quite un-
seemly demonstration in court, when the
verdict was announced, which eliminated
1 in cheers and even kisses, which some of
/ McFarlauds female admirers bestowed
upon the liberated man and his counsel.
1 On the other hand Mrs Richardson pub
/ fishes statement in the Tribune of to-
day, in which she claims to give a full
statement and history of her married life,
T the circumstances of her separation from
her husband, her acquaintance with Mrs
/ Calhoun, Richardson and other friends,
together with a confidential statement in
writing from Richardson to Junius Henri
Browne, dated Dec. lst, 1867, and first
opened by Mr. Browne some time after
/ Richardson's death Mrss Richardson
says
Now, after have waited in patience
for verdict of the newspapers, of the
public and of New York court and jury,
/ have decided that will speak for myself
And this is what mean to do TO write
as exactly as l eau the whole and simple
truth to the minutest detail, reserving
nothing and extenuating nothing. In do
ing this, neither ask nor expect sympa-
thy or justice from the press or the pub
lie.
| married Daniel Mcfarland in 1857,
and was girl of 10, born in Massachusetts,
and educated in New England schools. l
lad been a teacher and was Just beginning
TO write a little for the. Daniel McFar-
land was al Irishman OF 81 or 3S who
had received u partial course a. Dart
mouth College, and had, seven wears before
I knew him, been admitted to me Massa-
ohaa-etta bar When / married bini Re
represented himself 90 be member of the
bar an Madison, vs. isconsin, with -four
Ishing law practice. brilliant political
prospects, and possessed of property to the
amount Of from $50, 900 to $500 He
also protesSed to be a man of temperate
habits, of the purest morals, and, previous
to my marriage, appeared neither intem-
perate, nor brutal, nor protane
After marriage they went first to Madi-
son. Wisconsin. being detained till Mr.
Mcfarland could borrow money to eontinue
the journey. They returned to New York
IN February, 1858, Mr. Mcfarland leav-
ing his watch and chain in pawn at Roch-
ester hotel, TO pay his board bill In less
than three months after their marriage
Mrs. McF. went home, and for fourteen
days did not hear from her husband whom
she left in New Hampshire, and then for
the first time she had a suspicion that he
might be Incorporate During the sum
mer of 1865, Mrs Mcfarland remained at
at her father 5, and in the fall returned to
Brooklyn, living with her husband in two
or three hired rooms. He here first began
to come home intoxicated He would also
come home sober, bringing with him bot
ties called Schiedam Schnapps, containing
a quart or so of vile liquor, and be would
put them by his bedside and drink some
times the whole before morning. when
L begged him not to do SO. he said his
brain was on fire and that this made him
sleep. This was the first time that he
began to tell me about his brain being on
FIRE, which was favorite expression with
him after he had been drinking, and which
so many people have testified to his using,
on his recent trial for his life. As this
was two or three months before my first
child was born, and as all my senses were
nervously acute, and as was, as | believe,
woman of refined taste and feeling, his
breath and whole body steaming with the
vile liquor which he drank during these
nights while L lay awake beside him, made |
HIM very obnoxious to me, so that before | |
had been married to him year, my affec-
II; rI9n Tor him was very much chilled |
- s%y, ~ "Aarly destroyed Mrs. Rich
her husbands increasing br8tiaa1aule bi 1ue s'oly oI |
poverty of their rowing life among N'e%%e N'%e /.
York clearinghouse and lodging-rooms,
her narrow and straitened circumstances.
feeble health, and utterly deplorable con-
dition.
The narrative traces the unpleasant his
tory down to 1866. 1t comprises a great
many details, some of which have found |
their way into the newspapers. The ca
reer of Mcfarland, as painted by her. is
diversified by acts of coarse brutality, su-
perinduced by his evil habits, which are
sufficiently revolving