Rutland weekly herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1859-1877, 1870-05-19
Statement of Mrs. ich-
ardson.
THE SEPARATION COMPELLED BY OUT
RAGEOUs BRUTALITY


The Tribune of Wednesday morning
published Mrs. Albert D. Richardson
full statement and history of her married
life, the circumstances of her separation
from her husband, acquaintance with
Mrs Calhoun, Richardson and other
friends, together with confidential state,
ment in writing from Richardson to
Junius Henri Browne, dated December l,
1867, and first opened by Mr.. Browne
some lime after Richardson's death. Mrs
Richardson says:
"Now, aiUer have awaited in patience
the verdict of the newspapers, of the pub
lie, and of New York court and jury, ]
have decided that I will speak the first
and last word | shall ever speak for my
self, and this is what I mean to do,-to
write as exactly as I can the whole and
simple truth to the minutest detail, re-
serving nothing and extenuating nothing,
| neither ask nor expect sympathy or JUS
tice from press or public.
81 married Daniel Mcfarland in 1857
| was girl of 10, born in Massachusetts
and educated in New England schools.
ming to write little for the press. Dan
iel Mcfarland was an Irishman of 81 or
50, who had received a partial course at
Dartmouth college, and had, some years
before knew him, been admitted to the
Massachusetts, bar. When [ married him
he represented himself to be a member of
the bar in Madison, Wis, with a flourish
ing law practice, brilliant political pros
poets, and possessed of property to the
amount of $4,000 to $4,000 He also
professed to be man of temperate habits,
of the purest morals, and, previous to my
marriage. appeared neither incorporate,
nor brutal, nor profane."
After marriage they went first to Mad
ison, Wis, being detained in New York
till Nc arland could borrow money to con-
tinue the journey, and returned to New
York in Feb, 1858, Mcfarland leaving
his watch and chain in pawn at Roches-
ter hotel, to pay his board bill. In less
than three months after their marriage,
Mrs Mcfarland went home, and for four
teen days did not hear from her husband,
whom she left in New York. In answer
to telegram, he came to Mr.. Sage's, in
New Hampshire, and then for the first
time she had a suspicion that he might be
Incorporate. During the summer of 1868
she remained at her fathers, and in the
fall returned to Brooklyn, living with her
husband in two or three hired rooms but
he here first began to come home intoxi.
Gated. He would also come home sober,
bringing with him bottles called Schiedam
schnapps, containing a quart or so of vile
liquor, and would put them by his bed
side and drink sometimes the whole be-
fore morning.
when L begged him not to do this, he
said his brain was on fire. and this made
him sleep. This is the first time he began
to tell me about his brain being on fire.
which was favorite expression with him
after he had been drinking, and to which
so many people have testified to his using
on the recent trial for his life. AS this
was only two or three months before my
first child was born, and my senses were
nervously acute, and as | was also as I be-
ing, his breath and whole body steaming
with the vile liquor which he drank dur
ing these nights, while | lay awake be-
side him, made him very odious to me, SO
that before had been married to him a
year, my affection for him was very much
chilled, I might say, nearly destroyed"
Mrs. Richardson then recites at length
the story of her husbands increasing bru-
tality and poverty; their rowing life
among New York boarding houses and
lodging rooms; her narrow and straight
ened circumstances, feeble health and ut.
terly deplorable condition. The narrative
covers the time from 1859 to 1866, and
the following are among the most striking
incidents
cat the Christmas of 1862, was SC
anxious to have Percy with me and I felt
SO hopeful of doing well during the winte,
with the dramatic readings which I had
begun, that I sent Mr.. Mcfarland on te