St. Paul daily globe., 1892-06-27
AN ATROCIOUS CRIME
A Father Murders His Son,
Taking Him in the Dark
for Another,
Horrible Experience OF a
Horse Dealer in a Quiet
Hostelry.
Lying Under a Bed While a
Man Is Being Murdered
in 1t.
Detectives Work in Bringing
a Wicked Family TO
Justice.

purpose that the tombS Is now used,
says the New York Dispatch. Two of
its earliest occupants were 1 hOmaS and
James Mcfarland, father and son. re-
Spectively. Their crime was an afro
cious murder, and the facts are these
One night William PearSall. a horse
dealer, living in P0rtcheSter. after hay
ing effected a sale in Brooklyn. stopped
at a quiet inn in that section OF the city
known as Melrose. He had never been
there before, but the house was COM
Portable and the appearance of the
people respectable.
Having first attended to his horse. he
sat down to supper with his host and
family. During the meal he was asked
whence he came. and when he SAID
Brooklyn, by way OF New York. all
present were anxious to hear the news.
The dealer told them all he knew. The
host then inquired what business had
carried him to Brooklyn, and was told
that he went there to sell some of the
best horses ever taken TO that section
OF the country. When he heard this the
host cast a glance at one of the men OF
the family, who seemed TO be his son.
which PearsalI scarcely observed, but
which he had reason afterward 10 re-
call.
When supper was finished Pearsall
requested 10 be shown 10 his bed. The
host himself conducted PearSall across
a little yard at the back of the house to
a detached building, which contained
two rooms. In the inner OF these rooms
was bed, where the host left him. 1t
may lee stated here that this inn was
conducted by Thomas Mcfarland and
his wife. assisted by two SONS, James
and John, and daughter, Kitty. Vari-
Gus stories had from time TO time got
afioat of crooked deeds committed by
the elder Mcfarland and his son James
while John, it was :a:( w: capableot
almost anything if he could be kept
sober. AS for Kitty, she was not con-
sidered a prototype of Caesars wife.
In fact, the Whole crowd was bad.
As PearSali threw off his coat and
loUsened the girdle round his waist
where his money was deposited, he
was all safe. Accordingly he drew out
an old leathern purse that contained his
gold, and then a tattered parchment
pocketbOOk that contained bank notes,
and, finding them all right, he put them
under his pillow and then went to bed
and was soon enjoying sleep.
He might have been in this state an
hour OF two when he was disturbed by
noise like that of the opening of a win
dow and
by Sudden Rush
of cool air; on raising himself on the bed
he saw peerlng through an open viii
dow, which was almost Immediately
above the bed, the head and shoulders
OF man. who was evidently attempting
10 enter the room that way. As the ter
Tiiied PearSall looked the intruding
figure was withdrawn, and lie heard
mumbling noise, ami then the voices of
several men, as he thought, close under
the window.
The most dreadful apprehenSiOns. the
more horrible as they were so sudden,
now agitated PearSall, who, scarcely
knowing what he did, threw himself
under the bed. He had scarcely done
so when he heard the hard breathing of
4 man at the open window, and the next
moment he saw robust fellow drop
into the room, throw Off his jacket on
the floor and then toss himself on the
bed under which he lay. Terror, how
ever, had taken too firm hold on him
TO be shaken off at once; his ideas were
too confused to permit his imagining
any other motive for such an intrusion
than robbery and murder, and he lay
quiet until he heard the fellow snoring
with all the sOnOrOusnesS of drunkard.
Then, indeed, he would have gone to
rouse the people i'll the inn TO get an
other resting place, but just as he came
to this resolution he heard the outer
room door open, then Stealthy steps
2 10 81,
room he was in softly opened, and two
men, one of whom was Mcfarland and
the other his son James, appeared on
the Threshold.
Leave the light where it is" whis-
pered the elder Mcfarland, "or it may
disturb h.m and give US trouble"
There is no fear of that" said the
youngest man, also in a whisper. I'VE
are tw to one; he has nothing but
small knife. He dead asleep, too.
Hear how he snores."
DO my bidding." said the old man
sternly. Would you have him wake
and probably attract attention by his
screamS?"
As it was, the eterrOr-stricken Pearsall
under the bed could scarcely suppress a
shrek. but he saw that the son left the
light in the outer room, and then, pull
ing the door partially shut after them
to screen the rays of the lamp from IL e
bed. he saw the two murdererS glide 10
the bedside, and then heard a rustling
motion as of arms descending on the
beG-clOthes. and a Kissing and then
grating sound that turned his soul sick,
for he knew it came from knives or
daggers
Penetrating to the Heart.
or vitals of a human being like him.
self. anG only few inches above his
Owl body.
This was followed by one sudden and
violent start on the bed, accompanied
by moan. Then the bed, which was
low one. was bent by an increase of
weight caused by one or both of the
murderers throwing themselves upon
it, until it pressed on the body of Pear
sail.
There was an awful silence for mo-
ment or two, and then the elder McFar-
land said: "He is finished: | have cut
him across the throat. Take the money.
l saw him put 1t under his pillow"
i have it; here it isl said the son:
"a purse and pocketbook."
Pearsall was then relieved from the
weight which had pressed him almost
d
seemed to tremble as they went out of
the room, took up the light and disap-
peared altogether from the room. No
sooner were they fairly gone than Pear
sail crawled from under the bed, took
pDe desperate leap and escaped through
the window by which he had seen en-
tel the unfortunate wretch who had
evidently been murdered in his stead.
As ne ran along narrow path lead
Ing to lane the figure of woman sud
denly appeared before him, and dealing
him blow with club, turned about
and fed toward the house. Pearsall fell
forward and for a minute or two lay
stunned. Regaining consciousness he
Jped along the lane as fast as his
Ttrength would permit, when he came
up with wagon driven by resident OF
The neighborhood. All he could do was
10 ask for protection, climb
into the wagon and then re-
lapse into Inconsistencies. In this
condition he was taken into the house
IF the owner of the vehicle, and medical
aid sent for. A confusion of the lower
base of the skull was found. beside a
slight bruise over the frontal bone. For
lays Pearsall tossed upon q bed of