The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1911-10-22
ACCUSED or KILLING HIS WIFE
WITH POTASSIUM CIANID.
Charge Il That IIc substituted Poison
for bromide on Medicine Shelf-says
He Believes Her Death Was Caused
by Her Mistake The changed Label.

ioihV o. o'V al oNtutt ioS' VVuhV'u"y
morning on his return from this city after
having been away during the night
The complaint. which was made by
Capt. Michael T. Long of the Fifth pre-
cinct, charged that mcfarland removed
bottle containing a bromide solution
from shelf Of medicine chest and sub
stituted bottle containing cyanide of
potassium solution with intent 10 kill
his wife. Evelyn B mcfarland.
While acting Judge Oehring was read
ing the charge mcfarland remained
perfectly cool, but was pale He stood
with his hands resting against railing
behind him After he had been com
mi,ted mcfarland talked with repor-
| ter and made his first statement except
those 10 the police and county authori-
ties He said he desired tha, the fullest
| light he thrown upon his relations with his
wife and upon the manner of her death
He said:
Il am unable TO explain the manner OF
my wife's death do not believe she COM
mitted suicide. for she never gave any
indication that she was unhappy or dis
| contented | am certain her death was
| tho result of an accident in mistaking for
bromide the cyanide Of potassium that
was in the medicine closet in our home.
| How she came TO make that mistake can
only be conjectured
Il obtained the cyanide Of potassium at
the works of the Crockar Wheeler Com
pany at the request Of my wife We had
kept II in the house in the other cities in
which We lived We used it TO clean
,n,s L. "a ,,, t,t l.
that had stood for some time along with
others on the top shelf Of the closet.
Most Of these bottles were empty I
selected one that had previously con-
tanned bromide that had used myself.
| did not take bottle containing bromide
Of potash that my wife had used and
change the contents The bottle ] used
had never been handled 40 far az know
by my wife. labelled the cyanide by
past ing a written label over the original
one and left the bottle with the poison
on the top shelf. did not think there
was any danger involved in that The
poison was on u shelf that my wife had
no occasion to disturb"
Asked il he had changed the label on
the cvanide bottle between the visits of
DR. George y. Gale. who was first called
in by MacFarland shortly after 10 o'clock
Wednesday morning. and that Of County
Physician Mckenzie at O'Clock the same
afternoon, MacFarland replied:
Il did not change the label or alter il
in any manner after | firsti placed II over
the original bromide label
This was in answer to statement by
DIR. Gale based on his impression Of the
appearance OF the poison bottle when ne
saw il n second time. He told Prosecutor
Mott that when he first saw the label il
Of an inch wide on which was written
cyanide Of potassium" This paper was
pasted. DR. Gale said. over an old label
and the printed word bromide" was
visible above the pasted label. When DR.
Mckenzie saw the bottle the label covered
the original one and the word poison"
was written above the designation Of
contents
Did you and your wife quarrel2- Mac
Farland was asked
Not TO an unusual extent; occasionally
in an ordinary way
Did anything like suspicion exist on
your wlfe's part relative To anotaer
woman?"
NO: ifthey have ever mixed me up with
other women my wife never knew any
| thing about il and there could he no cause
for her To quarrel on that score"
| MaCFarland was confronted with sta te-
ments made 10y Frederick Evmer and
r.. Is. Wilson, photographer and lies
manager respectively Of the Crocker-
! Wheeler Company. contradictng his
assertion that Eymer had given him the
cyanide of potassium. MacFarland said
The stock in the photograph rooms
and IN other parts of the works Is access-
BILE To the various department heads"
Did your wife carry Insurance 10 any
| considerable amount"
She did not"
IL was following "a conference in the
Prosecutor Office AZ which the develop
ments of the investigation were REPORTED
| that il WAS decided to make a charge of
| murder. MacFariand. who was being
held at the Fifth precinct station in "A
, witness room, was brought before Desk
Sergeant Cosgrove and officially recorded.
| He said that he was "a years old
The authorities are inclined to believe
that the label on the cyanide bottle was
changed between the time when Dr
| William Is. Gale was called into the case bv
MacFarland and when County Physician
Mckenzie took charge Of il. DR.. Gale
told the Prosecutors Office that the
original label "Bromidia" could he plainly
read. while beneath il were the words
Cyanide Of Potassium" The new label
almost covers the original one and reads
Poison Cyanide Solution"
Damaging evidence is said to have
been discovered by the authorities in
letters and other belongings taken from
MacFarland's home and from his desk at
the Crocker-Wheeler Company's' works
The police are working on the theory that
q woman figures in the case. MacFar-
land received salary Of $50 a month.
Prosecutor Mott refused to talk about
the contents OF the letters. All 40 said
when asked about them was I'm mighty
glad | have them" Dispatches have
been sent to cities where the MacFarlands
lived before coming to Newark six months
ago in the hope Of finding out something
about them.
MacFarland told the detectives that he
obtained the cyanide of potassium in the
photographing department at his place
OF employment. When Charles ". Ey-
mer, the photographer OF the company was
questioned by the authorities he said
that if MacFarland got the cyanide it was
without the know ledge OF the persons who
had the exclusive right to enter the dark
room whefe it was kept. He said tina,
il was possible for MacFarland to take
the poison from the darkroom because the
room al all times is never locked agains
employees
RocKLAND. Me. Oct, 81 The parents
OF Mrs. Allison MacFarand who died
suddenly in Newark, \, j., on Wednes-
day, spent many anxious hours waiting
for the arrival Of the body only to learn
- - loo,, holI rDr If, 49,, 1,,....