Amarillo daily news. [volume] (Amarillo, Tex.) 19??-current, 1912-01-05
To Be TRIED FOR
POISONING WIFE
Keen Interest Surrounds
Case Against Allan Nc
Farland at Newark


charged with having caused the
death OF his wife by poisoning her
with cyanide OF potassium. The prep
aratious OF prosecution and defense
are practically completed and no un-
due delay of the trial Is anticipated.
Prosecutor Wilbur A. Mott viii rep
resent the state, while James r. Nc
Dermit and his brother. Frank NJ.
McDermit, will defend the accused.
The case presents many unusual
and interesting features which, in a
measure, recall some of the features
Of the Richeson case In Cambridge,
Mass. In both cases the victim died
of poisoning by cyanide of potassium
and In both cases the poison was
taken while the person accused OF
having committed the murder was
absent. when Mrs. MacFarland. for
whose murder mcfarland Is to be
tried next Monday. was poisoned, the
accused husband was not at his home
In this city but in New York. accom-
panied by his six-year-old son.
Allison mcfarland was born In
Thomaston. Me-, about thirty-three
years ago. He was the only son OF
Mr.. and Mrs. John mcfarland OF
that city and received his early edu-
cation in the Thomaston grammar
and high schools. After two years
In the high school Allison MacFar-
land went TO Rockland. Me, where
he attended a Commercial School. IL
was there that he met Evelyn, the
only daughter OF Mr.. and Mrs. George
A. Crockett. OF Rockland. Allison
frequently called at the girls home
and after courtship of two years
they became engaged. They were
married al Rockland on October 3,
1900 and, for few years seemed to
live happily together. MacFarland
was not steady worker. After one
year in Rockland they went TO
Quincy, Mass. then TO New York,
then TO Chicago. then to Michigan
ard finally 20 philadelphia.
Allison mcfarland Is man OF
considerable inventive ability and
while in Philadelphia invented an
automobile tire. Several capitalists
became interested in the invention
and furnished capital of $4,000 to
put the tire in the market Offices
were opened and Miss Florence
Bromley was engaged as stenograph-
or. She was n handsome and al
tractive blonde with somewhat ro-
mantle past and Allison mcfarland
soon became infatuated with her.
This was about three years aga.
Mrs. mcfarland soon learned of
the relations between her husband
and the pretty stenographer and, a
short time before the birth OF her
second child she returned TO her par
ents In Rockland. where she remain
ed nearly two years In the mean
time the company for manufacturing
the rubber tires had failed and Mac
Farland went TO Newark where he
obtained n position with the Croker
Wheeler Company. manufacturers OF
electrical appliances.
Not until last July did MacFar-
land make any effort to induce his
wife to return to him. At his request
she came to Newark with her daught'
er and her first-born son and heI
parents believed that a perfect recon
citation had taken place between her
and her husband. II seems, how
ever. that mcfarland continued his
relations with the pretty stenograph'
err ard made frequent trips to that
city to visit Miss Bromley secretely
How we'll they kept under cover MAJ
be inferred from the fact that for
several years the parents OF Mis-
Bromley were entirely ignorant o.
the fact that she carried on a low
affair with n married man right be
fore their eyes and entertained init
mate relations with mcfarland
whom she met whenever he came e
Philadelphia.
One Tuesday. October L last, Mae
Farland went to New York with hi
little son to take the boy TO th'
theater. They remained IN New
York over night and did not return
10 Newark until Wednesday morning
When MacFarland arrived at hi
home he found his wife. dressed Il
her nirhtgown, dead on the he'd
Instead OF summoning DIR. Crowley
his next-door neiehbor. MecFarlard
who did not seem in the least excited
walked several blocks and called DR.
William V. Gale. The latter hurrie'
10 MacFarland's house and after
brief examination came TO the con
clusion that Mrs mcfarland hal
died from cyanide Of potassium poi
soping. MacFarland admitted tina
he had a bottle with syanide in tn
house and produced the bottlo Tn
latter, which had been rsed for bro
mide which Mrs. MacFarland ha'
been in the habit OF taking for he
headaches still had the bromide Ia
bel and under II small LABEL wit
the inscription Cyanide OF Potai
stun"
Mcfarland was arrested an
charged with the murder OF HIS wifi,