Year: 1870

/ IN New I Ork City OF Mr. McFaTlanQ Tor
the shooting of Mr.. Richardson, and the
| jury had rendered their verdict acqritting
the accused, Mrs. Richardson published, in
the New York Tribune, q long letter, Civ
ing in detail history of her married life,
alleging long and continued neglect and
| abuse on the part of Mcfarland, charging
him with deception, dissipation and brutal
conduct during almost the entire period of
their conjugal relationship During all
this time of suffering ON her part, she
claims to have submitted to her husbands
neglect and abuse without doing or saying
aught to justify anything but affection and
the kindest of treatment from him, and to
have sought to cover up and keep secret
from the world the brutality of her hus-
band. The following is Mrs. Richardson's
statement of the immediate cause of her
final separation from Mr.. Mcfarland:


"On the evening of the 10Th of Febru-
ary, when Mr.. Mcfarland came in from
the Custom House, where he had been
employed since the 1st of February, as
clerk in the office, procured for him
through the influence of the Sinclairs, /
was standing at Mr.. Richardson's door,
| in the front hall, and he was handing me
some manuscript, which he had offered to
| lend me if could use them in some liter
ary work. Mr.. Richardson's room was
used as his working room, and at this
time, as at all parts of the day, he had
| with him stenographer, messenger, boy
and artist, who were engaged in his lit
erary works When Mcfarland came in
he objected to my going to Richardson's
room, to which replied had not been
in, was not in, and had not been in the
habit of going there. Even if | had been
there, it was not private room, but an
Office in the day time. With this the mat
ter dropped, and l supposed this was all
of it, but in q few moments Nc
thing on the subject I saw he was in
ill humor, and | supposed he wished
to make anything the pretext for one of
his passions, and [ said little. From this
he worked himself into great fury, in
which left him to go to my work at the
theatre. He continued in this rage
throughout the night, and spent terri
BILE night with him. All the next day, the
Goth, he remained at home, abusing and
tormenting. He used to me expressions
which I never could forgive or endure,
and still harping on the fact of my being
at Richardson's room. He asked me, be-
fore Percy, who was all the time present,
"Did Richardson ever kiss you? Have
you ever been in his room alone with
him?" and others, which / considered in
sulting and objectionable. He was under
the influence of liquor all the day, remain
ing at home, and going out every little
while to drink, and then coming in still
more furious. At last he declared he was
willing to be separated from me, and
that might go home to my fathers, and
leave him. When assented, he wanted
me to bring in some of my friends to talk
the matter over before them, but
| refused to take council from any,
one till my father could be sent
for, and l only prevented him from calling
in some OF my friends by representing to
him that he was then SO intoxicated that
his cause would be prejudiced by that fact.
On the morning of the Goth, before going
to the theatre, secreted his razors, his
pocket knife, my scissors, and all articles
| thought dangerous, as l often did on
such occasions and left him. When l came
back he was still raging. He frequently
made threats of committing suicide, often
| going out Of doors for that avowed pur-
pose. On tt is occasion, about midnight
| he bade me an unusually solemn and
eternal farewell, and told me this time he
was certainly going out to destroy him
self. He had done this So often that l
said nothing, and made no effort to detain
him. AT the door he hesitated, and asked
if had nothing to say in this last part
ing | said, 81 can only say that | am
hopelessly sorry for you" He went out
and in few minutes returned, as l knew
he would, cooled and sobered by the night
air, and then, it being nearly morning,
as mildly and firmly as possibly could,
| began to talk with him. l told him l
should leave him forever; that / had
borne, with patience, for many years,
great outrages from him; that he had
made my life miserable and had often put
me in great dread OF my life; that could
not endure it any longer that by his
conduct the past two days, and by his
language when he found me at Richard
/ sons door, he had added the last drop to
my cup of endurance, and should go
away from him at once. On this he grow
elled at my feet in the most abject peni-
tence. He wept and sobbed, and begged
me TO forgive him. He confessed he had
wronged me; that no woman would have
borne with him as had done, and about
daylight went to sleep exhausted. The
next morning did not allude to my pur-
pose, bat after seeing him leave the house
for Mr.. McElrath's Office, went to Mr..
Sinclair's, and placed myself under the
protection of his roof, and never after.
wards saw Mcfarland, except once OF
twice in the presence of others"


%


THE family of one of the victims Of the