Mrs. McFarland Assaulted in Afton

MCFARLAND, WHEELER, JAMES, BAKER, FRASER

Posted By: Lynette Edsall (email)
Date: 10/24/2004 at 16:37:37

From the Cherokean Democrat December 2, 1891

SAD AFFAIR IN AFTON

A Well-Known Farmer Makes a Brutal Assault Upon His Wife-The Woman Badly Injured-A Fugitive from Justice.

John McFarlane, a prominent farmer of Afton township, was last night a fugitive from justice, with chances in favor of his capture. A warrant was sworn out by his son charging him with assault and battery-the victim being none other than Mrs. McFarlane. Deputy Sheriff Wheeler went out yesterday to see if he could be found and followed him to Aurelia. From there McFarlane had gone to Alta. Mrs. Wheeler discovered at Aurelia that a warrant had been issued by Justice James and that officers Baker and Fraser were in pursuit, so he returned home. McFarlane had seen at Alta and said he was going south from there. It is probable he will be captured.

It seems the couple, now quite elderly, after living together a good many years, have discovered that marriage is a failure. Recently Mrs. McFarlane begun an action for divorce, but her husband prevailed on her to withdraw it, and they have since lived together, apparently without serious trouble. Monday night, after they had retired, so Mrs. M. says, her husband flew in to a passion and began a discussion of past troubles. He asked her why she had tried to leave him before and she said she was afraid of him. “Well,” he said, “I will make you more afraid of me,” and with that he began pounding and kicking her. The result was that she had three ribs broken and her head and face badly bruised. Shortly after commiting this hellish act the old man left the place. He told one of the neighbors, so it is reported, that he had intended to kill her.

Mr. McFarland has always been considered a good citizen and his friends here cannot account for such brutal conduct.