Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1859-06-23
THE VIRGINIA MURDER

The Norfolk Day Book gives the following
particulars of the murder for which Walter 5.
| Land was arrested i'm Baltimore on Sunday and
| returned to Virginia in the custody Of officers
The wife of Land, who accompanied him in his
Hight Is a sister-in-law of the murdered man.
| Land whilst in Baltimore stated that the act
was brought about by family difficulties. The
| Day Book says TT
The facts as they came to us Saturday night
| are these: Mr.. benjamin +. Flanagan, pro-
r.etor of the Princess Anne Court House Tav-
| cru, was shot and killed ON Saturday morning
| lat by ut Is Said) Walter 3 Land, of the same
county, and who lived near the Court House.
1t appears that Land, who had harbOred an ILL
feeling against Flanagan for some time, sent a
message TO him on Saturday to the effect that
| he wanted to see him. Flanagan accordingly
went over to the residence of Land, whom he
found standing in the porch, with loaded gun
concealed behind him, and which he deliber-
ately discharged Mt Flanagan as he entered
the porch The load took effect in the breast
and Flanagan fell, mOrtally wounded Not
content with this, Land loaded his gun Sec
ond and third time, and fired the contents
| into the side of the prostrate Flanagan. He
then dragged the dead body from the porch to
an adjacent fence and covered itwith boards.
His next step was to effect his escape. To this
end he hitched up horse and buggy, tied his
wife, (whO is a sister of Flanagan's wife, and
compelled her to leave with him. lie then
came to this city, took dinner at the Merchants
Hotel, and in the afternoon left for Baltimore,
where he was arrested yesterday afternoon
about o'clock and lodged in Jail, to remain
until this afternoon, when he will be placed on
board of the Louisiana and brought TO this
city, where he will arrive tomorrow morning
A letter in the Petersburg Express gives
some additional particulars of the cause Of the
murder:
Mr.. Walter S. Land called upon a lawyer
nm Ers1 nj 81, L LII
divorce, alleging that he had just discovered
that previous to his marriage his wife had had
improper connection with a gentleman by the
name of Benz +. Flanagan, who had married
sister, and with whom she had resided pre-
viOus to his marriage. The gentleman of the
legal profession knowing all the parties inter
ested in the affair, said that he could not be-
lieve such was the case, and would prefer hav-
ing nothing to do with it-upon which Land
walked out of the office, saying that he would
kill Flanagan. The story being so in probable,
nothing more was thought of it at this time
Mrs. Land being only IL years old when she
resided with Mr.. Flanagan. Moreover, Land
married her when she was If years old and
she had been away from Flanagan's residence
for two years previous.
My informant states that he never saw so
much excitement prevail. No one believes the
report told by Land about his wife. Had he
have been caught in their midst on Sunday,
the incensed citizens of Princess Anne would
certainly have lynched the murderer.
Deceased was d gentleman well-knOwn in
this community as a quiet, industrious man
whilst Land was noted for his vicious propen-
sites. He scarcely ever came to Norfolk with
out getting into some difficulty.
There seems to be no doubt in the minds of
all, that the difficulty originated about some
land, and that the murderer used his wife to
screen him from the law, having recently read
the Sickles tragedy and trial