Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1860-04-11

The Letter of Mrs. Land.

The scene in the court during the trial of
w >. Land, In Princess Anne county, Va,
caused by the wife Of the pr s ,ner tearing up a
letter which she had written, and the contents
oi which directly contradicted her oral testi-
mony IN court, will be remembered. The Nor
fox Argus publishes the letter in full. 1t is
written to her brother, and she requests him to
show 1t TO the people of Princess Anne if her
husband was not acquitted, as a vindicatiOn of
her character. She says in it that On the 10th
of June she discovered that her husband was
unfaithful TO her, and, on reprOachng him, he
replied by charging her with infdelity. The
letter goes on:
He said he believed that Mr. Flanagan was
the man that had wronged him, and told him
that Mr.. Flanagan had always treated me with
kindness, and never said anything di respectful
to me In his life. 1t seemed that Walter was
almost insane. He was walking and throwing
himself all about the house On the I7th in
the morning, L started to 60 to Mr.. Flanagan s
to tell his wife of my troubles, but he would
not let me go, and he caught up his gun and
loaded it. asked him what he intended to do,
but he made no reply. After he loaded the
gun he sat down, aud L sat in his lap and told
him that was yirtuous girl, and was sur
prlsed at him thinking otherwise. L told him
would forgive him for his conduct towards me.
lie sat In the house sometime, and then kissed
Inc and went out. l asked him where he was
going, and he said ''in the feld''
1t was late in the evening before he came
back, and he brought me piece Of paper Said
he had been to see III. NJ. Woodhouse, and said
had to sign my name to the paper for di-
vorce, or he intended to kill Flanagan. / told
him that would not sign it, because was vir-
tuous and did not intend to tell falsehood for
him He said he was glad that I would not
sign it; but did not think he was in earnest
about Mr.. Flanagan. l wrote sister Marya.
ret note, but he would not let me send it or
60 out OF doors; so did not know what he in
tended to do He went to bed quiet that
night, but he would not talk to me- Neither
did ne eat anything for four days and nights.
lie got up very early next morning, but did
not go out OF the house. / saw him talking to
Laura at the door, but thought he was telling
her what work to do. L sat down to NV work,
and 1t was not long before saw Mr. Flanna-
gan at the front door. Laura asked him in,
and he had just taken his seat when Walter
took up his gun and shot him. screamed
ran out and tainted, and when came to /
found myself behind the kitchen Laura car
ried me there and laid Inc on plank I did
not know that Walter had sent for Mr.. Elan
nagan.
Whilst lying behind the kitchen, Walter
came to me and told me that he was dead, and
SAID, Annie, for Gods sake, what shall do y
told him to kill me and then kill himself; but
he would not agree to this, and said if L would
make confession and state that Mr. Flanna-
gan had seduced me. it would clear him. I
told MIN L would be telling lie, and he said
II did not write the confession he would be
hung; so wrote it rerbutina as he wished it.
lie took the confession and carried it to II. M
WOOdhOuse, who advised him to leave, and he
came home and told me to get ready, as he
was going to Norfolk. He was as kind to me
as ever, after he saw Ii. NJ. Woodhouse and
when got to Norfolk told him that had
rather stay and let him go, and after he got
out of danger L would come to him; but he
would not agree to it. He was as kind to me
as be could be all the time. l heard from him
several times whilst he was fugitive, also
when he was in Carolina; and we intended to
meet In the Western country, where he would
60 to place of safety to live was ready
and would have started in few days if he had
not been retaken. This is all true, and wish
1t to be shown after the trial. if he is not &C.
quilted. Your affectionate sister,
ANIE S. LAND.
The Argus also states that before his depar-
ture for the penitentiary, Land made his will
and left all of his estate to his wife during her
lifetime, and afterwards to his uncle and also
he declared that The statements made By her
IN the letter, which she wrote to her brother,
were true.