Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1860-04-02
Trial Of Walter .. Land, in Princess Anne
County, Va, for the Murder Of Flanagan,

lIiai OF walter =. Land, In Princess Anne
county, Va, for the Murder Of Flanasaa.
Mrs. Amy Land recalled and eross-eramined-
The Interview between Flanagan and myself took
pace sometime between midnig bit and day-break
On tue morning of the 18th June at my house, Mr.
flanagan was seated In chair near the front
ooOl When he undertook to take improper liber.
ues win me; the door was open at the time I
nao conversation with nv brother Frank on the
SUBJECT al MIR. Smiths, in the month of January
last Governor Wise remarked that the Smiths
were universal, and desired to know what Smith
u was and was informed that II was Mr.. Edwin
smith In that conversation did not tell my
oro.ner Frank that my husband sent for Mr. Elan
a2an on the morning that be was killed | had a
conversation with brother Frank Yesterday and
sent lor MIN for that purpose it was Just before
caine lnto court; my brother advised me in that
S Con: not to come into court | asked
MIN II ne had placed the letter which contained
my 5etraction in Mr.. Jobnson's hands, which
could betrav me, and which he had promised
me was not to be used unless my husband was
and told him he had deceived me- don't re-
court or not 0-A' INV"
This was after my interview with the counsel
Iof Tue prisoner: nv brother advised me not tn
perJure myself when ] came into court and told
Nun would not. did not rise from my seat in
the pdrlor of the tavern and say would swear
falsely The middle door was shut al the time
swore would tell the truth and was eYcit.d
MI Barney. the Sheriff, came i'm about that time
for he to come into Court | am now living at
MI; Snth.s s; came here Yesterday and went
back last night have lived there ever since SEN
TENDER. Brother Frank went there once in jan
nary, but | don't remember the time have
three brothers in Princess Anne county, and one
in the city of Norfolk have two sisters IN Norfolk
At the time of my interview with brother frank
Yesterday. be did not persuade me to come into
Court. but did to tell the truth and told him I
would asked him about the letter and In face
OF tnat, aud knowing that Mr. johnson Ctbe prof.
eCntlng attorney had il, did come into Cont
ana gave n my testimony. / remained at brother
Danler's after my return from Baltimore EXCEPT a
short t me | stayed at the farm; before I went to
Mr.. Smiths remained at brother Daniel q nearly
TWO months, and left because I was afraid he
would influence me to retract the confession had
men made He did seek while was there to in
d1ce me to retract
The following is given as a summary of the
material points in Mrs. LIS torn letter heretofore
mentoned, which the reader will perceive con-
trahlcts her oral testimony OH the stand:
son the 10th Of lure Mrs Land discovered he,
husband In fdgrnnt' dei,ttc, and reproac he'd him
for It, at which he U.and) retcrted by accusing
her OF want Of chastity. the Eth of June.
She started TO 20 and tell her sister MIS- Flaua-
gan, her troubles. when Land seized his gun and
threatened to shoot Flanagan if she did She
succeeded In pacifying him, however and ne then
. Went 10 v, Ii TO see ii Nj. Woodhouse. He re-
turned with paper, which he requested Mr., I,
70 sign On the morning of the 18th the day of
the murder. she saw Land TALKING TO J.aura =
servant girl. Shortly afterwards Flanagan ap-
preached the house, came in aud was shot down
she (Mrs. l..) screamed. ran out of the house and
tainted, and when she came to she was Twin, ON
a pile of boards. Land approached her and Said
lhase kli,ed hin; he is dead; what shall do"
She advised him to kill her and then shoot hin
self. Then followed the details of the escsna
&c. &c. f
Much of the time of the Court was taken up on
TUESDAY and "Wednesday i'm examining Francis
Nj Whiteburst, brother Of Mrs Land and Mrs
flanagan, on the manner in which this letter had
been procured from Mrs Land He stated in
effect that he had endeavored TO prevail unon hi.
of
OF the homicide however it might operatr upon
the defendant, so as to vindicate her own charac
Ter Tor chastity. which he had considered good
ana that he had received the letter az such state
ment, promising not TO use it to the detriment of
her husband on the trial The reason he had de-
| sired such statement he said that IL had b. en- ru
mored that his sister had made confession tn
the prisoners counsel, com promising her own
character for chastity. and he wanted the state
ment to remove such n blemish from his sister
ana ner family, In case Of the conviction of Land,
or bis abandonment Of his wife on acouittal
In the course of his examination on Tuesday.
Mr.. Whitehurst said:
81 had communication with sister Amy yeste,
dav. she sent for me and advised her for e I'd n
sake not TO swear to lie, not to perjure herself
not to swear anything but the truth She rose
from her chair and said. Il swear will :; She
asked me when first went in the room. il I had
shown the statement told her had placed it i'm
Mr.. Johnson's hands; she was very much dis.
tressed. and then it was she asked what she must
do, and told her to tell nothing but the truth.
piled. Il I will - D'N 'ne re-
when this sentence was repeated rs above. il
caused some disagreement between the counsel
on DOM sides-one expression Of the sentence
seemed to infer that Mrs. Land would swear that
sne would not swear to anything but the truth
tne olher mat enc would swear to a lie. In this
Oh agreement and discussion. Ex-Governor Wise
made use OF the word ''tricks.n to which Mr.
MarHnaduke Johnson took exceptions and in the
cool and deliberate manner which has character
yea his participation in. this case arose and Al id
that II the gentleman intended to apply to him
the term trick, and intended to say that he had
employed tricks in the case. he said what was un
fue; TO which Gov Wise replied bv request
ing him first to state it again that he might fully
understand 1t. and then shaking his head in the
most significant manner. said every well sir very
vel sir, very well, . aud took his seat
After one or two uni IN portant questions which
We're answered by the witness MIR Tazwell Tay
lor arose to an explanation If the unfortunate
which had disturbed their relations he stated that
Gov Wise had employed the term trick i'm :,
professional sense, and was sure Governor Wise
M ant nothing more Gov. Wise followed saving
that he had only s0-used it, that when he intended
to insult a man he could not be mistaken; that
such was far from his intention &c Mr. johnson
followed, and said he reg retted he had been ba,t
ana was sorry he had allowed his feelings to over
come his Judgment. &c. The parties then shook
nahds' ana the matter was only made the subject
Of playful aliusion after Court. and by the next
III 4rninr was forS ,ttcu
Mr wilson NJ Bonney. in reply to a question
rom eX Toy Wise. on the point last above testi-
fed to by Mr. w hitehurst said:
was sent to the tavern Oh Monday 10 hiring
alrs Land into court entered the parIor and
saw her and her brother sitting in the parIo- the
two alone; Mrs. Lsnd was sitting in the roc kinn
chair with her hands covering her face sobbina
aloud. stopped a minute. perhaps approached
ana then told her that sent to bring her into
court, she exclaimed, My God, what shall
DO MIR. Whitehurst remarked, Amy or
sister, be calm She said. I'm deny it''ip an
under and sybdned tone, and spriusinC from her
chair exclaimed vehementlv Il swear I will =
and rushed into the back room and nut on her
bonnet, she then returned 10 the parlor and
charged her brother with having BETRAYED her
confidence; he replied that he Thought bim,slf
under solemn and awful oblio att on to do 81
She then exclaimed. What will do without
him, had rather die than he should be taken
from me -
Inc testimony was concluded on Wednesday
evening; after which, counsel proceeded with
thelr argument. Gov. Wise was speak king on Fri
day evening, when the court room was fairly
packed with spectators. The case was probable
given to the jury on Saturday.
One of the Norfolk papers state that the whole
OF the testimony of Mrs. Land was ruled out by
the Court y
nj WEDDING PRESENTS.
1'k w, CALF 4 BRO. call attention TO the,r
assortment Of all tbs er articles of ancv S,Iys,
fl,.v