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[May 29, 1878] -
LANCASTER.
Robert Land, of Madison County, Shot and Killed by Freeman Farris -- Farris Taken to Boyle County Jail.
(Special Dispatches to the Courier-Journal.)
LANCASTER, KY., May 28. -- An unusually lively County Court day yesterday culminated last night, about nine o'clock, in the shooting and killing of Robert Land, a citizen of Madison county, by Freeman Farris, a negro of this place. Whisky had been flowing freely all day, and Land, together with several friends, had imbibed considerable. On leaving town the party encountered a lot of negroes quarreling in the suburbs. Land stopped and held some discussion with them, the rest of the party proceeding homeward. The negro Farris, who did the shooting, addressed some insolence to Land. He replied to him, when the negro struck him across the face with a stick. Land then drew his pistol and fired at him, but missed his aim. The negro fled out of sight. He returned in a few minutes with a gun, and observing Land seated on his horse, fired upon him, killing him instantly. He then fled, but about 12 o'clock last night he came and surrendered himself to the Town Marshal. By order of the County Judge he was taken to the Boyle county jail this afternoon for safe-keeping, violence from the deceased's friends being apprehended. The deceased, Robert Land, bore the reputation of being a bad man when in liquor. He had killed several men, and was generally regarded as dangerous. The negro was also a bad character, coming from Madison county about three weeks ago. He had been in the workhouse during the greater part of that time, and was only released therefrom the day before the shooting. It is reported he too had killed his man previously.
Another Report of the Affair.
(Special Dispatch to the Courier-Journal.)
DANVILLE, May 28. -- Freeman Farris, who killed Robert Land at Lancaster yesterday evening, was brought here at 3 o'clock P.M. to-day by Town Marshal Singleton, Jailer Eason and others and committed to the Boyle county jail for safe-keeping. This was done by order of Judge M. H. Owsley, of the Eighth Judicial district, because of reasonable apprehension that Land's friends and the indignant citizens would assemble and hang Farris. The murder was a foul one, and the particulars are about as follows: Land, who was a good citizen and a peaceable man, was in Lancaster yesterday, and had started toward his home, about ten miles in the country, out the Sugar-creek pike. He had been drinking a little during the day, and when he reached the edge of town, he stopped and engaged in a conversation with a colored man, who was trying to persuade him to go on home, when Farris came up and advised the colored man to let the son of a --- go where he pleased. Land made some appropriate reply to this suggestion, when Farris struck him violently over the head with a stick. Land retorted by shooting at his antagonist with a pistol, the shot not taking effect. Farris then ran to a negro cabin about fifty yards distant, and seizing a musket returned and shot Land, the latter falling from his horse and dying in twenty minutes. Farris immediately fled, but probably knowing that his chances for escape were rather slim, returned and surrendered to the officers last night about twelve o'clock.
Farris is a mulatto about twenty-five years old. He was raised and formerly owned by Charles Gentry, of Madison county, and has made a record as a desperado, Robert Land being his fourth victim. He had escaped from the work-house, where he was serving a term for a misdemeanor, at the time he killed Land. [1]
