Local History: 1876 murder trial of Vineland's founder, Charles K. Landis

On January 1876, so many spectators gathered outside the Cumberland County Courthouse in Bridgeton that they had to be held at bay by the sheriff.

Although their numbers would increase in the coming days and weeks, only those with coveted tickets were admitted into the building.

Since being built in 1844, it's doubtful that the courthouse at Broad and Fayette streets had before been the focus of such attention.

Everyone had come for the same purpose: To witness the murder trial of Vineland's founder, Charles K. Landis.

Proceedings lasted more than three weeks, and the sensational story was covered by newspapers up and down the East Coast.

It seems that Landis, who founded Vineland in 1861, had been known for keeping a tight reign over his community.

Some residents protested over the years, as did the Vineland Independent, a newspaper politically opposed to another publication backed by Landis.

In 1875, after rumors questioning his wife's sanity leaked into the Independent, Landis shot the editor, Uri Carruth, in the back of the head.

Carruth hung on for seven months before dying from his wounds.

B. Frank Ladd, who was present at the newspaper office when the shooting took place, was among witnesses called to testify.

Ladd recalled that Landis exclaimed, "I've killed him. I am sorry, I was obliged to do it. I did it in the case of God and humility. Oh, my poor, crazy wife."

After 21 days of court proceedings, the trial ended with a bizarre twist. It was recounted in The Daily Journal the following Monday:

"For some time the jury stood eight for acquittal and four for conviction. There seemed no way to bring all parties together … until, at last, a bright idea struck one of the jurymen and he invited the rest to join in prayer.

"When they arose, two of the four went over. Seeing this result they tried it again and another juryman was gathered into the fold, leaving one poor fellow alone and unprotected. What could he do?"

Landis was acquitted based on temporary insanity, and many newspapers along the Eastern Seaboard voiced their outrage.

Others wondered why Landis had been insane during the shooting but was now fit to walk the streets.

"'Twas true, I murdered Carruth most foully, but just at that particular moment I was insane," said Landis at the time.

When he died in 1900, his obituary made no mention of the once-famous trial.

In 1909, the courthouse where the drama played out was replaced with the current structure.