Stone Co., AR - Obituaries - ROBERT LANCASTER

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ROBERT LANCASTER

Batesville.  September 12.  Robert Lancaster, the
murderer of Thomas Johnston, was born in Izard County,
now Stone, in the neighborhood of Round Bottom, is
about thirty-three years of age, and as fine a specimen
of physical manhood as I ever saw.  After receiving a
good grammar school education he learned the trade of a
stone mason, working in this trade when opportunity
offered.  He soon acquired dissipated habits, and being
a man of immense physical strength, was considered a
vigorous man when under the influence of liquor.  He
now admits that it was the desire to be thought "a big
man", or "cock of the walk," which led him into the
trouble which resulted in the killing of Johnston.
    The circumstances of the murder are as follows:  On
the night of December 24th, 1877, once Thomas Johnston
gave a dance in an old store house, at Sylamore, Stone
County, the rear end of which he adopted as a
residence.  Lancaster, with several other young men,
came to the dance; and to get there had to cross
Sylamore Creek, a stream emptying into White River,
near the village, which was much swollen.  All the
party, except Lancaster, left their horses on the
opposite side of the creek, but Lancaster had his horse
put across and hitched it within one hundred yards of
the house in which the dance was to be held, carrying
his saddlebags into a store, remarking to the clerk
that he was going to leave them there, but when he
returned for them he wanted them "d__n quick."  He then
went to the house where dancing had already commenced.
    It being Christmastimes shooting of anvils and
fire-crackers was being indulged in by the boys and
young men, and a fire-cracker was either thrown or
accidentally dropped, and exploded near Lancaster.  At
once he began to rage, and demanded to know who shot
that pistol in the ball room, etc.  Thomas Johnston,
who had given the dance went to Lancaster and told him
that no pistol had been fired, that it was only a
fire-cracker that someone had thrown down, and as it
was Christmastimes, nothing was meant by it, and he
must not make so much fuss.  At this, Lancaster,
pealing off his coat said, "I weigh 167 pounds and
cover the ground I stand on, and I can whip any three
men in the house."  Johnston told him he did not want
any fuss with him, but he must keep quiet.
    Lancaster was got out of the house by his friends,
and the row was thought to be over.  While out he went
to the store and got his saddlebags and put them across
his horse, and returned to the dancing room and tried
to get up a row with Johnston.  Friends again
interfered, and he was again got out of the house.  It
seems as if he was bent upon killing Johnston, as he
repeated the attempt of trying to quarrel with him
several times, Johnston avoiding him, and the friends
of both parties succeeding in keeping them apart.
    About 11:00, Lancaster entered the door, passing
Johnston, who was sitting near the door; walked to the
rear end of the room, where the fiddler was playing;
took the fiddle away from him and cut the strings, and
said: "Now, by G_d, this dancing will stop; who will
take it up?"  He then went to Johnston and made the
same banter, but not being taken up, he said to
Johnston, "I understand that you said I am drunk
tonight?"  To which Johnston replied: "I did not say
it."  Lancaster then called him a "G_d d__n liar."
Johnston told him that was hard to take in his own
house and that he must not repeat it.  At this
Lancaster stepped back a little, turned from Johnston,
drew his pistol and said: "You are a God d__n liar,"
and as he pronounced the last words, fired, shooting
Johnston through the head, killing him instantly.  He
then left the house, mounted his horse, road out of the
town, and after calling at his brother's house left the
country.  He is reported to have been in Kansas and in
the Indian Territory for nearly a year, when he
returned to Stone County country and succeeding in
eluding the officers of the law until an accident
compelled him to seek medical aid.
    On entering one of his numerous hiding places in
the mountains, his pistol accidently striking a
projecting rock, was discharged, the ball entering his
leg inflicting a severe wound; he attempted for some
time to dress the wound himself but gangrene set in and
he was compelled to seek a physician, who amputated his
leg, and while still under the charge of the physician,
he was captured.
    His attorneys procurred a change of venue from
Stone to Independence County, and his trial came off at
the July term of the circuit court of that county.  A
jury was impaneled, and, after a full examination of
the witnesses, for and against, and lengthy arguments
by the counsel - occupying nearly two weeks of the time
of the court - the jury found a verdict of murder in
the first degree.
    A motion for a new trial was made by his attorneys,
which was overruled by Judge Powell, and he was
sentenced to be hung on the twelfth of September.
After the sentence his attorneys forwarded a transcript
of the proceedings to the supreme court for an appeal,
asking that a new trial be granted him.  This was also
refused by Judge English, and today he has paid the
penalty of his crime.
                                           
THE EXECUTION.
    Lancaster was conveyed from the jail by the
sheriff, with a guard of fifty men, to the place of
execution.  At 29 minutes to two, the rope was
adjusted.  After the black cap was placed over his face
by Sheriff Case, he asked Mr. Case how he felt, Mr.
Case's reply was "I expect I feel worse than you do."
Mr. Lancaster replied: "Mr. Case, if you feel as good
as I do, you are all right."  He warned the assembly to
avoid crime if they wish to escape the gallows; that
crime would bring them where he was.  To avoid crime,
they must avoid bad company, as it was keeping bad
company that brought him to this place.  He expressed
great hope of salvation to the Lord Jesus Christ, and
that he was ready to leave a bad world for a better
one.  His last words to the sheriff, a moment before he
was hurled into eternity, were: "False testimony
brought me here, but I forgive them all."  Not less
than 5,000 persons witnessed the execution.  They came
from this and adjoining counties.  Many came yesterday
and campted near the gallows.

Daily Arkansas Gazette: Saturday Morning, September 18,
1873
The Dance of Death.
Special to the Gazette