Both were drunk.

by Lisa Y. Henderson

On Wednesday afternoon, John Lomack, a free man of color about 60 years old, was arraigned on the charge of killing his son, Roland Lomack. The evidence showed that both father and son were drunk – that Roland went to his father’s house and after quarreling for some time and drinking together, got into a fight, and that during the struggle the old man stabbed the son in the left breast, from which wound he died after walking about 50 yards from the house. After the evidence, with the consent of counsel on both sides the Judge directed the Jury to return a verdict of manslaughter, which they did, and Lomack was sentenced to be branded and imprisoned for [blank] months.

The North-Carolinian (Fayetteville), 17 May 1856.