Commonwealth v. Campbell

Feb 24, 1892
Reporters:
, ,
Before:
Barker
Barker, J.

1. The crime charged was committed in October, 1889. We cannot say that ‍‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​‌‌‌‌‌​‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌‌‌‌​‌‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​​​​​​​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​​​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​‍upon the question of identity evidence as to the defendant’s personal appearance in 1887, or at the time of his arrest in 1891, was too remote. Commonwealth v. Quinn, 150 ‍‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​‌‌‌‌‌​‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌‌‌‌​‌‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​​​​​​​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​​​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​‍Mass. 401, 404.

2. The court erred in permitting Watts to testify to the whole of his conversations with the defendant. The government should have been allowed ‍‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​‌‌‌‌‌​‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌‌‌‌​‌‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​​​​​​​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​​​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​‍to introduce only such portions of the conversations as pertained to the alleged offence. Not only was the witness not so restricted, but he was allowed ‍‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​‌‌‌‌‌​‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌‌‌‌​‌‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​​​​​​​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​​​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​‍to *539testify to separate conversations with the defendant, having no relation to the crime charged, and apparently introduced with the sole purpose of showing that the defendant ‍‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​‌‌‌‌‌​‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌‌‌‌​‌‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​​​​​​​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​​​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​‍was a notorious criminal. Commonwealth v. Keyes, 11 Gray, 323, 325. Straw v. Greene, 14 Allen, 206. Dale v. Wooldredge, 142 Mass. 161, 184.

Exceptions sustained.