Commonwealth v. Carney

Nov 15, 1871
Reporters:
Before:
Colt
Colt, J.

Evidence that the defendant kept a tenement at a time ‍‌‌​​‌​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​​​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌‌‌​​​‌​​‍when it was not kept for an unlawful purpose would not, it is true, alone be sufficient to show that ‍‌‌​​‌​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​​​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌‌‌​​​‌​​‍he had previously kept it when it was so used. But this evidence does not here stand alone. There was proof ‍‌‌​​‌​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​​​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌‌‌​​​‌​​‍of the defendant’s possession and use of the premises for an unlawful purpose shortly before; and the evidence was properly ‍‌‌​​‌​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​​​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌‌‌​​​‌​​‍admitted, as tending to show, in the absence of any apparent change, the nature of the defendant’s continuous occupancy of ‍‌‌​​‌​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​​​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌‌‌​​​‌​​‍the premises as keeper. Todd v. Rowley, 8 Allen, 51, 58. 1 Greenl. Ev. § 41. Exceptions overruled.