Commonwealth v. Cronin

Feb 25, 1904
Reporters:
, ,
Before:
Barker
Barker, J.

The defendant’s statement that he would drown himself was made ‍‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​​​​‌​​‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌​​​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌‌‌‌​​‌‌‌‌‌​‍in private to his wife. It was relevant to his condition of mind, but was made incompetent and inadmissible as ‍‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​​​​‌​​‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌​​​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌‌‌‌​​‌‌‌‌‌​‍evidence in his favor by the prohibition of the statute, “Neither husband nor wife shall testify as to private conversations ‍‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​​​​‌​​‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌​​​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌‌‌‌​​‌‌‌‌‌​‍with each other.” R. L. c. 175, § 20, cl. 1. Fuller v. Fuller, 177 Mass. 184, and cases cited. It did not come within ‍‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​​​​‌​​‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌​​​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌‌‌‌​​‌‌‌‌‌​‍the reason of the exception which allows abusive language *97addressed by a husband in private to his wife to be given ‍‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​​​​‌​​‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌​​​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌‌‌‌​​‌‌‌‌‌​‍in evidence to show abusive treatment. See French v. French, 14 Gray, 186.

Exceptions overruled.