Robertson v. State

May 16, 1894
No. 469.
Reporters:
, ,
Before:
Dayidson
DAYIDSON, Judge.

The State relied solely for conviction upon defendant’s being seen in possession of a ‍​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​​​​‌‌​​​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​​​‌​‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌​​​‌‌‌‌‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌‌​​‌‍pistol stolen from the burglarized house. He was seen with it the morning after the burglary, and about 9:30 o’clock. He testified that he spent the night at ‍​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​​​​‌‌​​​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​​​‌​‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌​​​‌‌‌‌‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌‌​​‌‍West Station, some miles distant from the scene of the crime, and came there on the train, and purchased the pistol from a young negro about 8 o’ clock ‍​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​​​​‌‌​​​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​​​‌​‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌​​​‌‌‌‌‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌‌​​‌‍the same morning. The case was one depending solely upon circumstantial evidence to support the conviction. The court omitted a charge applicable to this state of case, and ‍​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​​​​‌‌​​​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​​​‌​‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌​​​‌‌‌‌‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌‌​​‌‍appellant duly reserved his exceptions. The omission is fatal to the conviction. Hpon another trial, the law in relation to alibi should also be given in charge to ‍​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​​​​‌‌​​​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​​​‌​‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌​​​‌‌‌‌‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌‌​​‌‍the jury.

The judgment is reversed and the cause remanded.

Reversed and remanded.

Judges all present and concurring.