State v. Pettis

Jul 1, 1873
Reporters:
Before:
Dickerson
Dickerson, J.

It is not competent for a person charged with larceny of goods to introduce ‍​‌​​‌‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​​‌‌‌‌‌​‌‌‌‌‌​​‌​‌‌‌‌​​​‌​‌‌‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌​‌​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‌‌‌​​‌​‌‌‍evidence of his declarations made after the property came into his possession, that he obtained them by finding.

The allegation of property in a complaint for an alleged larceny ‍​‌​​‌‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​​‌‌‌‌‌​‌‌‌‌‌​​‌​‌‌‌‌​​​‌​‌‌‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌​‌​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‌‌‌​​‌​‌‌‍of goods is sustained, if the complainant at the time the larceny was committed, held possession of them under a loan from, or contract of sale with the owner.

The ‍​‌​​‌‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​​‌‌‌‌‌​‌‌‌‌‌​​‌​‌‌‌‌​​​‌​‌‌‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌​‌​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‌‌‌​​‌​‌‌‍rulings and instructions of the judge of the superior court being in accordance with these principles, afford no legal ground of exception. Exceptions overruled.

Walton, Dickerson, Daneorth, Yirgin and Peters, ‍​‌​​‌‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​​‌‌‌‌‌​‌‌‌‌‌​​‌​‌‌‌‌​​​‌​‌‌‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌​‌​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‌‌‌​​‌​‌‌‍JJ., concurred. Appleton, C. J., and Barrows, J., did not concur upon either point. They thought the declarations of Pettis admissible as tending to disprove any felonious intent, and ‍​‌​​‌‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​​‌‌‌‌‌​‌‌‌‌‌​​‌​‌‌‌‌​​​‌​‌‌‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌​‌​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‌‌‌​​‌​‌‌‍that no property, general or special, in Charles A. Dalton was shown by the evidence.