Commonwealth v. Johnson

Opinion by

Mr. Chief Justice Maxey,

The defendant, Harry Johnson, killed Clifton Conley on the 17th day of September, 1942, while both were convicts in Holmesburg Prison.

Johnson was later tried for first degree murder before Judge George Gowan Parry and a jury, and was found guilty. He was granted a neAV trial “not because of an insufficiency of evidence or action of the jury but because of errors in the Court’s charge”. On May 19,1943, the defendant with his counsel withdrew his plea of “not Guilty and pleaded Guilty” to murder before Judge Joseph Sloane. On the same day before Judges…