State v. Richie

Ludelissg, 0. J;

The defendant was indicted.for the crime of man-■slaugliter and was convicted and sentenced to imprisonment at hard labor in the Penitentiary. He has appealed. A bill of exception was taken to the ruling of 'the judge a quo admitting a child six years old to testify against the prisoner. Two reasons are given why the evidence should not have been received — because it was impossible for a child so young to understand the nature of an oath; and because in consequence of the youth of the witness defendant was deprived of the opportunity to cross-examine him.

It is not a fact that…