Skipper v. Commonwealth

Bernard Skipper, a negro 20 years of age, was convicted of rape of a white woman 46 years of age and sentenced to confinement in the penitentiary for thirty years.

The evidence for the Commonwealth may be summarized as follows: On September 22nd, 1952, at approximately 3:00 A. M. the prosecutrix returned to her apartment in Lynch-burg after a two weeks’ visit to Richmond. She turned on the lights and opened the windows in the living room, the large bedroom and kitchen, but at the moment did not go into the small bedroom. While seated at a desk in the living room, reading her mail, she heard…