Commonwealth v. Watson
Supreme Court of Pennsylvania
Appeal, No. 170, Jan. T., 1911, by George Watson, defendant, from judgment of O. & T. Lancaster Co., Nov. T., 1910, No. 55, on verdict of guilty of murder of the first degree in case of Commonwealth v. George Watson and Julie Harris. Indictment for murder.
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Appeal, No. 170, Jan. T., 1911, by George Watson, defendant, from judgment of O. & T. Lancaster Co., Nov. T., 1910, No. 55, on verdict of guilty of murder of the first degree in case of Commonwealth v. George Watson and Julie Harris. Indictment for murder. Before Landis, P. J. At the trial it appeared that George Watson, the defendant, a colored man, resided in the borough of Columbia, Pennsylvania, and that on November 14, 1910, at his own house a quarrel arose between him and Isaac Makle, during which Makle was killed by a knife in the hands of Watson. Watson claimed that the act was done…
1Opinion of the Court
Opinion by
Mr. Justice Brown,
The sole plea of the prisoner to escape conviction on the indictment charging him with wilful and deliberate murder was self-defense, and, on this appeal from the judgment against him on the verdict finding him guilty of murder of the first degree, his only complaint is that the jury were not adequately instructed on the law relating to his plea. The inadequate instruction of which he complains was the following: “Did Watson stab Makle and kill him in self-defense? If he did, then he is entitled to a verdict of not guilty. In. this connection I desire to say that…
2Cases cited5 opinions
- Commonwealth v. JohnsonSupreme Court of Pennsylvania · 1906
- Commonwealth v. McGowanSupreme Court of Pennsylvania · 1899
- Murray v. CommonwealthSupreme Court of Pennsylvania · 1875
- Logue v. CommonwealthSupreme Court of Pennsylvania · 1861
- Pistorius v. CommonwealthSupreme Court of Pennsylvania · 1877
3Cited by1 opinion
- Commonwealth v. KarmendiSupreme Court of Pennsylvania · 1937