Davis v. Commonwealth

William Davis has been convicted of first degree murder. That conviction is now before us on a writ of error. He *249hails from Halifax county, is forty-three years old, is married, can neither read nor write, and, according to his statement, is part white, part colored and part Indian.

On August 5, 1946, in Fauquier county Davis shot and killed John H. Woodson. For this offense on September 23, 1946, he was indicted for murder by a grand jury of that county. He was arraigned on September 25, 1946, and pleaded not guilty. His trial was continued until October, following, and was set down for…