Wyatt v. State
Supreme Court of Alabama
ERROR to the Circuit Court of Dallas. Tried before the Hon. Nat. CooK. The plaintiff in error was indicted for burning hisjnaster’s gin-house, was convicted, and sentenced to death. His confessions of guilt to his master,"and afterwards to the examining magistrate, were admitted in evidence on the trial below, against the prisoner’s objections; and he excepted to this ruling of the court.
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ERROR to the Circuit Court of Dallas. Tried before the Hon. Nat. CooK. The plaintiff in error was indicted for burning hisjnaster’s gin-house, was convicted, and sentenced to death. His confessions of guilt to his master,"and afterwards to the examining magistrate, were admitted in evidence on the trial below, against the prisoner’s objections; and he excepted to this ruling of the court. Other errors were assigned and insisted on in the argument; but it is deemed unnecessary to notice them, as the judgment was reversed solely on account of the error in receiving tbe prisoner’s confessions in…
1Opinion of the Court
CHILTON, C. J. —
-In considering cases of the kind before us, where the master or owner of the slave is introduced to prove his confessions, we must bear in mind the relation existing between them, of ownership and dominion on the part of the master, and subjection and depesidence on the part of the slave. This relation, in many cases, may bo supposed to exert an influence over the mind of the slave, with respect to such admissions, when considered in connection with declarations made by the master, which might not attach to declarations made by strangers or persons having no connection with…
2Cases cited2 opinions
- State v. ClarissaSupreme Court of Alabama · 1847
- Seaborn v. StateSupreme Court of Alabama · 1852
3Cited by4 opinions
- Brister v. StateSupreme Court of Alabama · 1855
- Bob v. StateSupreme Court of Alabama · 1858
- Jordan v. StateMississippi Supreme Court · 1872
- Dinah v. StateSupreme Court of Alabama · 1864