Cunningham v. State
Mississippi Supreme Court
ERROR to the Circuit Court of Clay County. Hon. J. M. Arnold, Judge. The case is stated in the opinion of the court. 1. There is such a thing as lulling a person under an uncontrollable impulse, with a deliberate design to effect his death. This paroxysmal insanity is recognized by our courts.
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ERROR to the Circuit Court of Clay County. Hon. J. M. Arnold, Judge. The case is stated in the opinion of the court. 1. There is such a thing as lulling a person under an uncontrollable impulse, with a deliberate design to effect his death. This paroxysmal insanity is recognized by our courts. The Commonwealth v. Rogers, 7 Mete. 500. A person may know that the act is wrong when he does it, and yet not be a criminal in the eyes of the law, owing to such lesion of the will, or to an insane delusion. Hadfield’s Oase, 27 How. St. Tr. .1281. Hadfield discharged a loaded pistol at the king, in the…
1Opinion of the CourtChalmeRS, J.
Adeline Cunningham was convicted, in the Circuit Court of Clay County, of the murder of her husband, and sentenced to be hung.
That she committed the deed, and that it was one of peculiar atrocity, is not denied nor gainsaid.
In the dead hour of night, while the husband lay sleeping on the common bed, she split open his head with a hatchet, without provocation or motive, so far as can be ascertained. She waited quietly till morning came, and then freely and voluntarily avowed the act to all inquirers, offering no excuse,, save that to one person she stated that her husband was attempting to…
2Cases cited7 opinions
- The People v. . McCannNew York Court of Appeals · 1857
- Roberts v. StateSupreme Court of Georgia · 1847
- Hopps v. PeopleIllinois Supreme Court · 1863
- State v. CrawfordSupreme Court of Kansas · 1873
- Pollard v. StateMississippi Supreme Court · 1876
2 more not listed; retrieve them via the Exa API.
3Cited by53 opinions
- Billiot v. StateMississippi Supreme Court · 1984
- Edwards v. StateMississippi Supreme Court · 1983
- Laney v. StateMississippi Supreme Court · 1982
- Tatum v. United StatesCourt of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit · 1951
- Johnson v. StateMississippi Supreme Court · 1985
48 more not listed; retrieve them via the Exa API.