State v. Roberson

The State’s principal witness, Ed Penn, was arrested with lottery tickets and cash on his person. After being confined in jail for some time he implicated a number of other persons, including the defendant, in violations of the lottery statute in carrying on what is popularly known as a “numbers racket.” The witness entered a plea of guilty in the municipal court and testified against the defendant and others. He testified that he was selling numbers for the defendant.

While Penn was confined in jail he asked certain lawyers to tell Erie that he, the prosecuting witness, would give him, the…