Mattison v. State
Supreme Court of Alabama
Fbom: the Circuit Court of Randolph. Tried before the Hon. JOHN Hendebson. The prisoner in this case, a freedman, was indicted in the Circuit Court of Cleburn county, for the murder of one Benjamin M. Alsobrooks; removed his trial to Randolph county, where he was tried, convicted of manslaughter in the first degree, and sentenced to imprisonment in the penitentiary for ten years.
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Fbom: the Circuit Court of Randolph. Tried before the Hon. JOHN Hendebson. The prisoner in this case, a freedman, was indicted in the Circuit Court of Cleburn county, for the murder of one Benjamin M. Alsobrooks; removed his trial to Randolph county, where he was tried, convicted of manslaughter in the first degree, and sentenced to imprisonment in the penitentiary for ten years. On his trial, he reserved the following bill of exceptions: “The defendant pleaded not guilty to the indictment. The State introduced Frank Price as a witness, who testified as follows: About 8 o’clock at night, in…
1Opinion of the Court
STONE, J. —
In inquiries of fact, dependent on circumstantial evidence for their solution, no certain rule can be laid down, which will define, with unerring accuracy, what collateral facts and circumstances are sufficiently proximate to justify their admission in evidence. Human transactions are too varied to admit of such clear declaration of the rule. Whatever tends to shed light on the main inquiry, and does not withdraw attention from such main inquiry, by obtruding upon the minds of the jury matters which are foreign, or of questionable pertinency, is, as a general rule, admissible evi*233den…
2Cases cited2 opinions
- Campbell v. StateSupreme Court of Alabama · 1853
- Carroll v. StateSupreme Court of Alabama · 1853
3Cited by27 opinions
- Jordan v. StateSupreme Court of Alabama · 1886
- Lee v. StateSupreme Court of Alabama · 1944
- Gafford v. StateSupreme Court of Alabama · 1898
- Hodge v. StateSupreme Court of Alabama · 1892
- Kilpatrick v. StateCourt of Criminal Appeals of Alabama · 1973
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