Commonwealth v. Goodwin
Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court
Indictment on the Gen. Sts. e. 160, § 28, in three counts. The first count was as follows : “ The jurors for the Commonwealth of Massachusetts on their oath present, that Ezra S. Goodwin, of Boston aforesaid, on the seventh day of December, in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and seventy-five, at Boston aforesaid, with force and arms, unlawfully and maliciously, did verbally threaten one Ferdinand Geldowski, that he, said Goodwin, would accuse him, said…
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Indictment on the Gen. Sts. e. 160, § 28, in three counts. The first count was as follows : “ The jurors for the Commonwealth of Massachusetts on their oath present, that Ezra S. Goodwin, of Boston aforesaid, on the seventh day of December, in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and seventy-five, at Boston aforesaid, with force and arms, unlawfully and maliciously, did verbally threaten one Ferdinand Geldowski, that he, said Goodwin, would accuse him, said Geldowski, of having theretofore committed the crime of feloniously and wilfully burning a certain building of him, said…
1Opinion of the CourtColt, J.
The indictment is for an attempt to extort money by threats of a criminal accusation. Gen. Sts. e. 160, § 28. It charges that the defendant Goodwin did maliciously, verbally threaten to accuse Geldowsld of feloniously and wilfully burning a building belonging to him, which was at the time insured against loss or damage by fire, with intent to injure the insurer. This is substantially the language of the statute making such an act criminal. The defendants moved to quash, because the threats charged are not threats to accuse of any crime, and insist that the exact words of the threat, or the…
2Cases cited3 opinions
- Commonwealth v. WilliamsMassachusetts Supreme Judicial Court · 1872
- Commonwealth v. DorusMassachusetts Supreme Judicial Court · 1871
- Commonwealth v. MoultonMassachusetts Supreme Judicial Court · 1871
3Cited by30 opinions
- Commonwealth v. PeruzziMassachusetts Appeals Court · 1983
- Rideout v. KnoxMassachusetts Supreme Judicial Court · 1889
- Commonwealth v. NiziolekMassachusetts Supreme Judicial Court · 1980
- Commonwealth v. CorcoranMassachusetts Supreme Judicial Court · 1925
- McGurk v. CronenwettMassachusetts Supreme Judicial Court · 1908
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