Mathews v. Commonwealth

James J. Mathews was indicted by a grand jury on a charge of robbery by violence to the person and by threat of firearms. He was tried by a jury, found guilty, and his punishment was fixed at confinement in the State penitentiary for a period of twenty years. The trial court entered judgment on the jury’s verdict and sentenced Mathews accordingly. We granted Mathews a writ of error.

Mathews contends that the trial court erred (1) in employing an incorrect procedure to determine the voluntariness of his written confession; and (2) in admitting the confession in evidence, because (a) he was not…