State v. Banks

In the bill of indictment the State attempts to charge the defendants with burning a building in violation of G.S. 14-62. The bill merely charges the offense in the language of the statute. As to this, the rules are well stated in S. v. Cox, 244 N.C. 57, 59, 92 S.E. 2d 413, 415: “. . . while it is a general rule prevailing in this State that an indictment for a statutory offense is sufficient if the offense be charged in the words of the statute, S. v. Jackson, 218 N.C. 373, 11 S.E. 2d 149, the rule is inapplicable where the words of the statute do not in themselves inform the accused of the…