Commonwealth v. Ratcliffe

The defendant was indicted under the St. of 1876, c. 85, § 7, for owning, possessing, keeping and training a certain bird, to wit, a cock, “ with the intent then and there that said bird should be engaged in an exhibition of fighting.” There was another person named Barlow who was indicted for the same offence by another indictment, which by consent was tried at *37the same time and before the same jury, the evidence in the two cases being precisely the same. The only question presented for our consideration is, whether certain declarations, not made by the defendant or Barlow, but made in their…