United States v. Dodge
District Court, E.D. Pennsylvania
This was an application by William H. Dodge for a writ of habeas corpus. Defendant was arrested, and, after a preliminary hearing before a United States commissioner, was committed on the charge of violating the postal laws, by “depositing in the United States mails for transmission and delivery a letter inclosed in a black envelope, addressed in white ink, calculated by the style of display, and obviously intended, to reflect injuriously upon the character of another.”
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This was an application by William H. Dodge for a writ of habeas corpus. Defendant was arrested, and, after a preliminary hearing before a United States commissioner, was committed on the charge of violating the postal laws, by “depositing in the United States mails for transmission and delivery a letter inclosed in a black envelope, addressed in white ink, calculated by the style of display, and obviously intended, to reflect injuriously upon the character of another.” The commissioner held that the offense was within the meaning of the act of congress of September 26, 1888'(25 Stat. 496).
1Opinion of the Court
BUTLER, District Judge.
The defendant asks to be discharged from arrest on the ground, that the evidence does not exhibit an offense. He is arrested for violation of the act of congress of September 26, 1888, which-reads as follows:
*236“That all matter otherwise mailable by law, upon the envelope or outside coyer or wrapper of which, or any postal card upon which, any delineations, epithets, terms, or language of an indecent, lewd, lascivious, libelous, scurrilous, defamatory, or threatening character, o'r calculated by the terms ox-manner, or style of display and obviously intended to reflect…
2Cited by7 opinions
- Tollett v. United StatesCourt of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit · 1973
- Warren v. United StatesCourt of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit · 1910
- United States v. BurnellDistrict Court, S.D. Iowa · 1896
- Slater v. TaylorCourt of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit · 1908
- In re BarberDistrict Court, E.D. Wisconsin · 1896
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