Alston v. United States

In the United States District Court, Southern District of Iowa, an indictment with three counts, filed December 2, 1924, charged Alston with violating § 1, Harrison Narcotic Act, approved December 17, 1914, c. 1, 38 Stat. 785, as amended February 24, 1919, c. 18, 40 Stat. 1057, 1130, 1131, by purchasing morphine and cocaine from unstamped packages. He pleaded “guilty” and was sentenced to the penitentiary. A writ of error took the cause to the Circuit Court of Appeals, Eighth Circuit, and it asked our instruction upon certain questions. Thereupon, we required the entire record to be sent here…