Legions v. Commonwealth

Samuel Legions, a young colored man, was indicted on December 8th, 1941, in the circuit court of Loudoun County, charged with having committed the crime of rape, on October the 27th, 1941, upon Viola Miller, a white woman.

At the April term 1942, of the court, he was tried and found guilty by a jury. The verdict was approved by the court and his punishment was fixed at the extreme penalty of the law.

His conviction depends primarily upon the testimony of the prosecutrix and that of her husband.

This testimony, in the light of the admitted physical surroundings, and the absence of incidents which…