Winslow v. State
Supreme Court of Alabama
From the Circuit Court of Pike. Tried before the Hon. Jno. P. IIubbard. The indictment in this case charged that the defendant, Charles Winslow, “ willfully set fire to or burned, in the nighttime, a dwelling-house of Fred. Collins and Newberry Collins, in which there was at the time a human being.” Issue was joined on the plea of not guilty.
Read the full summary
From the Circuit Court of Pike. Tried before the Hon. Jno. P. IIubbard. The indictment in this case charged that the defendant, Charles Winslow, “ willfully set fire to or burned, in the nighttime, a dwelling-house of Fred. Collins and Newberry Collins, in which there was at the time a human being.” Issue was joined on the plea of not guilty. On the trial, a bill of exceptions was reserved by the defendant, which purports to set out “ substantially all the evidence in the case, so far as necessary to show the points reserved.” It was proved that the bouse burned belonged to Fred, anil…
1Opinion of the Court
CLOPTON, J. —
The American authorities, generally, maintain the principle, that a conviction should not be had on the *47extra-judicial confessions of the defendant, unsupported by any corroborating facts and circumstances : proof aliunde, of the corpus delicti, is required. Our decisions are in harmony with this rule.— Mose v. State, 36 Ala. 211 ; Matthews v. State, 55 Ala. 187 ; Johnson v. State, 59 Ala. 37. While great caution, founded on experience in the administration of the criminal law, should be observed, that a person charged may not be punished for an alleged crime not actually…
2Cases cited9 opinions
- McAnally v. StateSupreme Court of Alabama · 1883
- Matthews v. StateSupreme Court of Alabama · 1876
- King v. StateSupreme Court of Alabama · 1867
- Mose v. StateSupreme Court of Alabama · 1860
- Bain v. StateSupreme Court of Alabama · 1883
4 more not listed; retrieve them via the Exa API.
3Cited by79 opinions
- Carlton v. PeopleIllinois Supreme Court · 1894
- McDowell v. StateSupreme Court of Alabama · 1939
- Hill v. StateSupreme Court of Alabama · 1922
- Ryan v. StateSupreme Court of Alabama · 1893
- Hines v. StateSupreme Court of Alabama · 1954
74 more not listed; retrieve them via the Exa API.