Commonwealth v. Gable

Opinion by

Mr. Justice Schaffer,

This is a case of first degree murder. The jury fixed the penalty at death. The condemned, appealing to us from the sentence, submits three questions: (1) May the Commonwealth introduce in evidence his written confession when it contains references to the commission by him of other crimes not connected with the homicide? (2) The defense being insanity, was it error for the trial judge to review in detail the evidence of the Commonwealth and to instruct the jury that if they believed it, their duty was to find the defendant guilty of murder in the first degree…