Adams v. Commonwealth

Opinion of the Court by

Chief Justice Fulton

Affirming.

On trial for tire murder of James Ritchie, the appellant, Ballard Adams, was convicted of voluntary manslaughter and sentenced to five years in the penitentiary. He seeks a reversal on the ground that the instructions were erroneous.

It is rather difficult to gather from the record a coherent version of the killing but the salient facts appear to be about as follows. Appellant operated a roadhouse in the village of Duane and had his residence in the rear of the same building. Employed in the roadhouse were a girl, Pokie Gayheart, and a young…