Commonwealth v. Howell

Opinion by

Mr. Justice Linn,

Appellant, indicted for murder, pleaded not guilty. Counsel was appointed to. defend him. When, the case came on for trial, January 23, 1940, he -withdrew his plea and pleaded guilty. Testimony was subsequently taken before a court of threé judges.

Appellant was nearly 22 years of age. He had been a “backward” pupil, in school, and was transferred to a special school in which he reached the third grade and learned woodworking, carpentering and drawing, leaving school at the age of 16. He had suffered some injury in an automobile accident when he was 12.and appears to…