Townsend v. State

Upon an indictment charging murder in the first degree by inflicting mortal wounds “from a premeditated design to effect the death of” the deceased the plaintiff in error was found ‘ ‘ guilty of murder in the first degree” and recommended to the mercy of the court, and under the statute was sentenced to life imprisonment. 'While the sentence is to life imprisonment, the conviction is of murder in the first degree, to sustain which, on this record, there must be facts and circumstances adduced in the evidence from which the jury may lawfully have drawn an inference that the alleged homicide…