Harwood v. . the People

The indictment charged the plaintiff in error with keeping a "bawdy-house. It was proven that he kept a house in the city of Syracuse, and to make out the offence it was necessary to .establish the character or kind of house so kept by him. A bawdy-house is defined to be a house of ill-fame, kept for the resort and unlawful commerce of lewd people of both sexes. (1 Bowvier L. Dict., 163.) It was essential therefore for the prosecution to establish the character of the house, and, to show that, the characters of the persons frequenting it or resorting to it. The questions put to the witnesses,…