United States v. Troax
U.S. Circuit Court for the District of Ohio
This is an indictment for stealing a letter from the mail, containing money. The principal witness against the defendant was the carrier of the mail, who admitted that he was an accomplice, and received a part of the money taken from the letter. The carrier of the mail, it being a horse mail, being young and inexperienced, was influenced, as he stated, to participate in the act, through the persuasion of the defendant.
1Opinion of the Court
THE COURT
instructed the jury that an accomplice is a competent witness, and that the jury must judge of his credibility. Such a witness always comes before the court ' and jury under the most ■ unfavorable circumstances. By his own admission, he participated in the offence which he charges and is called to establish against the defendant. And this charge is made by him generally, if not always, under a hope that by making it he may • escape punishment. Such a motive is supposed to influence the witness so strongly, as to take from his statements the credit which they might otherwise be…
2Cited by2 opinions
- State v. BetsallWest Virginia Supreme Court · 1877
- State v. RussellSupreme Court of Louisiana · 1881