State v. Demerly

Defendant was convicted of arson in the first degree and appeals to this court from a judgment sentencing him to imprisonment in, the penitentiary for a term of 15 years and from an order overruling- a new trial.

The errors assigned will be best understood if the facts are stated in chronological order with the background surrounding the case. The scene of the alleged crime is in the ranch country of .Eastern Butte county. Defendant and most of the witnesses for the state are ranchmen. At the time of the alleged offense defendant owned about 5,000 acres of land on which were situated two sets…