People v. Stevens

The defendant was informed against, jointly with one Lyons, for a statutory burglary alleged to have been committed in the shop of one "Woodward in Whitehall. The two were put on trial together, but before the trial was completed Lyons fully admitted his own guilt in open court and ofEered to withdraw his plea of not guilty. As to Stevens, the theory of the prosecution was that he did not personally participate in the breaking, but was present outside, aiding and abetting while Lyons entered.

In his instructions to the jury the circuit judge made use of tbe following language: “About this man…