McManus v. Commonwealth
Supreme Court of Pennsylvania
Error to the Oyer and Terminer of Northumberland county: Of May Term 1879, No. 42. Indictment of Peter McManus for the murder of Frederick Hesser. McManus was jointly indicted with John O’Neil, but they were granted separate trials. Frederick Hesser, the deceased, lived in Coal township, Northumberland county, about two miles from the borough of Shamokin. He was a stout, fleshy and healthy man, fifty-seven years old.
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Error to the Oyer and Terminer of Northumberland county: Of May Term 1879, No. 42. Indictment of Peter McManus for the murder of Frederick Hesser. McManus was jointly indicted with John O’Neil, but they were granted separate trials. Frederick Hesser, the deceased, lived in Coal township, Northumberland county, about two miles from the borough of Shamokin. He was a stout, fleshy and healthy man, fifty-seven years old. In the month of December 1874 he was employed in the capacity of night watchman, at what is called the Hickory Swamp coal breaker, about one mile from his residence. He was in…
1Opinion of the CourtJustice Paxson
This record presents no new questions. The offer of evidence contained in the first assignment of error is almost identical with that in Hester v. Commonwealth, 4 Norris 139, and comes clearly within the ruling of that case. The fact that the prisoner was a member of the Ancient Order of Hibernians, commonly known as Mollie Maguires, and the character and purposes of the order, were competent for the purposes for which the evidence was offered, viz., to show motive for the commission of the murder, and to explain the relations existing between the witness, Dennis E. Canning, the prisoner and…
2Cited by17 opinions
- Commonwealth v. KravitzSupreme Court of Pennsylvania · 1960
- Commonwealth v. HomeyerSupreme Court of Pennsylvania · 1953
- Commonwealth v. BodenSupreme Court of Pennsylvania · 1960
- Commonwealth v. MellonSuperior Court of Pennsylvania · 1923
- People v. HaganNew York Court of Appeals · 1969
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