Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1831-10-25
NDNfN STHN
FOR THE ENQUIRER
RAJ COURr-JuLY TERM, 1891

A SKETCH OF DEClS oNS OF TIE GENE.
RAJ COURr-JuLY TERM, 1881
Pass upon PET ion :ar writ Of error
'v judgment OF the Superior
esmm0""'''" t.odsrsd NV 1881 n'''''A county
AZ 'hs sp,ing EVA OF he Cusuh Cour, Of HaNhs
Ph,iip 4. Vass is6stsd tor tho murder OF H.rry
Pollei, which was charged 20 havs bsen perpnrete,
by siabbins tha dsse1sd with knis on The i.f cid,
81 tbs neck The prisoner having pleaded not q iity
and havlEx beco pui upon bis usi, was cony.ted by
the jury of murder In The second d,grss, End wa,
septspsed 10 an imprisonment in rs Psni,enii,iy for
ten ysa'. 10 bill Of excap ioo'. 6ied 'hs rart o
the rrUoner l. IL stated ,ba, On tao Trial ( h cause.
~ appeared ;aat tSs Diseased aha overs, or Of ,b
prisoner, and was 6rN seen al er 'hs ~.urd, s.bs.
qnen'ly men Toned, in the p,;'on.i. house; no L.,
gal witness was psesent a, the inns the eea,rd *
eeivsd his d@a wouut; hai ais, appeared that To,
dvsassed. from the iie bu received ,bs wound un,il
h' tea b, for much toe gtus'er part OF The tine. (p
sonst q"ense Of the w,uon) we unAtie 10 sp.sk a.
oil, ard @hsn he was IL spcsk, te could only u.r
shfr, word or TWO at 9 time. Th. deceased received
The wound {. stab wh kuit) rbur-dsy OILS h., and
lived m, ssris iUp Ia the day OF tbe Sunday follow.
ing. Many sstnesses w6o b dc csassd in IN.
Interval be weeD the i,ns be rectivsd he wound and
his al and at ,hs tins the q;:--:ic,- aiysrwarns
stated Ia IA, CIV denSf. were pat ,ha deceased gave
tvijrncs 'tat ,hs deceased la his ria hit mind al
The lime ihs said quss irrs aera gut 10 h,m-Tba
Commonwealth iutoiueei witness, Henry e..
ncnds, who stated hat on Sa u.day befue tbs d.s,h
OF the dss.asd, v!si'si him bod Put tic lo,lowr
questions 10 hn: la Do Philip Va.s (,bs p,i.ocn =
srtks you hr' Io"hish hs deceased sn.wtred. VS.
Ia
deceased ai.o Answered, Eyes, S,'- nd 3ri Do va,
ih'tk you are goicx 10 de! 10 which lbs dscea,.d
assia sns~e1st. 'yer, Sn. The witness pu, :ou., h
question, but a g dscva, d VS.. upo6e 20 answer :,
TIE prsouers Coups,l ,hereupon moved tbs court 20
iusuus thv ju % regard 50 Tuch e the testimony
OF The w''ns.s, H. EImond', as d~isi' the aforesaid
queI'.ons aud answer. This court, however. hsinY o.
cpinoo, shat he deceafsd conscious If hii Az
prosshiog deab e, ihe ms thu quss ions 70 gut srt
the an'wers siVsp. and .ha, he va. ia hi. light mind
and ucderhcOd ,he questions, r. used 20 gvs ia.irur
lion tu' told tie Iu'y, tia, hey ough dsr, g,sd
The testimony altogether, unless they should b.lievs
r' IN he evidence IN 'as ear, tina, the deceased W.
ders,ood the questions pu I" him. and answered ,te ~
uDderstbntinSn; AID even 81 hey should 90 bs iev,
they Ougb in W. igtny tho testimony. % lake into con
sideraiion the Dsnnsr wh'h IN. qne,ion wsrs pu,
and tho Obsiped, anj also bill ina
The questions aud anw r. 30 not full aesoun. o.
tbs sase and thu, the efiDory growing out If ibe ss
Questions and snswe - got absou Fly eut iii
fGvors bis ca Toe 'he priscner To the opinon o, II
court, Tefutins 10 sive the ins!ruson ask for he
prisoner ny bis couussi xseped lu ,he petition no
eifs ed 10 b' souf, for he WA f esror Il 1, insisted
under ,he eirSunstanecss Ia ne bill OF pon,
tht tho tvasnEs OF The dsa h-btd deels atoms
sised, was incompetent evd nee. aud ought mt 10
have been aow"d TO be given 10 ms jury; ,ha though
10 is true, la gene lhN III, lying dsclir sons OF
person who has received moral b. Jury made under
eppTebeDs0us u DEATH sdn iye in srmioaI Of
cutons Tor sid yet Is eoos nded hai the 1yiog
h'siifa'iops winch are 10 s6n,i'ible DO dYing
d.<iarsons o. person III a 81 uaiion 10 We full .uG
Sonpls secouE, Of .bc fact, oi n, sciior rb IN,
hsn.aeuop,J aud mol cn'y 10 tel part OF Tho truth
taken ia tie petition, whish enforced and smpli.
ned, "ho ouch illy, ~ he p;i,oLeI's counsel d,
1he Bar
By the Courf-Tho du..,iaa .! .bs .onos.encv Of
tesilnooy, may 'nd r2on facis sxAusous and col.
l~'trl to the tt monS, or ihe msrec manner oil ID
testimony may be SuSh as TO fend'r II iasdmi sibie
To mike dyiaE dsr.S sioDs vibls as .yd ura in
Any casa, has been laii jopn that IT must appear
tia, he dsseaged conscious Of biz being in ~
state at hs time he msds 'hsn. This Bquity into h
eoDsti1asness OF this diseased aorai to n, ,v,
judgment 20 re rroBcu-r-u rpm J.. urr,uu, ,,,-o.,
proofs which may be wholly disiinst and uDsoppsx,,d
vim the dsciaFaion' 81 all testimony pro.supposss
The ssniy OF ihe witness who dspo,ef and var
The question OF sanity 10 raised Tor hs purpo,o OF
eludius the tvIdonss which offered, IA usust demand
upon sois'eIa' pro H. rbe'e quss ions TO tho som.
potency or admis ibHy OF testimony, al whatever
stage of the trial they may be raised hou kh regularly
they ought 70 feese bs btfedne ion OF lbs
objected toy are reted 10 The scsioD OF tho judge
Ash 10 be province o! the jury TO eouIider " hat j,
gree Of stsdi ought 10 be given 20 evidence an n ia
&" Tor he court slole 10 determine whe b.r A wiz.
" Desp 10 ecu PetsLt or tbs evidence admissible
whether there IS any evidence, quetton for IN,
J0dg'i whether IL Is sufficient 10 for ths Jury; ant
whatever anissedsn scs ece,sary TO be ascsY.
tanned fsr the purpose Of deciding ihe question o.
" eonps!eucy-D Tor 'xamplJ. whether chill under.
stands the Daufe II on odb-or whether the eaaf..
sion Of pTisGeeT was vouDlify--or whe,hst d,,Ia
Taiicns offered 10 evidence dying declarations were
made under The immediate bDpre he nsou of dsaib
ihs'e ard o,her facb Of ,be same kind are 10 DO de
term ned by he court, and not by the jur, =" RI psi
r.: 10, Et 1916 See also Clayton We. AMI ony,
hssu. Zo9, Ctsny vs. Saunders, MubE 5I,l Toi
preliminary atjudeauon 81 The court upon ,be s,o,
as he admi'Hbhy e the tesiiuot ia case svidens
be allowed has dsed'd n1hi's regard 10 10 ersd
billy Ibtt peculiar proyUce still =. mains unds, an.
domOion Of he jury. i'svsry days p,s.iss IA a.
nit tvdense as competent, which hs TO- hav. no bs.
station In believing. The souTi may d. eiJs moo,
examination OF proofs, that witness 10 not
fof want Of feason or undsrslsDd ng. The jury ntv
no win s'endDR, determine, within their province pba
u The wtithi OF his teIlimoDy, and may graduate the
s'sol, 'hfy Teposc 10 II from ib- poiuI Of iotN d
bsllet o thd o. the mo,i d Iiet cor fi5sne, n In m
Judgmtnt pronounced by tbs eout, upon tbs aues I1t
OF eompeisney aty error he committed, 8 b II Of sx
upon Vtith ihsi judgment was sy.n. II ,be n,ons,
mode Of pfestniog 'hs error sn appellate i.ris.
dieiion for review sod rsvsrsal II 10 .,cs',i.o.
BE- taken, or u II DO not ap9sa. vha, ,ojgsns.
given The Judgs upon hi, collateral 49,
W 10 regard 10 tie to;npsieosy OF the svjdeoss an
uostbs prssuhnsd 10 have been legal snd r'Sb, q,
the )nry In had'ng verdict sgsis's the pscne7 hay,