Case Name: United States v. Allison Richardson
Court: United States Circuit Court of the District of Columbia
Jurisdiction: United States
Decision Date: 1837-11
Citations: 5 Cranch 348
Docket Number: 
Parties: United States v. Allison Richardson.
Judges: 
Reporter: Reports of cases argued and determined in the Supreme Court of the District of Columbia (District of Columbia - reported by Mackey)
Volume: 5
Pages: 348–348

Head Matter:
United States v. Allison Richardson.
If a man raise a club-oyer tlie bead of a 'woman witbin striking distance, and threaten to strike her if she opened her mouth; this is an assault in law. He bad no right to impose sneb a condition.
Indictment for an assault upon one Susan Shelton.
The evidence was that the" defendant came into the house where Mrs. Shelton was sitting at a window. He was armed with a musket, and a club ; and raising the club over her head, in an attitude for striking, and within striking distance, said to her that if she said a word (or if she opened her mouth) he would strike her ; and this without any provocation on her part.
Mr. Bradley and Mr. Mohan, for the defendant,
contended that this was not, in law, an assault; that there can be no assault without a present intent to strike ; and his saying, “ if she opened her mouth,” showed that he had not such a present intent; and they cited the old case, “ if it were not the assizes I wrould stab you.”

Opinion:
But the Court
(Thruston, J.,
absent,) said that he had no right to restrain her from speaking; and his language showed an intent to strike upon her violation of a condition which he had no right to impose. Suppose a stranger comes to my house armed, and raises his club over my head, within striking distance, and threatens to beat me unless I will go out of, and abandon my house; surely that would be an assault. So if a highwayman puts a pistol to my breast, and threatens to shoot me unless I give him my money ; this would be evidence of an assault, and would be charged as such in the indictment.
Verdict, guilty; fined ten dollars.