Case Name: United States v. Francis Murray
Court: United States District Court for the District of Columbia
Jurisdiction: United States
Decision Date: 1803-11
Citations: 1 Cranch 141
Docket Number: 
Parties: United States v. Francis Murray.
Judges: 
Reporter: Reports of cases argued and determined in the Supreme Court of the District of Columbia (District of Columbia - reported by Mackey)
Volume: 1
Pages: 141–142

Head Matter:
United States v. Francis Murray.
(luare, whether stealing a bank-note is larceny within the Act of Congress of the 30th of April, 1790, § 16.
Indictment, under the statute, for stealing a watch, the property of Ben Brady, and a ten dollar bank-bill of the bank of--, and tvyenty dollars in silver.
Mr. E. J. Lee, for the defendant,
objected to evidence being given as to the bank-note, it not being larceny to steal a promissory note, or bond, &c., and cited, Leach, Cr. Law, 1, 403; Morris’s case, 8 Co. 33 a & b ; 4 Bl. Com. 234.
Mr. Mason
cited no authorities but argued generally.
The Court were of opinion that the evidence might go to the jury; they were inclined to be of opinion that bank-notes were within the meaning of the words, “personal goods,” in the act of Congress, [1 Stat. at Large, X16J; that the case in Leach, 403, was upon the construction of the Act of Parliament, and not binding as to the construction of the Act of Congress. That if the jury should find the prisoner guilty of stealing the bill only, the question might come on again on a motion in arrest of judgment. If they should find him 'generally guilty, they would consider the question in fixing the fine.
The jury found the prisoner “guilty of stealing the watch only.”
Mr. E. J. Lee, for the prisoner,
moved in arrest of judgment, that' the jury had not found him guilty or acquitted him of the other things charged in the same count, to wit, the bank-note and the silver dollars, so that if he should be indicted again he would not be able to plead the conviction or acquittal.

Opinion:
But the Court
overruled the motion'and gave the judgment — 39 stripes and 10 dollars fine, &c.