Court Opinion

ID: 9536661
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-07 07:04:30.78352+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T14:54:55.742272
License: Public Domain

JONES, Presiding Judge
(concurring).
Upon the first consideration of this case I had grave doubts as to the guilt of the accused, principally because of the divergent opinions expressed by eminent doctors and pathologists concerning the nature of the wound or wounds which were inflicted on the deceased and the absence of what I thought was substantial evidence indicating a motive for the crime. It was to satisfy my own doubt about the case that the reporter was directed to send to the Clerk of our court the rifle which was introduced in evidence and admittedly used to fire the bullet which took the life of Mrs. Pruitt. The death gun was a bolt action repeating rifle with an apparently longer barrel than is ordinarily found on a .22 rifle. After seeing the gun, I became convinced that it was a physical impossibility for Mrs. Pruitt to have shot herself in the manner in which she was shot. Being thus satisfied that the wound was not self-inflicted, I can see where the jury could arrive at no other conclusion than that of the guilt of the accused.