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140 Mass. 128

Commonwealth v. Haskell

Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court

Decided October 6, 1885

Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court · decided 1885-10-06

Indictment charging the defendant with burning, on June 22, 1882, a certain building, owned by one Joseph Cushing, situate in Fitchburg, and used by the defendant as a candy manufactory.

Cited by 6 later decisions — most recently January 1909

6 state decisions

Good law ✅— No negative treatment on recordhow we know

Decided 1885-10-06

View the full empirical analysis of this case →

By the Court.

¶1Whether any inference could be fairly drawn from the failure of the defendant to produce the testimony of York, his partner, under the circumstances of the case, was for the jury to determine. The court rightly refused to rule, as matter of law, as requested by the defendant, that “ it was the duty of the government, rather than of the defence, to hold him as a witness.” There is no law which required the government, rather than the defendant, to hold or call him as a witness.

¶2Exceptions overruled.

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