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150 Mass. 294

Commonwealth v. Kane

Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court

Decided November 30, 1889

Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court · decided 1889-11-30

<p>Intoxicating Liquors — Common Nuisance.</p> <p>At the trial of a complaint on the Pub. Sts. c. 101, §§ 6, 7, for keeping a common nuisance, there was evidence that the tenement in question was a dwellingnouse, being one of several opening upon an alley; that several gallons of whiskey with utensils smelling of the same were found concealed in it; and that men had been seen carrying bottles from the alley to a crowd of men at a little distance, who after drinking therefrom showed signs of intoxication. The presiding judge refused to rule, as requested by the defendant, that there was no evidence upon which the defendant could be convicted; but gave the request, that “the mere possession of intoxicating liquor in a dwelling-house would not authorize the jury to find that it was kept with intent to sell,” adding that the quantity of liquors kept and the circumstances under which they were kept, or the fact that the dwelling-house was a place of common resort, would be evidence upon the question whether the liquors were kept for use or for sale. Held, that the defendant had no ground of exception.</p>

Decided 1889-11-30

Field, J.

¶1The court gave the first ruling requested, and, in addition, said in substance, that the stock of liquors kept, and the circumstances under which the liquors were kept, or the fact that the dwelling-house was a place of common resort, would be evidence upon the question whether the liquors were kept for use or for sale.

¶2We think that the evidence recited in the exceptions, of the quantity of whiskey found, and of the manner in which it was concealed, and of the utensils found with it which smelt of whiskey, considered in connection with the evidence of the men seen in the alley with bottles, and of their drinking from the bottles, and of the subsequent signs of intoxication, had some tendency to show that the liquors in the dwelling-house were kept for sale, and that these men obtained intoxicating liquors there. It did not appear that, in any other of the tenements which opened upon the alley, intoxicating liquors were kept. The jury must have understood that it was for them to determine whether this dwelling-house was a place of common resort. We see no error in the rulings.

¶3 Exceptions overruled.

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