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76 Mass. 464

Commonwealth v. Skelley

Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court · decided 1858-03-15

Indictment on St. 1855, c. 405, averring that the defendant, during a certain time, at Boston, “ did keep and maintain a certain common nuisance, to wit, a tenement in Portland Street in said city of Boston,” then and there “ used for the illegal sale and illegal keeping of intoxicating liquors.” At the trial in the municipal court of Boston at November term 1857, it appeared, on cross-examination of some of the witnesses for the Commonwealth, that the defendant with his…

Decided 1858-03-15

Metcalf, J.*

¶1By St. 1855, c. 405, § 1, on which this indictment is founded, all buildings or tenements, used for the illegal sale or keeping of intoxicating liquors, are declared to be common nuisances, and are to be regarded and treated as such.” And we are of opinion that the words “ a certain tenement in Portland Street in the city of Boston ” sufficiently describe the nuisance which the indictment charges the defendant with keeping and maintaining. The approved forms of indictments for other common nuisances describe the place thereof as a certain building, a certain disorderly house, a certain shop, a certain common gaming house, &c., without further description. 2 Stark. Crim. Pl. (2d ed.) 687. 2 Chit. Crim. Law, 39-41. Crown *465Circ. Comp. (7th ed.) 519. Archb. Crim. Pl. (13th ed) 748, 749 State v. Nixon, 18 Verm. 70. We see no more reason for a particular description of a tenement, in an indictment, than of a building, house or shop.

¶2Exceptions overruled.

¶3In the cases following, Merrick, J. took the place of Thomas, J.

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