Cheat
A Law Dictionary, Adapted to the Constitution and Laws of the United States · John Bouvier · 1839
A Law Dictionary, Adapted to the Constitution and Laws of the United States
criminal law, torts. <A cheat is a deceitful practice, of a public nature, in defrauding another of a known right, by some artful device contrary to the plain rules of common honesty.
1 Hawk. 343.
To constitute a cheat, the offence must be, Ist, of a public nature; for every species of fraud and dishonesty in transactions between individuals is not the subject-matter of a criminal charge at common law, it must be such as is calculated to defraud numbers, and to deceive the people in general.
2 East, P. C. 816.—2.
The cheating must be done by. false weights, false measures, false tokens, or the like, calculated to deceive numbers, 2 Burr. 1125; 1 W. BI.
R. 273; Holt, R. 354.—3.
That the object of the defendant in defrauding the prosecutor was successful. If unsuccessful it is a mere.attempt, (q- v-) When two or more enter into an agreement to cheat, the offence is a conspiracy, (q. v.)