Adamson v. State
Adamson v. State
Opinion of the Court
The accusation in this case charged Charles Adamson Jr. with possessing intoxicating liquors on May 21, 1931, in Polk county, Georgia. His motion for a new trial was based solely upon the usual general grounds.
Charles Adamson Sr. and his wife were living in Cedartown, Ga., and tlieir son, the defendant, was living with them. F. D. Clark, a Federal prohibition officer, testified, in substance, that he heard that whisky was being shipped to the defendant, and he came to Cedar-town on May 21, 1931, and found that “a wooden box consigned to D. C. Colin, in care of Charles Adamson Jr.,” had arrived by express ; that the box was carried to the Adamson home and delivered; that when the box was opened there it was found to contain a five-gallon can which had in it about two and a half gallons of pure grain alcohol. This witness further testified: “The box was marked with . . a marking pot. It was not stencilled, and it was from . . Atlas Machine Works, Philadelphia, Penn., to D. C. Colin, in care of Charles Adamson Jr., Cedartown.”
W. E. Eutledge, the express agent, testified that he delivered the package in question at the Adamson home in May, 1931; that he took it “around to the house between eleven and twelve o’clock
Having set out somewhat fully the material evidence in the case, we see no occasion to analyze it. However, a careful study of the record satisfies our minds that the circumstantial evidence in the case fails to exolude every other reasonable hypothesis than that of
Judgment reversed.
Dissenting Opinion
dissenting. The defendant was convicted of possessing intoxicating liquors, and his motion for a new trial embraced the usual general grounds only. The undisputed evidence showed that the prohibition officer had information on May 21,1931, that intoxicating liquors were being sent by express to the defendant at Cedartown, Georgia, and that on the same day he (the officer) came'to Cedartown and found that a wooden box, consigned to “D. C. Colin” (evidently a fictitious person), in care of the defendant, had just arrived by express; that this box was delivered by the express company to the defendant’s residence (where he lived with' his father and mother), and the box was taken possession of by the cook, Laura McDaniel, who signed for it; that soon after-wards (on the same day) the officer opened the box and found that it contained about two and a half gallons of pure grain alcohol; that the defendant was not at the house when the alcohol was delivered; and that the cook usually signed for deliveries. In my opinion the jury were authorized to find that the cook was the duly authorized agent of the defendant to receive the alcohol for him, and her possession thereof was his possession. I think that the circumstantial evidence was sufficient to exclude every reasonable hypothesis save that of his guilt, and the finding of the jury having been approved by the trial Judge and no error of law being complained of, this court is without authority to interfere.
Case-law data current through December 31, 2025. Source: CourtListener bulk data.