Latham v. United States
Opinion of the Court
The plaintiff in error was indicted in the court below for violation of the act of Congress approved June 25, 1910, commonly known as the “Mann White Slave Traffic Act.”
The indictment contained four counts, each charging in slightly variant terms that the plaintiff in error carried and persuaded, induced, and enticed one Bessie Pettite, a girl of about the age of 15 years, •to be transported by railroad engaged in interstate commerce from Grand Saline, in the state of Texas, to the city of New Orleans, state of Louisiana, there to engage and be engaged in prostitution. Upon arraignment and trial he was found guilty as charged in the indictment, and thereupon was sentenced to five years’ imprisonment in the penitentiary. On and through his trial he was represented by counsel,
On the day set. for hearing in this court, counsel, one of whom at least represented the plaintiff in error below, appeared and, suggesting to the court that they had just been employed to represent the plaintiff in error in this court, obtained a postponement of the hearing, with leave to withdraw the record and to file a brief in 10 days. Before the 10 days expired, counsel, on statement that plaintiff in error had failed to raise a sufficient sum of money to compensate them for services to be rendered, withdrew their appearance. The result is that we have not had the benefit of any presentation other than the assignments of error as to the contention of plaintiff in error on this writ. We have nevertheless given all possible consideration to the case and find that none of the assignments of error are well taken, and there is. no reversible error patent on the face of the record; and, in addition, we have satisfied ourselves that the plaintiff in error had a fair trial and that the undisputed evidence in the case fully warranted his conviction.
Affirmed.
070rehearing
On Application for Rehearing.
The application for rehearing assigns grounds as follows:
I. The court erred in holding that a continuance in the court below had been properly denied.
“It is well settled that the action of the trial court upon an application for a continuance is- a matter of discretion not subject to review unless such discretion has been abused.” Hardy v. U. S., 186 U. S. 224, 22 Sup. Ct. 889, 46 L. Ed. 1187, and cases there cited.
And clearly there was no abuse of discretion in this case.
The court below held, and this court found held correctly, that the testimony referred, to was admissible under the authority of American Fur Co. v. United States, 2 Pet. 365, 7 L. Ed. 450, and Wiborg v. United States, 163 U. S. 657, 16 Sup. Ct. 1127, 1197, 41 L. Ed. 289. In this connection we notice that the trial court instructed the jury that if they believed beyond reasonable doubt that there was a common purpose and design upon the part of John Northcott.and Henry Lath-am that the witness Bessie Pettite should be transported from Grand Saline, Tex., to New Orleans, La., over the line of a common carrier in interstate journey for the purpose of prostitution, then the statements made by Northcott to the witness Bessie Pettite, bearing upon the common purpose and design, would be admissible as evidence against the defendant Latham; but, if no such common purpose or design was shown, the evidence should not be considered by them against the defendant Latham. There can be no doubt that the rights of the defendant with regard to this evidence were fully protected.
The petition for rehearing is denied.
Reference
- Full Case Name
- LATHAM v. UNITED STATES
- Status
- Published