Commonwealth v. Wells

Citations

• 69 Pa. Super. 227
• 1918 Pa. Super. LEXIS 53

Syllabus

<p>Criminal law — Keeping bawdyhouse — Cross-examination—Previous offense — Act of March 15,1911, P. L. 20.</p> <p>Where on the trial of an indictment for keeping a bawdyhouse, the defendant in testifying on her own behalf, denies that she ever kept a bawdyhouse she may be asked on cross-examination whether she had not pleaded guilty to conducting the same place as a bawdy-house. Such a question is not a violation of the Act of March 15, 1911, P. L. 20.</p> <p>In such a case it is not error for the court, after warning the jury to consider and weigh all the testimony, and to consider whether or not the witnesses knew what they were talking about, to further charge as follows: “This particularly applies to the witnesses who testified as to the character of the house (naming defendants witnesses). Consider whether they visited this house at such times when they had the opportunity of knowing just what kind of a house was being conducted.”</p> <p>Appeals — Assignment of error — Charge.</p> <p>An assignment of error as to the charge of the court will not be considered, where the very words of the part of the charge complained of are not set out.</p>