Coon v. State

Citations

• 21 Miss. 246

Syllabus

<p>A negro, by the laws of this state, is prima facie a slave. If a person, therefore, who is not the owner, take a runaway negro into his possession, with the intent of feloniously converting him to his own use, knowing or having the means of knowing the owner or master, it will be larceny.</p> <p>While the whole of a prisoner’s confession must be considered together by the jury, yet they may believe one portion, and disregard the other.</p> <p>Unless the offence of negro-stealing is proved to have been committed within the county in which the prisoner is indicted, the court will have no jurisdiction, and the finding of the jury be void.</p> <p>In this case, the prisoner was indicted in Wilkinson county for the larceny of a slave ; he was arrested with the slave in his custody in Mobile, in the state of Alabama; from whence he was brought to this stjite, tried, and found guilty. The court review the^.evidence, and consider the fact of the commission of the larceny in the county of Wilkinson sufficiently established.</p>