Commonwealth v. Cloonen

• Decision Date: 07 November 1892
• Docket Number: 167
• Citation: 151 Pa. 605,25 A. 145
• Parties: Commonwealth v. Cloonen, Appellant
• Court: Pennsylvania Supreme Court

25 A. 145

151 Pa. 605

Commonwealth v. Cloonen, Appellant

No. 167

Supreme Court of Pennsylvania

November 7, 1892

Argued October 3, 1892

Appeal, No. 167, Oct. T., 1891, by defendant, Dennis Cloonen from judgment of O. & T. Allegheny Co., March T., 1892, No 13, on verdict of guilty of murder.

Indictment for murder.

At the trial, before COLLIER, P.J., and SLAGLE, J., it appeared that, on the evening of March 17, 1892, defendant killed his wife by striking her over the head with a chair. Defendant claimed that at the time of the killing he was intoxicated.

When James Cloonen, a son of defendant, was on the stand, he was asked: "Q. Latterly, Mr. Cloonen, do you know what his habits were as to liquor? Objected to. A. Well, he was a very hard drinker. Mr. Burleigh: I object to the question in the general way in which it is put as incompetent and irrelevant.

Mr. Marshall: I propose to prove by the witness and all the children that this man constantly kept in his house a very considerable lot of whiskey, and that after supper nearly every night he drank heavily of it to intoxication; and that on many a night would drink over a quart between getting home and bedtime, and that it was a constant practice latterly to keep it in the house all the time, and it was in the house at this time.

The Court: The objection is sustained. The offer is not directed to the condition of the defendant at the time of the alleged offence. Exception. [1]

The same witness was asked: "Q. Could you tell from anything that he said or did that evening after you met him on Webster avenue what his condition was as to soberness or otherwise? A. Well, he was not drunk -- what you would call drunk -- and he was not sober; but can't tell when he's drunk; he only gets drunk in the head. Q. Have you seen him drunk?" Objected to as incompetent and irrelevant.

The Court: At other times?

Mr. Marshall: Yes; at other times -- many times.

Objected to as incompetent and irrelevant.

By the Court: Will you state the purpose?

Mr. Marshall: The purpose is to show his condition then, as far as we can, and what effect liquor had on him.

The Court: He can testify as to that particular time. I do not think he can testify as to any other times. Exception. [2]

When Gilbert Cloonen was on the stand, defendant proposed to prove by the witness that a day or two before this death, defendant, Dennis Cloonen brought home a bucket filled with whiskey, holding a gallon at least, and that after the death of his mother, that same night, he looked at the place where the whiskey was kept and that there was only a small portion of one bottle of that gallon of whiskey left; and follow it up by the evidence of all the living members of the family that none of them tasted liquor but the father.

Objected to as incompetent and irrelevant, objection sustained, exception. [3]

Verdict guilty of...