March 5, 1962. April 2, 1962. Present: WILKINS, C.J., WHITTEMORE, CUTTER, KIRK, SPIEGEL, JJ. Homicide. Evidence, Res gestae, Judicial discretion. Practice, Criminal, Exceptions: whether error harmful; Requests, rulings and instructions. Error, Whether error harmful. At a trial for second degree murder of one killed by the defendant in a fight occurring in the course of an affair in which he and several others participated, there was no abuse of discretion on the part of the judge in the admission
February 3, 1936. June 30, 1936. Present: RUGG, C.J., PIERCE, FIELD, LUMMUS, QUA, JJ. Insurance, Life: death of insured resulting from act of beneficiary. Evidence, Admissions, Previous criminal proceedings. A previous plea of guilty of manslaughter to an indictment charging murder is merely evidence, at the trial of a civil action, of an admission of guilt, and at such trial evidence is admissible to show reasons for so pleading whereby the plea may be found to have been consistent with actual innocence
October 24, 1938. February 1, 1939. Present: FIELD, C.J., DONAHUE, LUMMUS, QUA, DOLAN, JJ. Accessory. Practice, Criminal, Discretionary control of evidence. Evidence, Relevancy and materiality, Competency. Abortion. No abuse of discretion, constituting error prejudicial to a defendant charged with being accessory after the fact who was being tried with the principal offender, occurred when, after he had rested at the close of the Commonwealth's case, which included no evidence of the absence of the