United States v. Collyer

25 F. Cas. 554
CourtU.S. Circuit Court for the District of Southern New York
DecidedJuly 1, 1855
StatusPublished
Cited by3 cases

This text of 25 F. Cas. 554 (United States v. Collyer) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering U.S. Circuit Court for the District of Southern New York primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
United States v. Collyer, 25 F. Cas. 554 (circtsdny 1855).

Opinion

INGBRSODL, District Judge

(charging jury). There is a prospect that we shall now bring this protracted trial soon to a close. It has occupied a very considerable portion of your attention, but not, in my judgment, more than was due to the transaction which had to be investigated. I am glad to be able to say, gentlemen, • that you have thus far exhibited that patience, and given that attention, which the case requires. It has been intimated, during the progress of the trial, that injustice had been done to these individuals under trial from the fact that they were not enabled to have separate trials, for the reason that, if they had had separate trials, the testimony of those not on trial might have been used in defence of the others who should be tried. In the exandnation of this question, when the motion was made for separate trials, I gave my reason why separate trials should not be granted, and I will again state, in this place, gentlemen, that, as they have been indicted by the grand jury jointly, it they had been permitted to have had separate trials, the one who should have been tried first could not have called upon the others to testify in his defence. That is the law. It has been so decided, .upon solemn argument by the supreme court of the United States, and to that decision we must all bow. I therefore say, gentlemen, that if they had been permitted to have had separate trials, the one who should have been first tried would not, in law, be permitted to call upon the others to testify in his defence. In the year 1838 the congress of the United States, in view of the many startling disasters which had happened upon the waters of the United States to vessels propelled by steam, by which great loss of life had been occasioned, passed a law, the object of which was, as appears by its title, to protect the lives of passengers on board vessels of that description. That law. among other things, provides: “That every captain, engineer, pilot, or other person employed on board of any steamboat or vessel, propelled in whole, or in part by steam, by whose misconduct, negligence, or inattention to his, or their respective duties, the life or lives of any person or persons on board said vessel, may be destroyed, shall be deemed guilty of manslaughter, and, upon conviction thereof, before any circuit court in the United States, shall be sentenced to confinement at hard labour, for a period not more than ten years.” The indictment which you have to pass upon is founded upon, this violation of this act of congress. It charges that Thomas Coilyer. John F. Tallman, John Germaine, Edward Hubbard, James L. Jessup, and James Elmendorf, the parties now on trial, in July, 1852, were employed on board the Henry Clay, a vessel propelled by steam, and navigating the waters of the Southern district of New York; and that, while they were thus employed, the lives of several passengers on board the vessel were destroyed by their misconduct, negligence, and inattention to their respective duties. To the charges set forth in the indictment, the individuals named therein, and against whom the charges were made, have severally pleaded that they were not guilty.

The question, then, at issue, and upon which you, upon your oaths, have to determine, is whether they are guilty, as charged in the indictment; and, to enable you to come to a correct result, it is necessary that your attention should be directed to certain inquiries which are involved in the question at issue. These inquiries are: First. Whether the lives of the persons named in the indictment, or the lives of any of them, have been destroyed? Secondly. Whether they have been destroyed by the miseouduet, negligence, or inattention of any one? Thirdly. Whether the individuals against whom the charges in the indictment are made were employed on board the Henry Clay at the time such lives were destroyed. And, fourthly, if they were thus employed, whether such lives were destroyed by his or their misconduct, negligence, or inattention to his, or their respective duties? And in considering the case now to be submitted to you for'your determination, it is important that you may come to a just conclusion, to bear constantly in mind certain rules of law, which should govern trials in all cases involving in their consequences a punishment that is infamous; which should govern them in all criminal investigations, and particularly ra those investigations which are of an aggravated character. These rules are, that every one accused of crime, whether the offence charged be one of commission or omission, whether it be criminal or culpable neglect, shall be presumed to be innocent until the contrary appears. He should be considered as innocent until his guilt is made to appear manifest by evidence given in court; and, when upon evidence given in court there is in the minds of the jury a reasonable doubt of the guilt of the accused, no matter what the charges may be, he who is accused should have the benefit of that doubt. By the law which governs this court, and which also governs all well-regulated courts, he who is in an indictment charged with crime is not called upon to establish his innocence. That duty is not imposed upon him. His innocence is considered to be established until, by convincing proof brought forward in court, that presumed innocence is destroyed. It is the duty of the government to convince the jury, beyond a reasonable doubt, [577]*577of the guilt of him who may be indicted, and not the duty of the accused to convince them of his innocence; and, if the jury are not convinced beyond a reasonable doubt of the guilt, then it is the duty of the jury to acquit. The disaster which gives rise to this prosecution, at the time at which it occurred, deeply excited the feelings of the community, and the public mind, for a considerable period, was in such a state, that, if the trial of those implicated—or, I should rather say, of those supposed to be implicated—had taken place soon after it happened, there would have been some danger, and, I may add. there would have been great danger, that that c-alm and dispassionate investigation might not have been given to the investigation of the truth which is due to all subjects of inquiry in a judicial tribunal. and particularly to a subject demanding so much impartial investigation as the one now to be submitted to your determination. But that excitement has now passed away, and you, as impartial jurors, sworn to a faithful discharge of your duty, have been selected to pass between the government and the accused, and I have no doubt that the duty which devolves upou you „will be faithfully performed.

I have told you what duty devolved upon the government before they could claim a conviction. It is also incumbent upon me to state what is not required of them, and what is no part of their duty, in conducting the prosecution. It is not required of them to prove willful or intentional mismanagement or misconduct on the part of the accused»-. In a prosecution of this kind, it is not the intent wnich constitutes the essence of the offense, but it is an improper act, although unaccompanied with any evil intent or negligence, in the performance of a proper act, or inattention to any duty imposed upon any captain, engineer, pilot, or other person employed on board any steamboat or vessel, propelled in whole or in-part by steam, when by such improper act, or negligence in the performance of a proper act, or inattention to any duty imposed upon such captain, engineer, pilot, or other person, the life of any person on board such vessel is destroyed.

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
25 F. Cas. 554, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/united-states-v-collyer-circtsdny-1855.