United States Supreme Court Cases & Opinions

U.S. Supreme Court

Price v. United States, 165 U.S. 311 (1897)

Price v. United States

No. 625

Submitted January 19, 1897

Decided February 15, 1897

165 U.S. 311

Syllabus

The indictment in this case is sufficient because it does in fact contain a charge that the book was obscene to the knowledge of the defendant who knowingly and willfully, with such knowledge, deposited it in the mail, and thus violated Rev.Stat. § 3893. Rosen v. United States, 161 U. S. 29, followed.

Andrews v. United States, 162 U. S. 420, followed to the point that, on the trial of a person indicted for a violation of the provisions of Rev.Stat. § 3893, touching the mailing of obscene, lewd or lascivious books, etc., it is competent for a detective officer of the Post Office Department, as a witness, to testify that correspondence was carried on with the accused by him through the mails for the sole purpose of obtaining evidence from him upon which to base the accusation.

The case is stated in the opinion.