United States Supreme Court Cases & Opinions

U.S. Supreme Court

United States v. Limehouse, 285 U.S. 424 (1932)

United States v. Limehouse

No. 513

Argued February 25, 26, 1932

Decided April 11, 1932

285 U.S. 424

Syllabus

1. In § 211 of the Criminal Code, which declares unmailable "every obscene, lewd, or lascivious, and every filthy" book, letter, etc., "or other publication of an indecent character," and punishes the mailing of such things, the words "and every filthy" add a new class to the matter included when this Court construed the prohibition (R.S. 3893) as confined to matter "calculated to corrupt and debauch the minds and morals of those into whose hands it might fall" and to induce sex immorality. Swearingen v. United States, 161 U. S. 446. P. 285 U. S. 426.

2. The section is held applicable to letters that contained much foul language and that charged the addressees, or persons associated with them, with sex immorality. Id.

58 F.2d 395 reversed.

Appeal under the amended Criminal Appeals Act from an order quashing,an indictment on demurrer.

Page 285 U. S. 425