The defendant was indicted for the murder of Eli, a slave. Frank had been intimate with Eli's wife, Lucy Hine (a free woman of colour), for 4 years. Verdict against the prisoner affirmed. Lucy was also indicted, but she had her trial moved to a different county. The body of Eli was found in a mill pond about half a mile from Lucy's house. Blood was traced from this location to Lucy's house. The victim had been hit on the head with an axe. A fight had taken place between the two men at the house when Frank had been discovered there by Eli. Evidence from various witnesses concerning tracks in the grass. There was a duty to convict if the case had been proved beyond a rational doubt. All three complaints raised by the defence counsel were dismissed. A complaint that was not prejudicial to the defendant was not grounds for a retrial.
