Jasper County Democrat, Volume 17, Number 16, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 30 May 1914 — Former Remington Merchant Gets New Trial. [ARTICLE]

Former Remington Merchant Gets New Trial.

The Supreme Court, in reversing a judgment or the St. Joseph Circuit Court, Tuesday, granted a new trial to Ben Kahn of South Bend who was convicted of arson. The Supreme Court held that It was an error to permit the state to Introduce evidence of other fires than the one which he was charged with having staited. “Other crimes than the one for which the defendant is upon trial are never permitted to be shown to prove the fact that a crime has been committed,” read the Supreme Court’s opinion. “Before the proof of other fires is admdssable ft must he established that the previous fire was Incendiary, and then only after evidence has been introduced showing that the defendant set the fire In question.”

Kahn has been out on bond pending the decision of the Supreme Court, He was located at Remington a few years ago and had a fire there, evidence in which was introduced in the trial of the case in which he was convicted. 1