Watson

Appellant was charged with the crime of robbery and in a second information with conspiring with one Salisbury to commit robbery. One Augustine was charged with the same robbery but not with conspiracy. The three charges were tried together. During the trial Augustine changed his plea to guilty and appeared as a witness for the other defendants. Salisbury and appellant were found guilty of the conspiracy as charged and appellant was found guilty of the robbery. This appeal followed.

Two eyewitnesses, the victims of the robbery, identified Watson and Augustine as the two men who committed it. The place robbed was a travel agency and in addition to some cash a large number of blank traveler’s checks were taken. Checks aggregating $500 were found behind the grate in a fireplace in the apartment occupied by appellant. From the numbers these were identified as part of the checks taken in the robbery. After first denying any knowledge of these checks appellant later stated to a police officer that they had been given to him by one Don Harrison to purchase heroin. He gave the same explanation as to a larger quantity of such cheeks found at the residence of his mistress’…