Zenobia Perkins v. United States

Appellant contends (a) that the evidence does not support the verdict so far as concerns its taking for a wrongful purpose, (b) that it fails to show that the property was taken for the use of appellant and hence is not larceny under the Alaska law, (c) that if the facts show such larceny also constitute a felony under another statute the court had no jurisdiction to try her for a misdemeanor under the statute relied on, and (d) that the court erred in instructing the jury on circumstantial evidence since, appellant claims, there was no circumstantial evidence.

A. Appellant took the property for a wrongful purpose.

The Alaska police, apparently suspecting appellant, a Negro woman entertainer in a Fairbanks saloon, was committing larceny from intoxicated men, provided her with what appeared to be a likely victim and the following facts transpired. Appellant disavowed that she was claiming the defense of entrapment and that question is not in issue here.

One Griffin, an Air Force police officer, received from Territorial police officers a wallet containing $60 in paper currency which had been dusted with a powder called gentian violet. This powder, a pale green color when dry,…