Zamora

In the District Court for the Territory of Alaska, First Division, appellant Miguel Zamora was indicted for having, on or before the 8th day of April 1938, wilfully, feloniously, and maliciously burned the dwelling house of John Silva. He was tried by a jury, found guilty, and sentenced by the court to a term in prison. From the judgment and sentence appellant has appealed.

Appellant Zamora had been married to Silva’s adopted daughter for more than two years prior to the time of the fire. For a time he and his wife had lived with Silva and later by themselves. About three weeks before the fire they separated, and Mrs. Zamora went to live at the home of her father. Appellant frequently came to the house, and often on these occasions quarreled with his wife, which generally caused her mother to have a heart attack. Mrs. Silva did not want him to come to the house any more.

On April 7, 1938, the day preceding the fire, 'Zamora again came to the house. He first knocked at the front door; 'no attention being paid to him, he went around to the back of the house, where Silva was fixing his boat.

Silva testified: “I told him he could not come any more, because he had made a lot of…