Such a case as this last seems
hardly to be reconcilable with the general principles which have
been laid down. It has been argued somewhat as [58] follows:--The
only blameworthy act is firing at the chickens, knowing them to
belong to another. It is neither more nor less so because an
accident happens afterwards; and hitting a man, whose presence
could not have been suspected, is an accident. The fact that the
shooting is felonious does not make it any more likely to kill
people. If the object of the rule is to prevent such accidents,
it should make accidental killing with firearms murder, not
accidental killing in the effort to steal; while, if its object
is to prevent stealing, it would do better to hang one thief in
every thousand by lot.
Still, the law is intelligible as it stands. The general test of
murder is the degree of danger attending the acts under the known
state of facts. If certain acts are regarded as peculiarly
dangerous under certain circumstances, a legislator may make them
punishable if done under these circumstances, although the danger
was not generally known. The law often takes this step, although
it does not nowadays often inflict death in such cases. It
sometimes goes even further, and requires a man to find out
present facts, as well as to foresee future harm, at his peril,
although they are not such as would necessarily be inferred from
the facts known.
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