Cellars Quote by William Henry Maule
“If a man go into the London Docks sober without means of getting drunk, and comes out of one of the cellars very drunk wherein are a million gallons of wine, I think that would be reasonable evidence that he had stolen some of the wine in that cellar, though you could not prove that any wine was stolen, or any wine was missed.”
About This Quote
Source Legal Treatise: The Law of Evidence, 1845
A man who enters a cellar sober, emerges drunk, and there is a large quantity of wine, suggests he likely stole some, even if no wine is missing.
In simple terms: Suspicious behavior implies theft.
Key Takeaway
Use context to infer wrongdoing.
Themes
law
evidence
reasoning
probability
crime
Mood
skeptical
cautious
Type
legal
analytical
When to use this quote
- Criminal investigation
- court testimony
- police interrogation
Key Concepts
burden of proof
circumstantial evidence
legal inference
Questions to Reflect On
- What other evidence would strengthen the case?
- How reliable is inference alone?
A Different Perspective
Circumstantial evidence may be insufficient for conviction.
