Forcibly separating, parting, disintegrating, or piercing any solid substance. In the law as to housebreaking and burglary, it means the tearing away or removal of any part of a house or of the locks, latches, or other fastenings Intended to secure it, or otherwise exerting force to gain an entrance, with the intent to commit a felony; or violently or forcibly breaking out of a house, after having unlawfully entered It, in the attempt to escape. Gaddie v. Com., 117 Ky. 40S, 78 S. W. 163, 111 Am. St. Rep. 259; Sims v. State, 136 Ind. 358, 36 N. E. 278; Melton v. State, 24 Tex. App. 287, 6 S. W. 303; Mathews v. State, 36 Tex. 675; Carter v. State, 68 Ala. 98; State v. Newbegin, 25 Me. 503; McCourt v. People, 64 N. Y. 5S5. In the law of burglary, ” constructive ” breaking, as distinguished from actual, forcible breaking, may be classed under the following heads: (1) Entries obtained by threats; (2) when, in consequence of violence done or threatened in order to obtain entry, the owner, with a view more effectually to repel it, opens the door and sallies out and the felon enters; (3) when entrance is obtained by procuring the service of some intermediate person, such as a servant, to remove the fastening; (4) when some process of law is fraudulently resorted to for the purpose of obtaining an entrance; (5) when some trick is resorted to to induce the owner to remove the fastenings and open the door. State v. Henry, 31 N. C. 46S; Clarke v. Com., 25 Grat. (Va.) 912; Ducher v. State. 18 Ohio, 317; Johnston v. Com.. 85 Pa. 64, 27 Am. Rep. 622; Nicholls v. State, 68 Wis. 416, 32 N. W. 543, 60 Am. Rep. 870.
Black’s Law Online Dictionary
