Andrews v. State

116 So. 2d 749, 237 Miss. 875, 1960 Miss. LEXIS 257
CourtMississippi Supreme Court
DecidedJanuary 4, 1960
Docket41364
StatusPublished
Cited by9 cases

This text of 116 So. 2d 749 (Andrews v. State) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Mississippi Supreme Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Andrews v. State, 116 So. 2d 749, 237 Miss. 875, 1960 Miss. LEXIS 257 (Mich. 1960).

Opinion

Arrington, J.

*877 The appellant, W. Y. Andrews, was convicted in the Circuit Court of the Second Judicial District of Jones County of the crime of manslaughter and sentenced to the penitentiary for a term of twelve years, from which judgment he appeals.

The indictment charges that the appellant did unlawfully and feloniously and of his culpable negligence, and without authority of law, kill and slay one Teresa Kay Walker.

On September 6, 1958, the appellant married Mary Walker. Both had been previously married and divorced. The appellant had three children, a girl 8 years of age, and two boys, ages 5 and 4 respectively, by his former marriage, and Mary Walker had one child, Teresa Kay, the deceased, who was ten months old at the time.

At the time of the marriage, the deceased child was kept by her uncle and aunt, a Mr. and Mrs. Braswell, for a few days. Later, they kept her from November 18 to December 24, 1958, when she was returned to appellant’s home where she lived until her death on January 27, 1959. At the time deceased was returned, she was in good health with the exception of a slight cold. In the early part of January she became ill and wás carried to Dr. Ellis in Laurel on January 19, who found her suffering from a vitamin deficiency and malnutrition. During the time the deceased was living in the appellant’s home, she was subject to constant mistreatment by the appellant. A large number of witnesses testified to whippings given the deceased child by the appellant. There was also evidence that the appellant did not like the child and when told that she was too young to be whipped, appellant said she was spoiled and had to be taught manners. All the foregoing evidence tends to show the ill-will of appellant towards the deceased infant.

On January 27, in response to an anonymous telephone call, a welfare worker called at appellant’s home *878 to take the deceased child to a physician. Appellant came to his home while the welfare worker was there after receiving a telephone call from his wife. Appellant was angry at the welfare worker and told her, “I wish the God-damn neighbors and welfare department would keep their nose out of my business.”

On the same day the appellant, according to his testimony, returned to his home from his work about 6 to 6:15 P. M. He further testified that the baby had just finished her supper and she was carried upstairs and put to bed; that the baby fell off the bed three times, each time being put back in the bed by the appellant; that the last time he brought her downstairs and held her until she went to sleep, and he and his wife carried her upstairs and put her to bed. His wife then left to make a purchase at a nearby store, and during her short absence, he heard a “brawling noise” from the child’s room; that he rushed up the stairs and found the child struggling — ‘ ‘ sounded like it was having a convulsion; ’ ’ that he grabbed the child and gave artificial respiration; that his wife was then coming in and they rushed the child to the hospital, where oxygen and artificial respiration were administered, however, upon Dr. Ellis’ arrival, the baby was dead. The time was estimated to be from 7 to 7:30 P. M.

Dr. Ellis would not sign the death certificate stating that he did not know the cause of death, and he suggested an autopsy. The appellant objected to an autopsy. The doctor testified that he would not sign the death certificate until he got an autopsy; that he then told the mother, appellant’s wife, that he was sorry the baby had died and he was sure she wanted to know what caused the baby’s death. She agreed to the autopsy and then she and the appellant signed the necessary papers. Dr. Puckett, a pathologist, performed the autopsy, and according to his testimony and that of Dr. Ellis, the cause of death was given as shock and hemorrhage due *879 to a ruptured liver. Dr. Puckett testified that he found a one-inch tear on the lower portion of the liver and a two and one-half inch tear in the central portion of the dome of the liver; that the deceased received a severe blow which could be caused by a compression injury, and that the injury could have been as late as thirty minutes to one hour, or could have been as long as ten to twelve hours prior to her death. In addition to these injuries, he also found that she had a bruise beneath the ridge of the left eye and a two inch bruise over the vertebrae column in the center of the back, also that she had three fractured ribs. He testified that none of these injuries were related to her death in that they had taken place prior to the injury to her liver. Both of the doctors testified that a fall from a bed or the giving of artificial respiration was not sufficient force to cause the rupture of the liver, and that the deceased did not die a natural death.

A number of witnesses testified that they were in the appellant’s home on January 27 and that the child was better that day. The welfare worker testified that the baby had eaten her lunch about 11 o’clock that day. Another witness testified that she was in the home several times and that at about four o’clock in the afternoon the deceased was sitting in her mother’s lap eating a cracker, smiling, and seemed much better. Mrs. Braswell, the child’s aunt, was in the home about 4:30 P. M. and she testified that the child was better and wanted to go home with her. Another witness who moved into the apartment next door to the appellant on January 27, testified that she heard distressed crying in the appellant’s apartment from 5:30 to 6 P. M. and estimated the time to be for about two hours; that she did not know the appellant but a black and white car was parked at his apartment at that time. Another witness who lived in the next apartment to the appellant testified to prior whippings of the deceased by the appellant, and *880 that on January 27 she heard the bahy crying between 5:30 and 6:30 P. M.; that the baby cried a good while but she did not know who was at home at that time; that the car the appellant drives was parked between his and her apartment at that time; that the appellant usually got home between 5:30 and 6 o’clock P. M.

The appellant testified that he arrived home at six or 6:15 P. M. on the date in question, and that his wife was bringing deceased out of the kitchen at that time, stating that she had had her supper. Several witnesses testified that the appellant made the statement at the funeral home that he possibly whipped the baby too hard or that he hurt her in giving her artificial respiration. The appellant denied the statement that “he probably whipped the baby too hard, ’ ’ but admitted he gave her artificial respiration. He also admitted that he spanked the baby three or four or five times, but denied hitting her or using any force or giving her any blow whatsoever on that date.

The appellant assigns a number of errors; first, that the court erred in overruling his motion for a bill of particulars as to the crime charged in the indictment. This was not error. This Court has held that the indictment is the only bill of particulars required by law. Sanders v. State, 141 Miss. 289, 105 So. 523.

Appellant argues that the court erred in overruling the motion to exclude the evidence and direct a verdict for the appellant when the State rested.

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
116 So. 2d 749, 237 Miss. 875, 1960 Miss. LEXIS 257, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/andrews-v-state-miss-1960.