Baker v. State

129 N.E. 468, 190 Ind. 385, 1921 Ind. LEXIS 109
CourtIndiana Supreme Court
DecidedJanuary 26, 1921
DocketNo. 23,794
StatusPublished
Cited by19 cases

This text of 129 N.E. 468 (Baker v. State) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Indiana Supreme Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Baker v. State, 129 N.E. 468, 190 Ind. 385, 1921 Ind. LEXIS 109 (Ind. 1921).

Opinion

Willoughby, C. J.

— The appellant, with two others, was charged by indictment with murder in the first degree. When arraigned he pleaded not guilty, and also filed a special plea in writing that he was a person of unsound mind at the time of the commission of the offense alleged in the indictment. To this special plea the appellee filed a reply in general denial. The appellant was tried separately and a verdict returned by the jury finding him guilty of murder in the first degree and fixing his punishment at death. Judgment was -rendered on the verdict, and from such judgment appellant appeals. The questions presented by the appeal arise on his motion for a new trial and will be considered in the order in which they are presented in the brief.

It appears that one Wm. E. Anstiss, a witness testifying in behalf of the state, concerning certain statements, which he claims appellant made to him, testified as follows: “I am sheriff of LaPorte county. Steve Bartak and Ernest Gariepy are now at the LaPorte county jail, at LaPorte, Indiana. There were no threats made by anybody to Walter Baker when state’s exhibit No. 2 was taken. At Joliet, Illinois, I took a statement from Bartak. Bartak’s signature is attached ' to his statement. I saw him sign it. On the morning of the 29th day of August, 1919, in the county jail in .LaPorte- county, I read to Baker the Bartak statement in full., Q. I wish you would tell the jury what conversation you had with him leading up to that, and how it occurred and what Baker said and what you said? A. Why, Walter, in the police station in Toledo, wanted to talk to me, and on the train home; and finally, on the- train home, I says, ‘Now, Walter, I don’t believe you had better say anything, and I would rather you wouldn’t. If there comes a time when you want to talk and do yourself .any good I will let you know.’ The next morning I brought him down I told him I had been [389]*389thinking it over. ‘If you want to make a statement to me I don’t think it would do you any harm. I don’t know as it would do you any good. I don’t think it would do you any harm. * * * There is some things I would like to know.’ I said, ‘Both the other boys have made statements.’ I said, T haven’t the statement that was made to the court reporter, but I have Steve’s here, and he claims that he didn’t fire a shot in that. statement, and I will read it to you.’ I picked it up and read it. * * * Q. And when you said, T will read it to you,’ I will ask you to state whether or not you read the statement to him at that time? A. Yes, sir, it was laying on the.table. I picked it up and read it to him. Q. And the statement that you read to him, Mr. Anstiss at that time, is that the statement that has been marked here state’s exhibit No. 4? A. Yes, sir, that is it. Yes, I read all of that to him. Q. And what did you say to him in connection with this statement state’s exhibit No. 4, and he to you, at the time that you picked it up and says, T will read it to you.’ A. I just merely made that statement. I says, ‘Now, you can see in that statement that Bartak claims he never fired a shot. I would like to know, Walter, if he done any of the shooting.’ Q. Did you at that time read to him. this statement marked state’s exhibit No. 4? A. Yes, sir. Q. I wish you would take it, Mr. Anstiss, and read to the jury what you read to Walter Baker and tell what Walter Baker said about it.” The witness then read to the jury the statement made by Steve Bartak at Joliet, Illinois, August 26, 1919. The effect of this was to place before the jury the confession of Steve Bartak, who was sometimes referred to in appellant’s statement as Mutt.

[390]*390[389]*389Statements or admissions of coconspirators subsequent to the commission of the offense at a time when the conspiracy is ended or the offense committed for [390]*390which, the conspiracy was formed are not admissible against the defendant on trial. Kahn v. State (1914), 182 Ind. 1,105 N. E. 385, and cases there cited. The general rule as stated above is subject to exceptions. That appellant and Bartak were coconspirators cannot be questioned and the Bartak confession was not admissible unless falling within some exception to the general rule. Whatever appellant said by way of admitting statements made by Bartak would .be admissible. ' •

So much of this confession, read to the appellant, as was explanatory of appellant’s own statements made in response to a question directly addressed thereto, was as competent as anything else said by appellant, on the issue of his insanity. The sheriff testified: “I told him there were some things that I wanted to know. I says, for instance, ‘Bartak states that he didn’t do any of the shooting.’ I says, ‘Now, to prove that, Walter, I want to read this statement to you.’ Q. Now, what did Baker — when you read that.to him, then what was said? A. Well, I says, ‘Now what I would like to know Walter, I would like to know if Bartak done any of the shooting there ?’ He sat for a while and he says, ‘Yes, he shot the first and last shot.’ ”

The following part of the statement of Bartak, read to appellant, was clearly admissible, as a part of this conversation between the sheriff and appellant: “The man made a grab for a can, and Baker shot twice. He . missed him. The man ran around the counter for the door and Baker fired three shots. Then ■ we ran. * * * Q. Now Steve, while you were in that store and had the gun in your hand did you at any time do any shooting? A. I did not fire one shot. There were five shots fired, and Baker was the one who fired them.”

[391]*391[393]*393[391]*391The only part of Bartak’s confession' complained of as prejudicial is his statement that, “I refused to go (into the store to rob Cook), but he said he would shoot me if I did not go. So I went in.” It is complained that this tended to induce the jury to impose a death sentence, when they might otherwise give life imprisonment. This contention is unreasonable in view of appellant’s own confession, which shows that appellant himself was the leader of the trio and gave directions how the work should be done and took a leading part in the execution of it. By his own confession’the appellant went to Cook’s store and asked him how long he was going to keep open, and then went back and got his confederates and returned to Cook’s place. He said, “Frenchy stood on the corner and Steve and I went in the store. I opened the door, and the door opens inwardly, and I stood by the door until Steve got in and then shut the door and Steve was just a little bit ahead of me, and we both pulled out our guns and Steve he started to swear at him and he says, “ ‘God damn you, we will shoot you if you don’t put up your hands,’ and he started to back away from us behind the counters to reach for something to throw at us, so I followed him up, and I told him, I says, ‘Now just behave yourself and you won’t get hurt. We will treat you all right,’ and he acted as if he wanted to reach for something again, and while he was doing that, I was following him up. Steve rung up the cash register and I walked around the counter in behind. I followed Cook around the counter to near the ice box corner when he shoved me and went through a little opening going out in the main part of the store, and as soon as he got by that opening he turned and started to run, and Steve ran over towards the middle of the store and Cook was just about by the door and Steve shot, and the understanding when we went in there was [392]

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Bluebook (online)
129 N.E. 468, 190 Ind. 385, 1921 Ind. LEXIS 109, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/baker-v-state-ind-1921.