Bond v. State

19 S.W. 1062, 56 Ark. 444, 1892 Ark. LEXIS 186
CourtSupreme Court of Arkansas
DecidedJuly 1, 1892
StatusPublished
Cited by3 cases

This text of 19 S.W. 1062 (Bond v. State) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Supreme Court of Arkansas primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Bond v. State, 19 S.W. 1062, 56 Ark. 444, 1892 Ark. LEXIS 186 (Ark. 1892).

Opinion

Hughes, J.

Upon an affidavit filed before a justice of the peace, charging him with the offense of selling intoxicating liquor without license, the appellant was arrested and brought before the justice of the peace to answer said charge. He pleaded not guilty, and was fined two hundred dollars, and appealed to this court.

The testimony was that the defendant sold a preparation called Pale Malt Tonic. The court sitting as a jury found the facts to be “ that Pale Malt Tonic is prepared to be sold for use and drink as a beverage, and as a substitute for heavier drinks like beer and whiskies; that, in color, taste, odor, froth and other particulars, it presents all the appearance of a weak beer; that it exhilarates and stimulates, but could probably not be taken and retained in the system in sufficient quantities to intoxicate.” The court also found that it contained :

Alcohol............................02
Sugar............. 0087
Ash.......................■........0017
Other extractive matter.............0268
Water .............................9428
Total......................... 100
Specific gravity, 1009.

To which finding of the court the defendant excepted.

The court declared the law to be that ‘ ‘ the statute intended to and does prohibit the sale of any compound or preparation containing malt or alcohol intended for use as a beverage, without license first obtained;” to which the defendant excepted. At the request of defendant, the court made the following finding :

“No. 5. The court fails to find from the evidence that Pale Malt Tonic is an intoxicating liquor.”

The defendant asked the court to make the following findings, which were refused :

“No. 4. The court find§ from the evidence that there is not sufficient alcohol or spirituous, ardent, vinous, malt or fermented liquor in Pale Malt Tonic to make a preparation or compound thereof, the sale of which is prohibited without license.”

“No. 6. The court finds the facts to be that the Pale Malt Tonic alleged to have been sold by defendant is not either alcohol or spirituous, vinous, malt or fermented liquors or a preparation thereof.”

“No. 7. That said preparation is not such an one as can be used as a beverage and a substitute for intoxicating liquors.”

“No. 8. The court finds the facts to be that the Pale Malt Tonic, sold by defendant, is not such a preparation of either alcohol or spirituous, vinous, ardent, malt or fermented liquors, as can be used as a substitute of either, for the purposes of intoxication.”

“No. 9.. The court finds, the facts to be that the defendant Bond, on. the--day of November, 1891, sold, in the Fort Smith District of Sebastian county, a certain beverage, known and described as Pale Malt Tonic, and that said defendant did not have license to sell alcohol or spirituous, ardent, vinous, malt or fermented liquors ; that the said Pale Malt Tonic will not produce the effect of. intoxication or drunkenness.”

To which refusal defendant excepted.

The court refused to declare the law as asked by defendant, as follows:

“ No. 2. That the law means, by the words ‘ preparation or compound thereof,’ that there must be a sufficient quantity of alcohol or spirituous, ardent, vinous, malt or fermented liquor in said mixture as to make the preparation or compound have the effect or influence on the system, if taken in large quantities, as the alcohol or spirituous, ardent, vinous, malt or fermented - liquor would have, and that it does not mean that fifteen or twenty drops of alcohol or spirituous, ardent, vinous, malt or fermented liquors placed in a pint of another liquor would make said mixture a compound or preparation of alcohol or spirituous, ardent, vinous or fermented liquors; but if the mixture had a quantity of alcohol or spirituous, ardent, vinous, malt or fermented liquor sufficient to intoxicate a person who drank a quart or' two at one time, or put him under its influence, then it would be a preparation or compound thereof, the sale of which without license is prohibited.”

“ No. 3. In testing the question of whether a mixture comes under the term ‘ a compound or preparation thereof,’ the main, if not the sole, question is, what is the proportion of whiskey or ardent spirits to the other ingredients in the mixture ? And its character is determined by that test: if there be any considerable amount— so much so that the effects as to intoxication are the same on a person taking what he can drink of said mixture — then it is a preparation thereof; if, on the other hand, a person cannot drink enough of the mixture to produce the effect, as to intoxication, of alcohol or spirituous, ardent, vinous, malt or fermented liquor, it is not a compound or preparation thereof, in the meaning of the law.”

“No. 4. The court finds, from the evidence, that there is not sufficient alcohol or spirituous, ardent, vinous, malt or fermented liquor in Pale Malt Tonic to make it a preparation or compound thereof, the sale of which is prohibited by law.”

The court found defendant guilty as charged, and assessed his fine at $200. Defendant saved exceptions.

Defendant moved a new trial upon the following grounds, to-wit:

1. • The court erred in the finding of facts.

2. In declaring the law.

3. In rendering judgment.

4. In not finding facts as requested by defendant in the 6th, 7th, 8th and 9th respectively.

8. In not finding for defendant as requested No. 4.

9. The court erred in refusing to declare the law as requested by defendant in requests 2, 3 and 4, respectively.

12. Because the court erred in rendering judgment against the defendant after it failed to find that Pale Malt Tonic was an intoxicating liquor.

13. Judgment not supported by the evidence.

14. Judgment contrary to law.

Motion overruled, exceptions saved and appeal.

The statute is as follows :

i. practice fn misdemean®

Section 4507 (Mansfield's Dig.): “ It shall not hereafter be lawful for any person to sell alcohol or any spirituous, ardent, vinous, malt or fermented liquors in this State, or any compound or preparation thereof, commonly called tonics, bitters or medicated liquors, or intoxicating spirits of any character which are used and drank as a beverage in any quantity or for any .purpose whatever, without first procuring a license from the county court of the county in which such sale is to be made authorizing such person to exercise such privilege.”

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Related

Whitley v. State
215 S.W. 703 (Supreme Court of Arkansas, 1919)
State v. Klasner
19 N.M. 479 (New Mexico Supreme Court, 1914)
Bradshaw v. State
89 S.W. 1051 (Supreme Court of Arkansas, 1905)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
19 S.W. 1062, 56 Ark. 444, 1892 Ark. LEXIS 186, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/bond-v-state-ark-1892.