Clark v. State

56 Fla. 46
CourtSupreme Court of Florida
DecidedJune 15, 1908
StatusPublished
Cited by9 cases

This text of 56 Fla. 46 (Clark v. State) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Supreme Court of Florida primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Clark v. State, 56 Fla. 46 (Fla. 1908).

Opinion

Hocker, J.

On the 12th of May, 1908, the plaintiff in error was indicted in the Circuit Court of Walton County for the alleged offense of assault with intent to commit rape upon one R. E. Faircloth, a female above the age of ten years. The offense is charged in apt language and is based on sections 3220 and 3221 of the General Statutes of 1906. On a trial he was convicted and sentenced to a term of three years in the State Prison. On writ of error here, the only question presented is the sufficiency of the evidence to sustain the verdict.

[48]*48The whole evidence contained in the record is as follows :

“I am R. E. Faircloth, I saw this negro, the defendant before, I was living at the Lewis place across the Bayou from' McCaskell’s mill, and he was there, and he' grabbed me and started out -at the front door, it was about dark, there was nobody there but the children. My husband was not there that I know of. ■ I first saw him at the pump*. It was late in the evening. There was a back gallery and a hall through the house, and a gallery all around the house, one hall was across the house and the other came lengthwise and met it. I was in the hall and the bed room was on one side of the hall and the kitchen room was on the other side of the hall. I started in the kitchen. I was going after water — the pump where I. saw him was on the back gallery (here the witness was handed crude map and asked if this was the position of the house and if the marked locations were the ones, and after testifying that they were, the map was • introduced in evidence and is hereto attached and made part of this testimony, marked exhibit ‘A’). I saw him when he grabbed me by my right hand and put his hand on my breast, and said he wanted a negro boy. I hollowed, I told him to turn me loose, he turned me aloose when I screamed and he ran. I did nothing else. John, my husband, was there at the door as soon as I hollowed, and my husband got his gun and started to kill the negro but he got in a boat, the negro did and went across -the bayou. It was in this county and State. I had started in the room to see about the baby when the negro grabbed me in the hall. I have three children. This was on April fifth, 1908.
Cross.
It was across the bayou to nearest house. I lived in [49]*49the Lewis House. There were several colored families on the same side of the bayou. My husband was out in the lot when the negro- grabbed me. The lot was about as -far from the house as the length of this Court House. Negroes were continually there, we ran a truck farm. I do not know what the defendant said he wanted. It was dark. There was a light in the house. Not good dark out of doors. He started to pulling me right off. As soon as I screamed he turned loose. I have not been keeping a bad house down there. My husband was not gone long after the defendant. The defendant did not hurt me anyway. He did -not make any threats. I saw no weapons. I saw nobody but him. There -was another negro- there afterwards. Negroes were continually there. We were running a truck farm. I saw nothing when I first saw him.
Redirect.
Far as I know I never saw the defendant before then. Mr. Armstrong was there on the gallery at the side of the house. He staid there and roomed there and' boarded there.
'Recross.
I am sure this is he. My husband was out at the lot about the length of this Court House from- where the defendant was.
And thereupon to further maintain'the issues o-n its behalf the State produced to be sworn as a witness one Henry Tanton, who testified as follows: I have seen the defendant. Henry Clark is his name. I know him by the name of Kid Fritz. I arrested him. He had a conversation with me on the train and said he wanted to pay it up and stop it, and said that he went o-ver there that day to buy some whiskey. He said he never hurt the woman.
[50]*50Cross.
He said it was Sunday evening’. He said he went there to buy whiskey. He were talking’ about the case.
And thereupon to further maintain the issue on its behalf the State produced to be sworn John Faircloth, who after being- duly sworn testified as follows: I am
husband of R. E. Faircloth. I know very little about the case. I was out in the lot feeding and I went after him when I heard my wife hollow.
Thereupon the State rested its case.
And the defendant to maintain the issue on its behalf produced and caused to be sworn as a witness one Charles D. Campbell, who after being duly sworn testified as follows: I was with the defendant on April the fifth 1908 from, about two o’clock 'in the afternoon till about ten o’clock that night, and Ishroal Harris was with him at the same time, and we went to the Lewis house where Mr. Faircloth lived. When we first met up with Kid Fritz he had been drinking’ a little, and he said if we would follow him we would get some mote whiskey, and we went with him to M¡r. Faircloth’s house, and I saw the defendant all the time while we were there. The defendant went in and laid his hand upon the wall, but did not put his hand upon Mjrs. Faircloth. I saw him all the time we were there and I know that he did not put his hands upon her or bother her. We were out a little distance from the house and it was late in. the evening, but I could see the defendant.
And thereupon to further maintain his issue produced and caused to be sworn as a witness one Ishmal Harris, who after being duly sworn testified as follows: My name is Ishamal Harris. I was with the defendant on April fifth of this year from about two o’clock in the [51]*51afternoon till about ten o’clock that night and Charles D. Campbell was with us all the time. Kid Fritz told us that if we would follow him he would get some whiskey, and we followed him and he went to Mr. Fairdoth’s and I saw him all the time he was there. He went in and laid his hand on the wall. He did not put his hand on Mrs. Faircloth nor bother her. That was all the timé we went there.
Cross.
It was about night. I was out a little distance from the house.
And thereupon to further maintain his issue the defendant, Henry Clark, after being duly sworn testified as follows: I went to the Lewis place, me and the two witnesses who have just testified in this case. • I did not take hold of Mrs. Faircloth, nor threaten her, nor have any weapon. I did not use any improper language to her -that’evening. I did not put my hands upon her. I dlid not tiy to bother her in any way. . I went there to buy some whiskey, and I bought it. I -bought a pint. I was running on the ‘Fritz.’ I went back to the boat and went off on the ‘Fritz’ nex-t morning to Pensacola. I was working on the ‘Fritz.’
Cross.
When I first met these two other negroes I was not drinking much. They were about, seventy-five yards from the house. I did not see the baby. I did not tell Mr. Tanton that he swore to. I did not hear Mrs. Fair-cloth scream at all. I had no intention to bother Mrs. Faircloth while I was there or at any other time.
Thereupon the defendant rested his case.

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
56 Fla. 46, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/clark-v-state-fla-1908.