Dobbs v. State

1928 OK CR 129, 264 P. 661, 39 Okla. Crim. 368, 1928 Okla. Crim. App. LEXIS 333
CourtCourt of Criminal Appeals of Oklahoma
DecidedMarch 26, 1928
DocketNo. A-6264.
StatusPublished
Cited by9 cases

This text of 1928 OK CR 129 (Dobbs v. State) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Criminal Appeals of Oklahoma primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Dobbs v. State, 1928 OK CR 129, 264 P. 661, 39 Okla. Crim. 368, 1928 Okla. Crim. App. LEXIS 333 (Okla. Ct. App. 1928).

Opinion

DOYLE, P. J.

The information in this case charged John Dobbs and Lev Dobbs with the murder of one Make Brodie, alleged to have been committed in McCur-tain county on or about the 25th day of July, 1925, by cutting and stabbing him with a knife. There was a severance of trial asked for and granted.

On his trial appellant, John Dobbs, was convicted of murder and his punishment fixed by the jury at life imprisonment. A motion for new trial was duly filed and overruled, and judgment rendered in accordance with the verdict. From the judgment he appeals.

It is contended in this court that the evidence did not warrant the verdict, and that numerous errors were committed upon the trial, which entitled him to a reversal of the judgment.

The following brief statement of the facts will be sufficient to make clear the contentions made:

Appellant, 20 years of age, lived with his father and codefendant six or seven miles north of the town of Valliant; the deceased, Make Brodie, aged about 50 years, lived in the same neighborhood. He left his home on the morning of the 25th day of July in a wagon, accompanied by his son, 9 years old, to go to Valliant. When they passed the home of the defendants, Lev Dcvbbs was standing on the porch, and appellant was driving up some horses; overtaking George Collins, the deceased invited him to ride. Shortly after, appellant and his father passed them on the road; they were riding horseback. Brazil Burton, 14 years old, was riding oh *370 the same horse with appellant. After passing the wagon of the deceased, the defendant stopped by the side of the road, and appellant started to fix the saddle girth on his father’s horse. When the deceased came by, appellant spoke to him and an altercation started.

Jim Brodie, son of the deceased, 9 years old testified: That when the wagon stopped Mr. Collins got out. John Dobbs came up to the wagon and said he heard my father had been telling around that he whipped him at the schoolhouse and his father would not own up to it. Then John Dobbs picked up a rock and threw it at his father, and his father got out of the wagon, and John Dobbs cut him with a knife.

George Collins testified: That when the wagon was passing the defendants John Dobbs motioned to witness to get out, and he jumped out. Then Lev Dobbs said to his son John, “Now, John, stop him, stop him, get him out;” and John Dobbs hollered “Hey, Brodie, hold up there, stop, 1 heard that you were going to whip me; now is the time to do it.” Mr. Brodie said, “I never said I was going to whip you, and I don’t want any trouble.” Then witness crossed the fence and turned and saw John Dobbs “make a throw,” and witness went on.

The evidence further shows that the deceased had a wound between the second and the third rib and another wound two inches to the left of that, between the third and fourth rib, and that his death occurred in a few minutes after he fell.

Jack Harbin testified for the defense, and the substance of his testimony was to the effect; That he was driving to Valliant, and saw Lev and John Dobbs pass a wagon, and after going about a quarter of a mile they stopped by the roadside under the shade of a tree. That in the wagon were Make Brodie, his little boy, and George Collins. That when the wagon stopped George *371 Collins got out. That witness was then 150 yards behind the wagon, and saw John Dobbs pick up something about the size of his fist, and he started to throw. Then Lev Dobbs put his hand up, and John Dobbs dropped the rock. Then John picked up the rock and threw it at Mr. Brodie, and Mr. Brodie got out of the wagon, and they began to fight. Witness was then about 60 yards behind the wagon. That John Dobbs was backing up, and Mr. Brodie was following. Then Mr. Brodie threw up his arms, staggered, and fell. John .Dobbs turned away, and got on his horse, and witness came up and carried Mr. Brodie under the shade of the tree. That he did not see any knife in Mr. Brodie’s hand, and did not see any knife on the ground.

Brazil Burton testified: That after they passed Mr. Brodie’s wagon his uncle Lev Dobbs stopped to fix his saddle girth. That while there Mr. Brodie’s wagon passed them. That John Dobbs said, “I want to see that fellow;” and when the wagon stopped George Collins got out, and John Dobbs walked up to the wagon and said to Mr. Brodie, “I want to see you a minute.” That he saw John throw something at the wagon before Mr. Brodie got out.

Lev Dobibs testified: That he and his son John started on horseback to Valliant, and they passed Mr. Brodie’s wagon, then stopped in the shade of a tree to fix his saddle girth. When the wagon came up, George Collins jumped out and ran past him and said, “I don’t believe I would have any trouble with him.” Then Mr. Brodie threw his line down and said, “Now is as good a time as I will ever get.” That when Mr. Brodie started to get out of the wagon, his son John picked up a rock and said to Mr. Brodie, “Don’t get out of that wagon;” and witness told his son to drop that rock, and said to Mr. Brodie, “Go on, Mr. Brodie, go on.” That Mr. Brodie jumped out of the wagon and advanced on his son with a *372 knife. That his son was backing up and fighting all the time. Then he saw Mr. Brodie fall. That his son John had a knife in his hand.

As a witness in his own behalf, appellant testified: That he had a difficulty with Mr. Brodie at the Lone Star schoolhouse, and later at the schoolhouse Mr. Brodie called him a liar and wanted to fight, and he told Mr. Brodie that he did not want to have to have any trouble with him, that he was not able to fight him, and Mr. Brodie said, “You are going to quit talking about me, if I hear any more of this, I will cut your damn head off.” That he started to town that morning with his father. They passed Mr. Brodie’s wagon and stopped in the shade of a tree to fix a saddle girth, when Mr. Brodie’s wagon came by. George Collins jumped out and walked towards them and said, “I would not have any trouble with him;” then went on over the fence. That Mr. Brodie appeared to be very angry, and said, “Now is as good a time as I will ever have to get that damn son of a bitch.” Then he picked up a rock and told Mr. Brodie not to get out of the wagon, and his father walked between him and the wagon and told him to throw down the rock, and said to Mr. Brodie, “Dont get out of the wagon.” That Mr. Brodie started to jump out, and he again.picked up the rock, then threw it, and Mr. Brodie struck at him with a knife and missed him, then struck him again, and the knife cut through his clothes and cut him on the shoulder. That he believed he was going to take his life, and he cut him as he went backwards from him. Then Mr. Brodie staggered and fell. ■

L. S. Cotteral testified that he assisted in putting the body of the deceased in the car, and saw eight or ten feet to the north of where the body was lying the handle of a broken knife.

In rebuttal, J. R. Jones, sheriff testified that he arrested appellant the day of the killing; that appellant *373 took off his shirt, and he examined him; that he had a scratched place on his arm that looked like where a pin had scratched him.

Against the objections of counsel for.

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
1928 OK CR 129, 264 P. 661, 39 Okla. Crim. 368, 1928 Okla. Crim. App. LEXIS 333, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/dobbs-v-state-oklacrimapp-1928.