Evans v. State

13 Tex. Ct. App. 225, 1882 Tex. Crim. App. LEXIS 213
Court of Appeals of Texas·Decided November 18, 1882·No. No. 1355·Published

Opinion

Willson, J.

Upon the trial of this case the State was permitted, over the objections of the defendant, to prove certain ■facts in relation to one J. M. Brock; that is, that said Brock was a white man, and a preacher who preached to the negroes; that, a short time prior to the killing of Godley, he, Brock, had charged certain citizens of Wood county, before a United States commissioner at Tyler, with a violation of the law known as the [239]*239ku lclux law; that said citizens had been arrested upon this charge and brought to Tyler, and were in Tyler, and near the place where Godley was killed at the time of the killing; that Brock was also in Tyler on that day, and was observed on the streets of Tyler, a short time before Godley was killed, in conversation with a company of three or four negroes. It is strenuously contended by counsel for defendant that the admission of this testimony was error for which the judgment of conviction should be reversed. The objection urged is that the testimony was irrelevant to any issue in the case, and does not in the remotest degree tend to connect the defendant with the alleged murder.

In order to determine the relevancy of this evidence we must consider other facts in evidence. Brock was a white man, and a preacher engaged in preaching to negroes. It is therefore reasonable to suppose that he exercised an influence over that class of our population. He was engaged in the prosecution of some citizens of Wood county, whom he had caused to be arrested and brought from their homes to Tyler, for a trial before a United States commissioner. There was bad feeling between these citizens and Brock. House and Godley, who were lawyers and partners, were the attorneys who had been engaged by the Wood county citizens to defend them in their trial before the commissioner. On the evening that House and Godley were killed there was a large number of negroes assembled in Tyler, upon the public square, on the streets, and in and around two drinking saloons which were kept by negroes. Many of these negroes were armed, and among them was one Randal Johnson, who claimed to be a policeman, and who was armed with a Henry rifle; and he seemed to be a leader among the negroes assembled. Many of these negroes appeared to be in an excited state, and there were remarks and movements among them which indicated a concerted plan, and a preparation on their part, under the leadership of Randal Johnson, to make some kind of an attack upon the Wood county men, and those in company with them. The defendant was seen in this assemblage of excited and armed negroes. What was the cause of this excitement? Why were these negroes assembled and conferring together, armed with guns and pistols, and muttering prophecies of an approaching conflict? There was no apparent cause for these threatening demonstrations. What, then, was the hidden motive propelling these unusual movements? Was it not the [240]*240presence upon the streets of Tyler of these Wood county men who were being prosecuted by the preacher Brock, and who were being defended in that prosecution by House and Godley? The evidence to our minds indicates that such was the case. It is claimed that the purpose of Randal Johnson and his followers was merely to disarm these men, and that the knowledge of this purpose among the assembled negroes was the cause of the excitement. Concede this to be the fact, who was the instigator of this purpose on the part of Randal Johnson and his crowd?

Under this state of facts was it not proper for the State to inquire as to the movements and motives of this man Brock? Was it not proper and relevant to show who he was, that he was in Tyler, that he was seen conversing with some of these excited negroes only a short time before the terrible tragedy, and that he, of all other men on that occasion, had a motive for concerting and impelling a conflict in which in all probability he would have accomplished the removal of his hated and feared adversaries? We think the testimony was relevant and proper, when considered in connection with the other evidence in the case, and that the court did not err in admitting it. If, on the other hand, as contended by defendant’s counsel, the testimony was wholly irrelevant, foreign to any issue in the case, then it could have no appreciable value in determining the issue involved; would be immaterial, and a refusal to exclude it would not be sufficient cause for a reversal of the judgment. (Gose v. The State, 6 Texas Ct. App., 121.)

It is also claimed by defendant’s counsel that the court erred in admitting the testimony of Alf. Tucker, a witness for the State. This witness was examined on the trial of the defendant, had before an examining court shortly after the murder of Godley, and his testimony was reduced to writing at the time, and was signed by the witness. The proper predicate was laid for the introduction of this testimony by the State, by proving that the witness Alf. Tucker was dead; that the defendant was present before the examining court when the witness was examined, and had the opportunity afforded him of cross-examining said witness. The objection urged against the admissibility of the written testimony of this witness is, that it was not certified by the examining court in the manner required by law. The evidence before the examining court, all of which was reduced to writing, is voluminous, constituting a record of over three hun[241]*241dred pages, and appended to it is the following certificate of the examining court:

“THE STATE OF TEXAS, }
“ County oe Smith. f
“I, Z. Norton, Judge of the Ninth Judicial District, sitting as an examining court in a case wherein the State of Texas is plaintiff and Ed. Moore (alias Wooten) and others are defendants, said defendants being charged with murder of B. E. House and F. A. G-odley, do hereby certify that the foregoing three hundred and sixty-four (364) pages contain the proceedings had before me as an examining court. as aforesaid, as thereon purporting to have been had, containing the evidence and genuine signatures, etc., as appears. All of which is respectfully submitted to the Honorable District Court of said county. Witness the seal of court, and my official signature, January the 23rd, 1872.
“Z. Norton, Judge of the Ninth Judicial District.”

The law governing this subject is found in Article 267 of the Code of Criminal Procedure, which reads as follows:

“The testimony of each witness shall be reduced to writing by the magistrate, or some one under his direction, and shall then be read over to the witness, or he may read it over himself, and such corrections shall be made in the same as the witness may direct, and he shall then sign the same by affixing thereto his name or mark. All the testimony thus taken shall be certified to by the magistrate taking the same.”

We think the certificate before us fully complies with the requirements of the law. It certainly was not contemplated by the lawmakers, as contended for by defendant’s counsel, that the testimony of each witness should be separately certified to. Such a construction would be contrary to the plain language of the statute, and unsupported by reason We are clearly of the opinion that the court did not err in admitting the testimony of the witness Alf. Tucker.

A number of objections are presented and insisted upon by defendant’s counsel to the charge of the court.

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Evans v. State, 13 Tex. Ct. App. 225, 1882 Tex. Crim. App. LEXIS 213 (Tex. Ct. App. 1882).

13 Tex. Ct. App. 225 (Evans v. State) — published by Counsel Stack Legal Research, free access to 12M+ legal documents.

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