Ford v. State

53 S.W. 869, 41 Tex. Crim. 1, 1899 Tex. Crim. App. LEXIS 123
Court of Criminal Appeals of Texas·Decided June 14, 1899·No. No. 1973.·Published·Cited by 14 cases

Opinions

BROOKS, Judge.

Appellant was convicted of robbery, and his punishment assessed at confinement in the penitentiary fbr a term of five years.

Appellant’s first bill of exceptions complains of the failure of the court to charge the jury as requested by him, to wit: “If defendant, when first accused of robbing the prosecuting witness, Joseph Seagall, and when goods were found in his possession, and first arrested and charged with the crime for which he is on trial, gave a reasonable account of how he came in possession of the goods found in his possession and claimed by said Joseph Seagall, it then devolves on the State to show the falsity of the explanation.” On this phase of the case the court charged the jury as follows: “If defendant obtained1 from Joseph Seagall possession of any of the property described in the indictment, or if other persons were in company with the defendant and obtained possession of any of such property from Joseph Seagall,. yet if you believe that such possession of said property was obtained by purchase or by gift, or by both purchase and gift, from said Joseph Seagall, or if you have a reasonable doubt as to whether such possession of the property was obtained by purchase or. gift, or by means of assault, violence, or putting said Seagall in fear of his life or bodily injury, then j^ou must acquit the defendant.” We do not think it was necessary in this case for the court to charge as requested by appellant. In cases of robbery, where possession is only one of the circumstances relied upon for the conviction, recent “possession,” as the term is ordinarily understood, does not have to be charged upon, as it is where the possession alone is relied upon for conviction. In Hays v. State, 36 Texas Criminal Reports, 533, we held that the charge of the court authorizing the jury to acquit, if they believed defendant had bought the pistol, or if they had a reasonable doubt concerning the matter, was an apt presentation of the defense, and -better than if the court had charged upon, recent possession and reasonable explanation. And we think the same statement would apply to the charge given by the court in this case; that it was a better charge, and more appropriate to the facts of this case, than a charge on recent possession, such as was asked by appellant. We do not think the court erred in failing to give said charge. Berry v. State, 37 Texas Crim. Rep., 44; Mathews v. State, 32 Texas Crim. Rep., 355; Teague v. State (Texas Crim. App.), 31 S. W. Rep., 401; Ledbetter v. State, 35 Texas Crim. Rep., 195; Gilmore v. State (Texas Crim. App.), 33 S. W. Rep., 120.

*5 Appellant’s second bill complains of the action of the court in the following particular: It appears that there had been a habeas corpus trial of appellant and other parties, including Walter Thompson. Walter Thompson testified on the habeas corpus trial at length, detailing the facts of the supposed robbery. It is not necessary to state in full all of his testimony, which is attached as an exhibit to this bill, but we think we can make it sufficiently intelligible by stating the substance of appellant’s contention. The State had offered in evidence four extracts from the written testimony of Walter Thompson on habeas corpus trial, as is fully shown by bill of exceptions number 2. Thereupon defendant offered the entire written testimony of the said Walter Thompson for the purpose of enabling the jury to determine whether or not' the same was substantially the same as is defendant’s testimony on this trial. But the State objected to the introduction of all of said written testimony, because the same was irrelevant, illegal, self-serving, immaterial, and was an attempt by defendant to get before the jury the testimony of the said Walter Thompson, defendant’s codefendant, now charged in this court by bill of indictment with the same offense with which this defendant is now being tried, which objections were by the court sustained. On the habeas corpus trial above mentioned, after the said Walter Thompson had given his testimony, appellant took the stand and stated that the testimony of Walter Thompson was substantially correct. And appellant’s bill of exception number 3 complains of the following proceeding: Appellant was fully sworn, and testified as a witness in his own behalf, and in his testimony denied that he or any of his three codefendants robbed the injured party, Joseph Seagall, at the time and place as detailed by the said Seagall and claimed in his testimony; that he and three co-defendants purchased from said Joseph Seagall all the articles found ■on them when they were arrested. He testified, on cross-examination, among other things, as follows: “It was just after Hays called the peddler back that he (Hays) said, ‘What if I was constable of precinct Ho. 1,’ etc., as stated in my examination in chief. And Hays went to the buggy, and picked the pistol up that was in the scabbard, and showed it to the peddler, and then put it back in the buggy. Ho; Hays never, at any time, had the pistol in his pants. It is not a fact that, when Hays told the peddler to come, and get his damned box, he (Hays) held the box out in his hand, and when the peddler did not ■come back he (Hays) dropped the box and broke it. Ho; it is not a fact that the Dutchman, or peddler, gave us all a present. Ho;.it is not a fact that the Dutchman, or peddler, said he would give us all -a present, and he did not then set down his grip, and give us a white " handkerchief apiece. He gave us nothing, but we paid him for ■everything we got from him. Yes; I was present in the courtroom, and heard my codefendant Walter Thompson testify on the habeas -corpus proceedings instituted by all four of us before Judge McClellan for bail. I also heard the clerk of this court read said testimony *6 over to the said Walter Thompson, and I was requested by my attorneys to and did pay close attention to the reading of said Walter Thompson’s testimony. The clerk also swore me on said habeas corpus trial. I then testified orally that I had heard my codefendant Walter Thompson testify in said proceeding. I also testified that I had heard the clerk read said testimony over to said Walter Thompson, and I also swore that the same was substantially correct. I don’t remember Thompson swearing on said habeas corpus trial that Hays had the pistol in his pants on his left side when he called the Dutchman back. I don’t remember of Thompson swearing on that trial that Hays held the Dutchman’s, or peddler’s, box up, and told the Dutchman to come back and get his damned box, and when the Dutchman did not come back that Hays dropped the box on the ground and broke it. The box was broken after the peddler came back to where we were. Hays just pitched the box towards the peddler when it was broken. I don’t think Thompson swore on said trial that the Dutchman, or peddler, said he would give us a present, and set his grip down, and gave us a white handkerchief apiece. I don’t think he swore on said trial that there was nothing taken from the Dutchman but what was paid for, except what he gave us. The peddler did not give us anything. We paid for all we got.” The State then offered to read in evidence to the jury, for the purpose of impeaching the defendant, the following extracts from the written testimony of Walter Thompson on the habeas corpus trial, to wit: “First. ‘When Hays called the Dutchman back, Hays had the pistol in his pants on his left side.’ Second. ‘When he told the Dutchman to come back and get his damned box, Hays held the box out in his hand, and the Dutchman did not come back, and Hays dropped the box and broke it.’ Third.

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Ford v. State, 53 S.W. 869, 41 Tex. Crim. 1, 1899 Tex. Crim. App. LEXIS 123 (Tex. 1899).

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