Gaines v. State

132 N.E. 580, 191 Ind. 262, 1921 Ind. LEXIS 34
CourtIndiana Supreme Court
DecidedOctober 27, 1921
DocketNo. 23,908
StatusPublished
Cited by22 cases

This text of 132 N.E. 580 (Gaines v. State) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Indiana Supreme Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Gaines v. State, 132 N.E. 580, 191 Ind. 262, 1921 Ind. LEXIS 34 (Ind. 1921).

Opinion

Willoughby, J.

The appellant was convicted of burglary in the first degree. The trial was by jury, upon an affidavit in two counts. The first count [264]*264charged burglary in the first degree and the second count charged larceny. The jury found the appellant guilty on the first count. There was no finding on the second count. Judgment was rendered on the verdict that the appellant be imprisoned in the state prison not less than ten nor more than twenty years and disfranchised for ten years. From such judgment appellant appeals.

No motion was made attacking the sufficiency of the affidavit. The questions presented by this, appeal arise upon the action of the court in overruling appellant’s motion for a new trial.

In the motion for new trial ft is contended by appellant that the verdict of the jury is not sustained by sufficient evidence and is contrary to law. The verdict is upon the first count of the affidavit and finds “the defendant guilty of burglary in the first degree as charged in the first count of the affidavit.”

1. Appellant insists that the first count of the affidavit does not state a public offense because burglary in the first degree can only be committed by breaking and entering a place of human habitation; that the affidavit contains no statement that the dwelling charged to have been entered was a place of human habitation; that for these reasons a verdict finding defendant guilty on the first count of the affidavit would be contrary to law.

The first count of the affidavit, omitting the formal parts is as follows: “Ellsworth Summers, being duly sworn upon his oath says: That at the County of Clark and State of Indiana, on or about the 10th day of September, 1920, David Gaines, did then and there unlawfully, feloniously and burglariously in the night time, break and enter into the dwelling house of Andrew Heilman, situated in Jeffersonville Township, Clark County, Indiana, with intent then and there, feloniously [265]*265and burglariously to take, steal and carry away the goods, chattels and personal property of the said Andrew Heilman, then and there being, contrary to the form of the statute in such cases made and provided, and against the peace and dignity of the State of Indiana.”

This count describes the offense defined in the first section of the act of March 10, 1915, Acts 1915 p. 619, §2268a et seq. Burns’ Supp. 1918. The word “dwelling” imports a human habitation.

In the case of Bell v. State (1866), 20 Wis. 630, which was a prosecution for burglary and larceny, it is said, “The words ‘the dwelling house of Oscar C. Ferris,’ mean that the building broken and entered was his place of residence, and that he occupied it as such at the time of the breaking and entry. An averment in this form is good in the common law indictment for burglary and larceny.”

Section 2264 Burns 1914, Acts 1907 p. 249, defined the crime of burglary. The act of March 10, 1915, swpra, divided the offense of burglary into two degrees. The breaking and entering into any dwelling or other place of human habitation with intention to commit a felony was made by this statute burglary in the first degree. Breaking into any of the other houses or buildings enumerated in §2264 Burns 1914, swpra, was defined as burglary in the second degree.

The first count of the affidavit in this case alleges every fact necessary to show a violation of the first section of the act of 1915, supra, which defines burglary in the first degree. See Acts 1915 p. 619, supra; Edwards v. State (1878), 62 Ind. 34; Sims v. State (1894), 136 Ind. 358, 36 N. E. 278; Choen v. State (1882), 85 Ind. 209; Hunter v. State (1867), 29 Ind. 80; Barnhart v. State (1900), 154 Ind. 177, 56 N. E. 212; Ewing v. State (1921), 190 Ind. 565, 131 N. E. 43.

[266]*266This count was a sufficient charge of burglary in the first degree and the jury were warranted in finding “the defendant guilty of burglary in the first degree, as charged in the first count of the affidavit,” if the evidence supports-the finding.

The appellant urges that the verdict of the jury is not sustained by sufficient evidence. The state relies for conviction upon what it terms an oral confession of appellant. The witnesses by which the' state sought to prove the alleged confession were Andrew Heilman, the owner of the house alleged to have been burglarized, Mary Heilman, his wife, and certain police officers of the city of Jeffersonville, Indiana.

On the subject of the alleged confession, Andrew Heilman testified: “When the police had Gaines locked up in the city jail I went down and saw him there. They brought him out into the room and I asked him if he took the money. He denied taking it. My wife was with me and she talked with him too. He still denied taking the money. Capt. Summers was there and he told Gaines if he got the money to say so. Gaines said he didn’t take it. He told where he was rooming and said he had not been, in the house. My wife talked to him and he finally said he got the money. He said he opened the door with a key and got the key to the dresser drawer and got the money out. Gaines had been arrested and was in jail. No affidavit had been filed against him. Capt. Summers told him if he would tell how he got the money they wouldn’t prosecute him so hard and make it light for him.”

Mary Heilman testified: “I am the wife of Andrew Heilman. I was present at the police station with my husband at the time he was sent for to come down and see David Gaines. I went down with my husband and they told me to tell Dave if he would say he took the money they wouldn’t prosecute him so hard. He said [267]*267that he didn’t take it. I went back to the police station that day. Capt. Summers told me to tell Gaines if he would say that' he took the money they wouldn’t prosecute him. I told Gaines what he told me to tell him. The old man cursed Dave and called him names. Dave then said to me, I will say that I took the money, but I am as innocent as a new born baby. I told him what they had promised they would do. He said I’ll tell them I took it but I didn’t do it. Then he told them, I’ll say that I took the money but I didn’t do it.”

Ellsworth Summers testified: “I am the chief of police of Jeffersonville, Indiana. The defendant was arrested on Tuesday morning and put in jail at the police station. I questioned him about the money; no one was there at that time. I asked him if he had béen out there. I made no threats but talked to him as I would to any other person. On Wednesday morning between seven and eight o’clock I talked to him again about it. I sent for Mr. Heilman. In the afternoon of the same day, he and Mrs. Heilman came down to the jail. Mr. Heilman talked to him and told him if he got the money to say so. In my conversation with him there I said if you went out there and did that job why don’t you tell it. He finally said he did it. Mrs. Heilman said if you didn’t get it I don’t want it. He broke down and cried and said, Ma, I’ve taken your money between $62 and $72 of it. I did not promise him that if he would say he took the money I would not prosecute him. He said the key to the dresser drawer was hanging up and he got the key and opened the drawer and then hung it back up. At the time Gaines made these statements he was under arrest and in the city jail.

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Bluebook (online)
132 N.E. 580, 191 Ind. 262, 1921 Ind. LEXIS 34, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/gaines-v-state-ind-1921.