Hammond v. Sittel

59 F.2d 683, 1932 U.S. App. LEXIS 3445
CourtCourt of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit
DecidedJune 24, 1932
Docket6831
StatusPublished
Cited by5 cases

This text of 59 F.2d 683 (Hammond v. Sittel) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Hammond v. Sittel, 59 F.2d 683, 1932 U.S. App. LEXIS 3445 (9th Cir. 1932).

Opinion

WILBUR, Circuit Judge.

This is an appeal from an order of the District Court on habeas corpus proceedings remanding -the appellant to the custody of the United States marshal to be held for extradition to Canada in pursuance of an order of the United States Commissioner to that effect. The appellant relies upon the following propositions:

“I. The evidence on the part of the demanding government, and all the evidence in the record, shows that the offense, if any, was committed, in the state of California and not in the jurisdiction of the demanding government.

“II. Under all the evidence in the case the appellant is not a fugitive from the justice of the demanding government nor a person within the meaning of the treaty of 1842 and its supplements and amendments.”

The1 crime charged is that of obtaining money ($30,000) by false pretenses from the Regal Petroleum Company at Calgary, Canada. The United States Commissioner found from the evidence that there was reasonable ground to believe that such a crime was so committed by the defendant at the time and place charged. This finding is challenged as unsupported by the evidence.- The basis of the claim is that the money was obtained-from the Regal Petroleum Company in payment of a draft drawn by the appellant’s agent, acting for him and in his name, upon the Bank of Montreal at Calgary to be charged to the account of the Regal Petroleum Company, which draft was deposited in the Western National Bank at Los Angeles, Cal., to appellant’s credit. The draft was ' for-' warded to Calgary, Canada, by the correspondents of the Western National Bank, where it was presented to and paid .by the Bank of Montreal and charged-to the account of the Regal Petroleum Company at Calgary, Alberta, Canada. Appellant’s contention is that his draft having beep deposited with his Los Angeles Bank and-.credited to.his_ account, he then and there procured the only money or property he obtained from the Regal Petroleum Company, and' that the offense of obtaining money by false pretenses - was then completed; ■'if any such offense were committed, and that jurisdiction thereof is in the state of California and not the Dominion of Canada. In support of this contention appellant confidently refers to the decision of the Supreme Court; in Burton v. U. S., 196 U. S. 283, 25 S. Ct. 243, 49 L. Ed. 482, as sustaining his position. In that case the defendant, Senator Burton, received a cheek in Washington, D. C., which he sold to a bank in Washington. He was charged with receiving' compensation at St. Louis, Mo., in violation of law, for services to be rendered in prosecuting a claim against the Post Office Department of the government. The defendant Burton was paid by a cheek on a St. Louis bank mailed to him at Washington, D. C. This he deposited in his account at a bank in Washington, D. C., without any special arrangement as to the terms of the deposit. It was held that this evidence did not sustain the allegation of the indictment that he had received the cheeks at St. Louis and that the money was paid to the defendant at St. Louis. The appellee contends that the offense of obtaining money by false pretenses is not completed until the victim parts with the money, that is, until the money is obtained by some one from him because of the false pretenses. Hence, it is claimed that the deposit and collection of. the draft is only a means to an end, i. e., to the obtaining money, because of false pretenses theretofore made to the drawee of the draft, and that it is immaterial whether the bank at Los Angeles, Cal., purchased the appellant’s draft or accepted it for collection, for in either event the appellant set in motion the agencies which resulted in obtaining the money from the Regal- Petroleum Company in Calgary, Canada. The evidence, however, tended to show, and justified the conclusion and finding of the United States Commissioner that appellant’s draft, that is, his order upon the Bank of Montreal, to pay $30,000 to the Western National Bank of Los Angeles or its order, and to charge the same to the account of the Regal Petroleum Company, was deposited -for collection; Hence, when it was collected for him the various correspondent banks were his agents in obtaining the money from the defrauded company. Appellant telegraphed his secretary in Los Angeles, Cal., from Chicago, 111., to immediately draw on the Regal Petroleum Company at Calgary, Canada,' and to have the Western National Bank send direct to Calgary for collection, “Canadian bank to wire when paid.” The secretary testified at the hearing before the Commissioner that she did as directed. In addition, it was stipulated, as we under *685 stand the record, that it was the custom of hanks to accept such negotiable instruments, when deposited, for collection only although at once credited to the account of the depositor. The following colloquy between the Commissioner and Mr. Doherty, representing appellant, and Mr. McCormick, representing the Canadian government at the hearing before the Commissioner in the extradition proceedings, will so indicate:

“The Commissioner. Well, we would have to take proof as to the practice of banks in matters of drafts, which of course, this is probably something that we cannot take notice of; where an ordinary procedure in banks, where a draft is drawn, it is usually credited and sent forward for collections, and if the draft is honored, all right; if it is dishonored, it is charged.

“Mr. Doherty. That is trae, yonr Honor.

“The Commissioner. I think that we could probably agree as to what the practice of the banks is.

“Mr. McCormick. That is true.

“The Commissioner. As to drafts.

“Mr. McCormick. The same thing as in checks.

“Mr. Doherty. I think counsel is anticipating what my proof will be. I prefer to make it in the form of what we would consider to be the more orderly way, if I will bo permitted to do that.

“The Commissioner. It will be all light.

“Mr. Doherty. The ultimate fact I seek to prove is that the draft was deposited by or taken and presented to the bank by the witness, Miss Litton, pursuant to the telegraphic instructions which she received from Mr. Hammond in Chicago, and that Mr. Hammond’s account was credited with a sum slightly less than $30,000, $29,997.50, which I presume was a discount for exchange, or some incidental.

“Mr. McCormick. I presume that may be true.

“We object to it on the ground that it is entirely immaterial. The witness has testified that in the city of Chicago he sent this telegram telling' his secretary to draw on the Regal, through the Western Bank of Calgary, and proof shows that was done and the money paid at Calgary to the order of the accused.

“Mr. Doherty. Well, you are assuming a question of law there.

“Mr. McCormick. No, that is facts.

“The Commissioner. If you could stipulate that it was credited to his account at that time, at the bank here, you will argue that later on.

“Mr. McCormick. I cannot stipulate it. But I will stipulate, if Mr. Doherty says that is what the witness will testify lo, I will so stipulate.

“Mr. Doherty. I a,m making my offer of proof of that, and that will be her testimony.

“Mr. McCormick. We so stipulate.

“Mr. Doherty. That will be all.”

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Bluebook (online)
59 F.2d 683, 1932 U.S. App. LEXIS 3445, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/hammond-v-sittel-ca9-1932.