Jones v. State

71 Ind. 66
CourtIndiana Supreme Court
DecidedNovember 15, 1880
DocketNo. 8909
StatusPublished
Cited by31 cases

This text of 71 Ind. 66 (Jones 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
Jones v. State, 71 Ind. 66 (Ind. 1880).

Opinion

Worden, J.

Prince Jones, the appellant, was indicted in the court below, for the murder of James Pigg, and upon trial was convicted and sentenced to imprisonment for life in the state-prison.

At the proper time, he moved for a new trial, and filed written reasons therefor, but his motion was overruled, and he excepted.

The homicide was perpetrated at what is called in the the evidence the Mutz farm, by shooting with a fire-arm loaded with small balls or buck-shot. The deceased, on the evening of February 5th, 1880, between six and seven o’clock, with other persons, was sitting in a house upon the farm mentioned, near a window, when some one approached from the outside and discharged the fire-arm through the window, breaking the glass, the halls or buck[68]*68shot taking effect upon the person of the deceased, wounding him as hereinafter described. The deceased died of the wound thus inflicted, on the 19th day of that month.

Among the causes assigned for a new trial was the admission, over the exception of the appellant, of certain evidence as the dying declarations of the deceased. There were two papers, prepared on the same day, given in evidence, as such dying declarations; and it is earnestly insisted by the counsel for appellant, that it was not sufficiently shown that the deceased was in extremis, and entirely conscious of the fact, at the time the declarations were made, and, therefore, that the ádmission of the evidence was erroneous.

¥e set out the evidence bearing upon the point.

S. H. Pearse testified: “ I have been practicing medicine twenty-six years. I went to see Jim Pigg, on the night he was brought to town. The wound was at the angle of the mouth, on the right side; took out a portion of the upper jaw, nearly severing the tongue, and taking out portion of jaw on left side; took out teeth and bullets from underneath jaw on left side; the balls took portion of the bone of upper jaw on right side, carried across the mouth and lodged under the angle of the jaw on the left side. The shot struck upper jaw in front and ranged downwards and backwards, and were lodged under on the opposite side. The bullets taken out were about the size of buck-shot. From appearance of the wound, the muzzle of the gun must have been close, as Pigg was powder-burnt. I saw three balls taken out close together, and lodged close together. * * * Pigg was shot on the 5th and died on the 19th day ot February, 1880, in Posey county, Indiana. My opinion was from the first time I saw him, he would die; we could not tell how long he might live ; did not know how much ■ vitality he had, but thought he would die. We [69]*69could not give any opinion as to how long he would live. Saw him nearly every day. I don’t know that I heard Pigg say any thing; he could not talk; only wrote. I don’t know who was present when he did the writing. The substance was a question as to what we thought would be the result — whether we thought he had any hope of reeov ery. We told him there was no hope. Never heard Pigg express any hope at all. Never saw any thing written by Pigg in regard to his hope or condition. Was there every day but one or two. Some medicine was given him. I saw him the day after he Avas shot; he couldn’t talk then; don’t think he could articulate after he was wounded; I don’t think, from the nature of the Avound, he could have spoken a continuous sentence; he might have spoken words of one syllable before inflammation set in ; he could not make sounds dependent upon the action of the tongue. He would get up and sit in a chair very frequently, to expectorate the pus. * * * The wound was necessarily mortal.”

E. O. Spencer testified : “ Practiced medicine twenty-nine years. Some party came to my house ten or eleven o’clock, night of February 5th, and reported Pigg shot. I did not go to see him that night; dressed the wound at four or five o’clock p. m. on the sixth. He was shot in the right side of mouth, close to the corner or angle of mouth; shot ranged backwards and downwards; struck upper jaw, took two or three upper teeth and some lower teeth out; segment of lower jaw broken and carried across the mouth, cutting ofi' the tongue proper and fracturing the lower jaw on left side; under jaw all broken to pieces ; the tongue hung by little part underneath. I took out two or three teeth and tAvo bullets that evening. A few days before he died I took out another bullet; they were buck-shot. I thought he would die; never entertained any other idea; when I first saw him I thought he [70]*70would die in four or five hours, and I never saw him after-wards,. when I thought he would live twelve hours. One day saw him only once; other days saw him twice. Asked him how he felt, if he was better; he shook his head and tried to say no. I made it a rule to ask him when I visited him, how he felt; always answered no ; in no case did he say he was better. I visited him four or five times before the 8th of February; gave him medicine to try to make him easy; I gave him no medicine for any curative purpose. Could not say I explained to Pigg why I was giving him medicine; he objected to taking medicine; had to give it to him with a tube. * * * Pigg tried to talk, but couldn’t say much; he could say no and yes, so I thought I could understand what he said.”

Susan Pigg testified: “ I am the widow of James Pigg; I was at home here in town, when he was shot. Don’t know how long he had been out there; he went on Monday and came back and went down on Tuesday. I saw him on Friday evening after the shooting occurred, lie said at that time he would never get well; every time I asked him he said the same; I asked him every two or three days. He lived about eighteen days. I don’t know what white people were there. Loudon and Jackson were there February 8th, 1880.. Just before they came I asked him did he think he would get well; he said ‘never in this world.’ The doctors came then until he died. I gave him medicine until he could take no more. Loudon and Jackson were there the first Sunday after he was shot. I asked him how he was, every day or two ; asked him just before they came, about four o’clock in the evening. I don’t know whether I asked him on Monday or Tuesday, or not. I did not know Loudon and Jackson were coming.”

Walter Jackson testified: “Was at Pigg’s housé twice [71]*71on Sunday after he was shot, first time right after dinner, and again at 6p. m. I heard Mr. Loudon ask him whether he thought he would get well, and he said no. Crunk and Loudon went with me. (Paper No. 1 shown to the witness.) I wrote the questions on this paper, and Pigg wrote the answers, on February 8th, 1880, about 1 o’clock p. M. (Paper No. 2 showu the witness.) I wrote the body of this paper, and Pigg sigued his name to it, February 8th, 1880, about 6J o’clock p. m. Pigg got up out of bed and went to the window, and explained the position he was in when shot. After I wrote out this paper', I read it to him and he signed it. He got out of bed without assistance, went to the window, and got back into bed without help from any one. Loudon asked the questions; lie answered principally by yes and no, and by signs. I wrote the answers as Mr. Loudon gave them to me during the progress of the enquiry. He would ask the questions, Pigg would say yes or no, then I got it from Loudon. He would ask the questions, get the answers, and reduce it to a narrative form, and then I would write it down as it is here. The substance of his answers was that he did not think he would get well; thought he would die. I put it down as Loudon gave it to me. and not as Pigg said it or wrote it.

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Bluebook (online)
71 Ind. 66, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/jones-v-state-ind-1880.