Jowell v. State

71 S.W. 286, 44 Tex. Crim. 328, 1902 Tex. Crim. App. LEXIS 155
Court of Criminal Appeals of Texas·Decided December 11, 1902·No. No. 2675.·Published·Cited by 2 cases

Opinion

DAVIDSON, Presiding Judge.

Appellant was convicted of assault with intent to murder, and his punishment assessed at confinement in the penitentiary for a term of two years.

The assault occurred in Donley County. Venue was changed to the county of Armstrong. When the case was called for trial, State’s counsel •called the court’s attention to the fact that the papers, including the transcript of the proceedings in Donley County, had not been filed by the clerk in Armstrong County. The court directed the clerk to place his file marks upon the papers. This occurred after both parties had announced ready for trial. Exception was reserved. The court’s ruling was corect.

Witness Johnson testified that he was bartender in the saloon where the difficulty occurred in which Lindley was shot. He was then asked by State’s counsel if John Lindley or any of the boys who went in the saloon with him prior to the difficulty had done anything to cause a disturbance, or had used any profane or obscene language in a loud or boisterous manner. Witness replied they had not. Objections urged were that this testimony was irrelevant, immaterial, and inadmissible, and states a conclusion of the witness. This, is not a conclusion of the witness. It is a fact whether they had or had not created a disturbance, or had used profane and obscene language, or had spoken in a loud and boisterous manner, and, if not critically facts, would come" within the category of what the authorities term a shorthand rendering of the facts.

Dr. Stocking was permitted to testify that the ball which caused the wound was not extracted for twenty-five days; that Lindley at the time he saw him last was in a very serious condition, and it was doubtful if he would ever recover; that he was not able then to come to court; that the ball was found half an inch under the skin; and that his right arm was paralyzed. It is contended that this was irrelevant and immaterial, and shed no light upon the issues in the case, and is a statement of a fact or condition that may have been brought about by other causes than the shot. The description of the wound, the location of the ball, and *330 the production of paralysis were unquestionably admissible. The particular portion of the testimony that may be inadmissible is not pointed out, and we are not required to search through a mass of testimony to which objection is reserved, where much of it is admissible, and perhaps some of it inadmissible, to designate the inadmissible portion of it. That is the duty of appellant. In other words, he must point out in bill of exceptions the particular testimony to which he excepts.

The same may be said of the testimony of witness Patman. Some of his testimony was clearly admissible, while some of it may not have been; but even that portion of it was about matters that were entirely harmless, and might have had no bearing upon this case one way or the other, and did not in any way tend to injure or prejudice him. By this witness the State was permitted to prove, among other things, that immediately preceding the shooting Bindley was in his place of business talking with him; that he was in a good humor; and that directly after the shooting he was brought from the place of the shooting up the street by his (witness’) place of business, at which point he fainted from loss of blood. The objections are of the most general character, and do not undertake to point out which of the testimony was objectionable.

The witness Lane was also permitted to testify that Bindley made no movement to draw a weapon or make an attack on appellant in any way at the time of the shooting, and was not armed. Lane was an eyewitness to the transaction, and his testimony in this regard was clearly admissible. It is not a conclusion of the witness, as contended.

Appellant, testifying in his own behalf, was required to state, over objection, that during the afternoon before the difficulty he had taken four or five drinks. This testimony was relevant, properly admitted, and tended to show the condition of appellant’s mind at the time, and to explain his acts and throw light generally on the transaction.

The following charge was given at the request of State’s counsel: “You are instructed that any condition or circumstance capable of creating, and which does create, sudden passion, such as anger, rage, sudden resentment or terror, rendering the mind for the time incapable of cool reflection, whether accompanied by bodily pain or not, may be adequate cause, and whether such adequate cause existed for such sudden passion, if any there was, it is for you to determine; and in determining this question, as well as all other matters before you, you will consider all the facts and circumstances in this case; but you are further instructed that insulting words or gestures, unaccompanied by violence, are not adequate causes.” This charge, precisely in the same language, was given by the court with the exception of the limitation “that insulting words or gestures, unaccompanied by violence, are not adequate causes.” The principal objection is that it singled out that particular portion of evidence, and was therefore on the weight of the testimony, and because it indicated to the jury the opinion of the court. This limitation is statutory, and usually is not error when given. 'This would be true if standing alone. But there might arise cases in *331 which such a limitation would be error. If the insulting words or gestures formed a part and parcel of the entire transaction, when viewed as a whole, which might or would produce adequate cause, and consequently sudden passion, it would be error to so limit its effect.

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Jowell v. State, 71 S.W. 286, 44 Tex. Crim. 328, 1902 Tex. Crim. App. LEXIS 155 (Tex. 1902).

71 S.W. 286 (Jowell v. State) — published by Counsel Stack Legal Research, free access to 12M+ legal documents.

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