Landis v. State

214 S.W. 827, 85 Tex. Crim. 381, 1918 Tex. Crim. App. LEXIS 411
CourtCourt of Criminal Appeals of Texas
DecidedNovember 27, 1918
DocketNo. 4863.
StatusPublished
Cited by3 cases

This text of 214 S.W. 827 (Landis v. State) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Criminal Appeals of Texas primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Landis v. State, 214 S.W. 827, 85 Tex. Crim. 381, 1918 Tex. Crim. App. LEXIS 411 (Tex. 1918).

Opinion

PRENDERGAST, Judge.

Appellant was convicted of embezzlement of more than $50 and his punishment assessed at the lowest fixed by law.

The indictment alleged that on or about May 30, 1916 appellant was the agent, clerk, manager and attorney in fact of the incorporated company Wise Hearne Shoe Company and as such he did then and there unlawfully and fraudulently embezzle and fraudulently misapply and convert to his own use without the consent of said company $72.30 which was the corporeal personal property of and belonging to said company and which money had theretofore come into his possession and was then and there under his care by virtue of said agency, etc.

The State, by its evidence which was wholly uncontradicted and unimpeached, made a clear ease against appellant ■ literally in substance and effect proving every allegation in the indictment and every fact necessary and proper for his conviction. He introduced no evidence and no witness.

We regard many of appellant’s contentions as of minor importance if any, and all of them without any merit. It will not be necessary *383 to take them up severally and discuss them but what we will have to say will dispose of all of them.

Mr. Short of the law firm of Capps, Cantey, Hanger & Short of Ft. Worth testified that he and his firm were the attorneys for said company. ■ That he represented it in the incorporation of it and procured its charter. Thereupon the State’s counsel handed to him the charter of said company. The court did not err in permitting Mr. Short to testify: This is the original charter of the Wise Hearne Shoe Company granted said company by the State of Texas. The State then at once introduced in evidence the said charter. It is unnecessary to copy it. It is in complete compliance in every way with such charters as granted by the State of Texas under the statutes. It was certified to be a true copy of that filed in the Secretary of State’s office by D. A. Gregg, Chief Clerk, Acting Secretary of State. The statute expressly authorizes the Chief Clerk to act as secretary of State in the absence of the Secretary or his inability from any cause to act. (R S. Art. 4319). The court did not err in admitting the charter in evidence. In addition, the testimony of Mr. Short which was not objected to was amply sufficient to prove that said company was duly incorporated. Such proof could be made orally. White v. State, 61 Texas Cr. Rep., 498; Zweig v. State, 74 Texas Cr. Rep., 306; 3 Enc. of Ev., p. 604, sub. D: Fleener v State, 23 S. W. Rep., 1; Whitman v. Com., 121 Mass. 361; Lowe v. State, 46 Indiana, 305; Smith v. State, 34 Texas Cr. Rep., 265.

The facts show that the Florsheim Shoe Company of Chicago, Ill., a corporation, owned said Wise-Hearne Shoe Co.; that all of the Florsheim’ Company’s officers lived in Illinois and none of them in Texas; that they managed, controlled and operated said Wise-Hearne Shoe Company through their agent Mr. S. V. Wright. Mr. Wright is shown to have had general supervision, control and management of said Wise-Hearne Shoe Company; employed and discharged its manager from time to time as he saw fit and had such control of said Company from the time of its organization and when it began business in Ft. Worth. That he put appellant in charge as manager of said business about September, 1915, whose duties as the local manager were to look after the store and do just such things that the manager of an ordinary business would do, and among other things was at the close of each day’s.business to take the money received and placed in the till out of it and put it in the safe and then the next business day to deposit all of that money in a bank in Ft. Worth. That on May 30, 1916, he went to this store .to check it up and so told appellant. That on this occasion he went to the till or cash drawer, counted the money, checked up the sales from the sales slips which were there, then went to the safe and checked up the money therein. That the sales slips called for two hundred and one dollars and some cents more than there was *384 cash. That the sales slips of Saturday, May 27th totaled $71.30; that the sales slips representing the cash received on May 27th had not been entered up by appellant when he checked these matters up on May 30th. That upon finding this state of facts, he concluded he had better take a complete inventory of the stock and check up everything and he so told appellant and that he, appellant and the only other clerk in the store, Mr. Crow then took an inventory and cheeked up everything. That it took several days to do this and upon its completion he found a “shortage” by appellant of a total of $1720.51. A complete itemized statement of all these matters was prepared by Mr. Wright and signed by appellant, duly witnessed and completely proven up. This signed proven up statement was introduced in evidence. Among other admissions and statements by appellant in it, are these:

“Ft. Worth, Texas, June 14, 1916 “Statement of shortage (showing the different sources of the shortage) at present existing in the business and assets of WiseHearne Shoe Company, 700 Main St., Ft. Worth, Texas. Said shortage having occurred during the time the said Wise-Heame Shoe Co. was under the management of Mr. R. L. Landis and said R. L. Landis being responsible for same.
“Cash drawer, short when cash was balanced 5/30/16 by R. L. Landis and S. V. Wright—said cash having been appropriated to his own personal use by R. L. Landis. $200.45”

And again as follows:

“Merchandise short as shown by inventory taken May 31st., by R L. Landis and S. V. Wright—this shortage having occurred through merchandise being sold, no record made of the sale, and the cash appropriated to his own use by R. L. Landis, wholesale cost (299 prs) $901.16.
“An invoice dated 4/7/16, Matchless Shoe Co. never entered on records, but the goods in stock at the time of inventory, May 31st 1916 (28 prs.) $77.00.”
“CHARGE ACCOUNTS: The following fictitious charge accounts made out to cover up shortage, and charge accounts collected but the money used by R. L. Landis for his personal use in place of being turned into the business':”

Then follows an itemized list aggregating $86.60

And again the statement concludes as follows:

“Fort Worth, Texas, 6/14/16 I hereby acknowledge the above statement as itemized to be correct and the amount ($1720.51) of shortage I am responsible for having created this shortage' by appropriating, to my own personal use, while manager of the Wise-Hearne Shoe Co., funds to the amount of $1720.51, as itemized above. R. L. Landis.
*385 “Witness Arthur Juline”

It is unnecessary to encumber this opinion with a copy in full of said written admission or statement and of the several items stated therein.

In addition Mr.

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Related

Untitled Texas Attorney General Opinion
Texas Attorney General Reports, 1940
McCue v. State
65 S.W.2d 314 (Court of Criminal Appeals of Texas, 1933)
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64 S.W.2d 961 (Court of Criminal Appeals of Texas, 1933)

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Bluebook (online)
214 S.W. 827, 85 Tex. Crim. 381, 1918 Tex. Crim. App. LEXIS 411, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/landis-v-state-texcrimapp-1918.