Magee v. State

110 So. 500, 145 Miss. 227, 1926 Miss. LEXIS 16
CourtMississippi Supreme Court
DecidedDecember 6, 1926
DocketNo. 26158.
StatusPublished
Cited by7 cases

This text of 110 So. 500 (Magee v. State) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Mississippi Supreme Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Magee v. State, 110 So. 500, 145 Miss. 227, 1926 Miss. LEXIS 16 (Mich. 1926).

Opinion

Ethíridge, J.,

delivered the opinion of the court.

The appellant, Pendora Magee, was indicted and convicted for the murder of Jesse Magee. The parties, at the time, were working at the camp of, and for, the Great Southern Lumber Company in Simpson county. Jesse and Pendora. had married some years before in Jackson, Miss., but each, at the time of said pretended marriage, had living an undivorced spouse. They had had some domestic troubles growing out of appellant’s relation’s with one Earl Williams, and, on account thereof, Jesse Magee had threatened the life of the appellant.

0(n the night of the killing, the people living in the camp were attracted by three shots fired and the outcry of the deceased for somebody to come to him, that his wife had killed him. Thereupon these parties went to the residence of Jesse Magee, among them being Dr. White, the camp physician, and found the deceased fatally wounded. He stated to these parties that he was beyond recovery, and the physician, Dr. White, examined him and informed him he had but a few minutes to live, and that, if he had any statement to make or any business to attend to, he had better do it quickly. . .

After the statements above made, deceased stated to some of these parties that his wife had killed him; that she had come into the room and told him she was going to kill him, and he said, “What for, baby?” and she did not say anything, or. to use his language, did not use any words, but began shooting. It was also shown that shortly after the shooting, appellant came hurriedly into the restaurant, or “tonk” as it is called, a place of amusement and gambling', and also a place for selling lunches, and Earl Williams was there, and she told him to come on, that she was ready, and that they both left *233 there hurriedly and were not seen any more in that vicinity, until arrested and brought bach, that the parties were arrested some three weeks afterward, in Belzoni, where they had been going under assumed names.

It was shown in the evidence for the state that about a week prior to that time appellant had had some difficulty with the deceased, in which she attacked him with a knife, but deceased succeeded in disarming her of the knife and overpowering. her, and she stated that she would kill him before Saturday night. It was also shown that a few days before the killing the deceased had taken his shotgun and threatened her with death, but that he was disarmed by other parties; that this threat on the part of the deceased was with reference to appellant’s relations with said Earl Williams. It was also shown that the appellant, some months before the killing’, left the deceased and went to 'Gfulfport, and stayed a while, and then returned.

Appellant testified in her own behalf that, on the evening of the killing, her husband came in, violently threatened her, and told her that he had told her before that he would kill her if he ever saw her with Earl Williams again; that she denied being with Earl Williams on the occasion in question, but he insisted that she had been with him, and made in the direction of the pillow on the bed under which was the pistol, it having been placed under said pillow by the deceased a short while before that; that she also made in the same direction to prevent him from getting it, and she got the pistol first, and he was trying to take the pistol away from her, and she backed toward the door, firing the pistol, under the belief that if he got it he would kill her. She further testified that he was a large strong man, while she was much smaller and weaker, and that, when she got away after the shooting], she did not know whether she had shot him or not; that she ran to the tonk and got Earl Williams, and they left that night, proceeding to Jackson, arriving there early the following morning, finding there *234 a party with, a car going to Belzoni, who desired to take them there for the purpose of employment; that they went that morning to Belzoni, where she secured a job as cook and changed her name.

There was one eyewitness for the state who testified that he saw appellant and deceased as they came out of the door of their cabin, and that deceased grabbed for the pistol and got it away from her.

It was also shown that appellant had bought the pistol shortly before that, and she testified that her husband paid for the pistol, and they both claimed it. She also testified that, prior to her marriage to deceased, each had married and living an undivorced spouse. She further testified that, when she left the deceased and went to Gulfport, deceased agreed if she would return to him that she could do as she pleased and he would do the same.

■It is first assigned for error that the verdict and judgment are contrary to the law and the evidence, and it is argued that, under this assignment, there is no real contradiction of appellant’s testimony as to how the shooting occurred.

We think there is ample evidence to sustain the conviction. Besides the dying declaration, which we think was competent, the circumstances, coupled with the flight of appellant immediately thereafter, and her going under an assumed name, would amply warrant a verdict against her.

It is next argued that the dying declaration is incompetent, and that the court erred in not requiring Dr. White to. testify on the preliminary hearing as to what statement was made by deceased. I)r. White was placed on the stand to testify as to the deceased’s condition and his knowledge of impending death, and he testified to those facts, and that the deceased made a statement, but neither the state nor the defendant nor the court asked him what that statement was that deceased made. Other witnesses were introduced to show the statement made *235 after Dr. White was introduced. Dr. White was examined in the absence of the jury, and it would have been an easy matter for the defendant to have had him exam-. ined in reference to what statement was made, for objection could have then been made that he ought not to disclose such statement.

In addition to this, other witnesses testified that some bystander said to the deceased that it might not be as bad as he thought, and that he might not die, but deceased said he would die, and that statement was made after these expressions of opinion.

It is next contended that Polk’s evidence, showing the illicit relations between Earl Williams and the appellant, was improper.

Under the circumstances disclosed in the record, the state had to establish its case without the aid of eyewitnesses, other than the dying declaration. It is evident that these illicit relations contributed to the disagreement leading to the killing, and were competent to show a motive for the killing, especially in the light of -the subsequent events.

It is next contended that the court erred in granting the instruction to the state reading as follows:

“The court instructs the jury for the state that, if yon believe from the testimony in this case, beyond a reasonable doubt, that the defendant, Pendora Magee, did unlawfully, willfully, feloniously, and of malice aforethought, kill and murder deceased,.

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Bluebook (online)
110 So. 500, 145 Miss. 227, 1926 Miss. LEXIS 16, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/magee-v-state-miss-1926.