Parkinson v. State

110 So. 513, 145 Miss. 237, 1926 Miss. LEXIS 21
CourtMississippi Supreme Court
DecidedDecember 6, 1926
DocketNo. 26062.
StatusPublished
Cited by9 cases

This text of 110 So. 513 (Parkinson 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
Parkinson v. State, 110 So. 513, 145 Miss. 237, 1926 Miss. LEXIS 21 (Mich. 1926).

Opinion

Ethbidge, J.,

delivered the opinion of the court.

The appellant was indicted, tried, and convicted for manufacturing intoxicating liquor, and sentenced to serve two years in the state penitentiary, from which judgment he appeals to this court.

The sheriff of the county made affidavit before a justice of the peace that he had reason to believe, and did believe, that intoxicating liquors were being manufactured, given away, or sold, in violation of the law, on the premises of the W. M. Parkinson estate, about seven miles east of Cruger in said county and state, and that this suspicion was not feigned of malice to the said W. M. Parkinson, but was founded on creditable information, and prayed for a search warrant, which was issued, reciting the affidavit and commanding the officers to diligent *243 ly search, the residence, premises, automobiles, and all outhouses, vessels, and appliances, etc. The search warrant was delivered to one of the deputies of the sheriff, who summoned two other deputies to go with him to the home of the appellant and serve the search warrant upon him, and while one of the deputies was searching’ the residence, automobile, and outhouses, the other two deputies went over the farm lands and woods of the W. M. Parkinson estate, and, in the woods, about one quarter of a mile from the residence of appellant, they found • white man by the name of Roberts and a negro in charge of a still which was being operated. The deputy who searched appellant’s home found nothing therein contrary to law. The appellant was at home in bed sick, and this deputy, when he went back where the other deputies were and where they had found the still in operation, did not find the appellant there, but, nevertheless, he returned to the house and arrested the appellant.

An indictment was found against the appellant upon this testimony, and the district attorney made a deal with Roberts, who 'was also indicted, that if he would plead guilty and would testify against the appellant that he would let him off with a fine. Roberts was introduced as a witness, against the appellant, and testified, over the objections of the appellant, to the operation of the still on several occasions. A brother-in-law of Roberts was introduced and testified that he had been to the still in company with the appellant, and that they drank liquor there, but he did not testify to any liquor being manufactured. The state then, over the objection of the appellant, introduced the deputy, who testified the facts above stated.

Roberts did not testify to any agreement or understanding between him and ¡Parkinson which would make them joint operators of the still. Roberts also testified that he was a share cropper upon the premises of the appellant. The still was found upop the property of the appellant, not in an open .field, but in the woods. At *244 the conclusion of the state’s testimony, the appellant moved to exclude it on the ground that it was insufficient to make out a case against him, and on the ground that there was no proof to connect him with the operation of the still at the time the search was made, nor at any time, within the two-year period of the statute of limitations. This motion was overruled, and Parkinson and his wife testified for appellant, and, in appellant’s testimony, he stated that -Roberts was a tenant upon his place, and had moved the still upon his place about six months after he entered upon the premises, and that he knew Roberts had manufactured liquor, and that he had bought liquor from him, but strongly denied any participation in the manufacture of such liquor, and also testified that he had neither operated the still nor furnished any material or money for the operation thereof. His wife testified to his being at the house in bed sick at the time of the search, and that he was not, on said day, outside of the house, until arrested.

The attorney-general confesses that the search was illegal, being insufficient to comply with the law. He contends, however, that the evidence introduced was sufficient to sustain the conviction independent of the deputies’ testimony and the judgment ought not to be reversed for the admission of such testimony, and also contends that the appellant having testified to the knowledge of Roberts having a still and manufacturing liquor upon his place brings the case within the rule announced in the case of Blowe v. State, 130 Miss. 112, 93 So. 577, 24 A. L. R. 1429.

We do not think the principle announced in this case is applicable here. In that case an illegal search was made to locate stolen goods, and the stolen goods were found by means of illegal search, and such evidence was introduced, although the search warrant was void. Blowe testified in his own behalf and admitted the possession of the stolen goods, which, of course, constituted the *245 crime sought to he proved against him, his explanation not being satisfactory.

In the case at bar, the appellant did not admit nor testify that intoxicating lignor was being manufactured at the time of the search, and he was not present at the place where said liquor was being manufactured. This is not a charge of having possession of intoxicating liquors, but is a charge of manufacturing them, which is a distinct and separate crime. The appellant was not participating in the manufacture of liquors at that time, and the proof does not show, and he does not admit, that he was interested therein. Of course, if he had testified that he was manufacturing liquors, then -the error would be harmless. However, the mere knowledge that whisky is being manufactured is not sufficient to convict one of the manufacture of it. Powers v. State, 124 Miss. 425, 86 So. 863; Stribling v. State, 124 Miss. 141, 86 So. 897.

The evidence was objectionable and inadmissible both because the search warrant was illegal, and the state had introduced evidence against appellant of manufacturing liquor on another occasion, and should have been confined to one offense. The manufacture of liquor is not covered or included in section 1762, Code of 1906 (section 2098, Hemingway’s Code), but that section is limited to the sale, etc., of intoxicating liquors.

It has been held that more than one offense could not be introduced under this section in a prosecution for the possession of intoxicating liquors. Lowe v. State, 127 Miss. 340, 90 So. 78; Cage v. State, 105 Miss. 326, 62 So. 358; Collins v. State, 99 Miss. 52, 54 So. 666; Cook v. State, 81 Miss. 146, 32 So. 312; Smothers v. City of Jackson, 92 Miss. 327, 45 So. 982. In King v. State, 66 Miss. 502, 6 So. 188, prior to the passage of section 1762, Code of 1906, it was held that more than one offense was inadmissible ; that the state must proceed until it establishes one offense, or has evidence tending so to do, and be confined to the offense so selected. At page 507 of 66 Miss. *246 (6 So. 189), sn>pra, in discussing tlie question, the court said:

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Bluebook (online)
110 So. 513, 145 Miss. 237, 1926 Miss. LEXIS 21, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/parkinson-v-state-miss-1926.