People v. . Chapman

121 N.E. 381, 224 N.Y. 463, 37 N.Y. Crim. 206, 1918 N.Y. LEXIS 906
CourtNew York Court of Appeals
DecidedNovember 19, 1918
StatusPublished
Cited by19 cases

This text of 121 N.E. 381 (People v. . Chapman) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering New York Court of Appeals primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
People v. . Chapman, 121 N.E. 381, 224 N.Y. 463, 37 N.Y. Crim. 206, 1918 N.Y. LEXIS 906 (N.Y. 1918).

Opinion

Collin, J.:

Under the evidence and the charge of the trial justice the defendant was convicted, under section 1044 of the Penal Law, of killing, while engaged in the commission of a felony, Harry Regensburg. The section provides: “ The killing of a human being, unless it is excusable or justifiable, is murder in the first ■ degree, when committed: * * * 2. By an act imminently ■ dangerous to others, and evincing a depraved mind, regardless of human life, although without a * * * design to effect ■death, by a person engaged in the commission of, or in an attempt to commit a felony, either upon or affecting the person killed or otherwise.”

The verdict of the jury established that Regensburg was shot . and killed by the defendant while engaged in the commission of a burglary. Burglary is a felony. (Penal Law, sections 2, 407.) There was evidence which justified the verdict. Thus much is clear and undisputable. The defendant asserts that -there was also evidence which would have permitted the jury *210 to find that the defendant ceased to he engaged in the commission of the burglary before the killing. At the trial the defendant requested the court, in effect, to submit to the jury whether or not, under the evidence, the defendant had, at the time Regensburg was killed, desisted from the burglary, and to charge them that if they found he had so desisted they should render a verdict acquitting him. The court declined to charge the requests, of such effect, of the defendant, who asserts and argues before us, earnestly and cogently through his counsel, that the rulings of the court in that respect were erroneous. Therein the defendant errs.

Our consideration and determination of these assertions do not require that we scrutinize in all its details the evidence concerning the defendant and his acts prior to the night of October 28, 1911, during which the shooting occurred. A general survey of it will fulfill all useful purposes. The shooting occurred in the rear part of the building number 636 Park place in the borough of Brooklyn, New York city. Park place ran east and west and the building was upon the south side. In its front on the ground floor were two shops or stores and a vestibule leading into the hall. It was, in height, of at least three stories. Harry Regensburg was the proprietor of the western store. Behind the stores were the rooms in which the Regensburg family, consisting of the husband, Harry, the wife, Jennie, and their child lived. Three windows opened upon and could be entered from the yard in their rear. In the hall, entered through the vestibule, were the stairs to the second floor and the stairs into the cellar. Stairs led from-the cellar into the yard. In the night of October 28, 1917, the family retired about eleven o’clock, the husband and wife sleeping in the bedroom and Samuel Regensburg, a visitor, and the chi-ld-.sleeping on a couch' in the dining room. Upon the trial the People proved by a photographer and civil engineer the nature and description of the premises; by police officers, ambulance drivers *211 and others that Harry"Regensburg was, between twelve and one o’clock, twice shot and died from their effects, that Samuel Regensburg was twice shot and died from their effects, and Jennie Regensburg was four times shot and lived, and various other facts. The evidence thus far referred to did not connect in any way the defendant with the shooting or the commission of a burglary. The People then introduced in evidence a statement of the defendant made to the district attorney in the afternoon of October 29 after the arrest of the defendant. The statement asserted: The defendant was born October 19, 1901. He had known Hughes Davis five years. He and Hughes Davis and Hughes’ brother, Leo, tried to burglarize 636 Park place. He met Hughes at six o’clock in the afternoon of Sunday, October 28, 1917, at the suggestion or request of himself. He had been with Hughes and some of his friends the night before at Hughes’ house. Within the seven days last prior to that time they were several times together. Soon after they met on Sunday they walked, as Hughes desired, by the cigar store of Regensburg to see if there was somebody there. While going there Hughes told him that he tried to rob the place the Sunday night before. They then went to Hughes’ house, which Hughes entered to see if his friends had telephoned. Hughes came out and said to him they had not telephoned, that his brother Leo had telephoned he would come from Providence and to wait for him. This was a little after seven o’clock. The brother Leo came and the two brothers went in the house and remained there about ten minutes. The three men then arranged to commit the robbery which had been decided upon by Hughes and his friends at Hughes’ house the night before. Hughes and the defendant went to the house of one of the friends to, and did, procure a pistol, additional to the pistol Hughes had, and returned to Hughes’ house. The statement proceeds: His brother had come out looking for him (Hughes). We waited'on the stoop and his brother came back and started talking about the job; *212 talking how they were going to put the chloroform in the room and hów to make a get-away and all the signals for the lookout. We went to get the chloroform.” Each of Hughes and the defendant had a loaded pistol. The defendant, at the direction of Hughes, sought to buy chloroform at four drugstores, at two was successful and obtained1 chloroform liniment at a third. He gave his purchases to Hughes, who said: “ I guess we have enough now; we will go up to the house” (of Hughes). While going he said: “ I didn’t tell you where the place is yet; it is Regensburg’s.” “ I asked him if it was not dangerous after trying to do it the Sunday before; that they would be watched ; he said no.” They went up to Hughes’ house and Hughes went in to put the chloroform in the atomizer and rejoined on the street the defendant and Leo. “ He had everything with him — he had a jimmy, blackjack, gun, pair of rubber gloves, pair of kid gloves, atomizer and a light — a flashlight, very small one like a shaving tube, only just % as thick. He gave me the rubber gloves and an extra clip of cartridges. He said ‘ Keep these: I may need them ’ * * * I never saw a gun in my life, especialy an automatic. We brought it in the hallway to see how to load it and take it off safely. He saw that it was loaded and I would not kill myself with it.” They planned the manner of entering the premises and of signalling. This was some time between eleven and twelve o’clock. They went to the building, and, as planned, Leo went up the side street for the purpose of signalling. Hughes and the defendant went through the vestibule, hall and stairs into the cellar of the building and thence by the stairs from the cellar into the yard. As they were just going to open the window to introduce the chloroform they were disturbed by the opening of a door and the light went through it. “ We both ran back and there is a window in the rear of this apartment house and a hole about four feet deep and four feet square. I jumped up on the window and when w'e got in we were right in the hall of the apart *213 ment house. We went outside on the street and walked around and talked. I wanted to throw up the job hut he said no.

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Bluebook (online)
121 N.E. 381, 224 N.Y. 463, 37 N.Y. Crim. 206, 1918 N.Y. LEXIS 906, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/people-v-chapman-ny-1918.