People v. Henry

168 N.W. 534, 202 Mich. 450, 1918 Mich. LEXIS 507
Michigan Supreme Court·Decided July 18, 1918·No. Docket No. 69·Published·Cited by 17 cases

Opinion

Stone, J.

The defendant was convicted of the crime of larceny of $26 lawful money of the United States, from the person of one Samuel Harris, under an information charging robbery, being armed with a dangerous weapon, in violation of section 15206, 3 Comp. Laws 1915. Upon the trial the evidence was very conflicting. On the part of the people it was testified that about 12 o’clock midnight of July 29, 1917, the defendant entered the saloon of Harris in.the city of Detroit being armed with a revolver which he discharged into the ceiling in the presence of Harris, who testified:

“The defendant came up to me right away with his gun saying: ‘Give me the money or I will kill you.’ I was standing by the cash register behind the bar and he stuck the gun at me. He says ‘Give me money.’ I told him,' ‘Wait, I will give it right away.’ He said, ‘Come on, give me your money or I will kill you right away.’ He pointed the revolver at me, shaking it that way. • I was scared, to turn around, thinking he might shoot me in the back, so I said, ‘Come on behind, I will give it to you.’ I opened the register, grabbed whatever I could give and put it on the bar,” and that defendant took the money and went away.

On the part of the defendant it was testified that defendant went into the saloon of Harris earlier in the night and had been there induced by Harris to enter a gambling game called a “crap” game, then in progress in the saloon, in which he lost $27; that he asked [452]*452Harris to restore the money, which he refused to do; whereupon he went to his home, a short distance from the saloon, but soon returned to the saloon with a revolver. The defendant testified:

“The first thing as I stepped up to the door I made a shot into the ceiling. I was careful not to shoot any one. Right after that I stuck the revolver in my coat pocket. When I entered the saloon, I had' no gun in my hand. There were some people scattered around the back side of the saloon. I said ‘Give me my money,’ to the saloon and to the fellows that robbed me. I said nothing to Harris. After the shot I saw him come from the back end, from around the barrels. Harris said to me, ‘Hey, there, what is the matter?’ I said, ‘These fellows got my money and I would like to have some .one restore it back.’ He said, T don’t want any of that thing around here; I will pay you, how much is it?’ I. said‘$27.00.’ And he went over to where the gamekeeper was sitting and brought me back $26.00. He said he didn’t want that disturbance at that time of night. I told him, ‘Thank you,’ and walked out. .* * * I went back there to get the money they robbed me of, and went home to get my gun.”

The court was requested by defendant’s counsel, among other things, to charge the jury as follows:

“5. I further charge you, gentlemen of the jury, that in considering all of the evidence in this case touching the matters involved, you will take into consideration all of the evidence in the case, and if you find, gentlemen of the jury, that the defendant only used that necessary force to repossess himself of his own property, which had been taken from him by crap game shooting in said saloon, then you cannot hold the defendant guilty of robbery as charged in the information.
“6. The Revised Statutes, chapter 156, of 1897 [2 Comp. Laws 1915, § 7795 et seq.], provides that any person obtaining money by card playing or shooting craps or shooting dice or any gambling device whatever, if the sum obtained by said playing is less than $25 the person obtaining said money is subject to a [453]*453fine of $100 or to be confined in jail for three months, or both such fine and imprisonment; if the person playing such crap game receives more money from such gambling than said sum of $25, then, if convicted, he shall be subject to a fine of $500, or twelve months in the county jail, or both such fine and imprisonment-, in the discretion of the court. I further charge you, gentlemen of the jury, that this same statute which I have mentioned gives the loser of his money — which would be this defendant, if he lost his money in ■ said saloon and by that method of crap shooting and gaming — a right to recover the same in cases of assumpsit for money had and received, or in an action of trespass on the case, or by replevin for and on behalf of the plaintiff. Therefore, I charge you that if this money was obtained by gambling, as aforesaid, from the defendant, that the prosecuting witness or any one who was present shooting crap games in said saloon, could not acquire any title to said property, because it is in contravention of the law to play such games, and they never come into the legal possession of said money; if you find these facts to be true from the evidence, gentlemen of the jury, you must acquit the defendant, as he is not guilty of the charge as set up in the information.”

Neither of said requests was given. The trial court charged the jury in part as follows:

“I will charge you, if this defendant voluntarily went into what is known as a crap game and lost his money in that way and he came back and endeavored through violence and at the point of a revolver to secure his money back from Mr. Harris, I charge you, gentlemen of the jury, that under those circumstances that he would be guilty of robbery.
“It may be true, that if a man in, your presence is attempting to steal your property and attempting to carry it away, you have a right to defend yourself, and you have a right to overcome him, and you have a right to retake your property; there is no question about that, but after voluntarily surrendering your money or surrendering your property, and then the property is out of your possession, out of your sight, then, gentlemen of the jury, it is not your province [454]*454or any man’s province, rather, to undertake to take the law into his own hands, and by force and violence to make a reparation of the wrong done to him. That is for the courts, that is for the legal channels in the peaceful, orderly administration of the law, rather than by any man taking it by violence into his own hands. * * *
“But if this defendant went in there, as under the theory of the people, and did what they said he did, that is the people’s witnesses, then, gentlemen of the jury, you should convict him, and if he went back there and did what the complainant, Harris, has said he did, that he came into the place and shot off the gun and pointed it at Harris, and secured the money which he had lost in a crap game, and attempted to take from Mr. Harris what he had previously lost in a crap game, then, gentlemen of the jury, he is guilty of the charge in the information. * * *
“But if he (the defendant) did lose the money at that crap game and then he went away and after-wards came back and held Mr. Harris up, as he described, laboring under the theory that he had lost his money in the previous cráp game, and resented it, and attempted to get it back, I say to you, gentlemen of the jury, under those circumstances, the defendant would be guilty of the charge in this information. * * *
“Now, this information contains the charge of robbery — being armed with a dangerous weapon with intent to kill if resisted. It also contains the charge of larceny from the person. If you do not believe the defendant guilty of robbery, being armed with a,

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People v. Henry, 168 N.W. 534, 202 Mich. 450, 1918 Mich. LEXIS 507 (Mich. 1918).

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