People v. Murphy

3 N.Y. Crim. 338
New York Supreme Court·Decided July 15, 1885·Published

Opinion

Haight, J.

The defendant was indicted jointly with one Dr. Sherman. The evidence on the part of the people tended to show that the defendant went to Dr.jSherman and arranged with him to operate upon the person of Louisa Schlaefer; that subsequently and on January 26, 1884, he took the girl to the doctor’s office ; that the doctor took her into another room and operated upon her; that the defendant then took the girl to Mrs. Tripp and arranged with her to board and take care of her until after1 her sickness. Thereafter, and on the morning of February 1, a foetus was born which was subsequently delivered to the district attorney and by him to Dr. Harriman. This appeal is taken upon exceptions only.

Upon the trial, Sophia Pitcher was sworn as a witness on behalf of the people. She testified that she was a servant girl [343] in the employ of Mrs. Tripp and slept in the same room occupied by the Schlaefer girl. She testified, that she first had a talk with Mrs. Tripp about the girl on the same day that she was brought there. The district attorney then asked as follows: Q. “Did she state what she was brought there for?” Defendant’s counsel objected. Overruled, and defendant excepted. A. “ Yes, Sir, the same day she was brought there in the afternoon.” Q. “ Now, what did she say ?” Defendant’s counsel objected. Objection overruled, and exception. A. “ She said she was a friend of hers, and came there for a rest. I don’t, think there was anything more said about it until after the girl was taken sick, on Tuesday, towards night; on Wednesday, I think, I spoke to Mrs. Tripp about the girl being there ; thar was before this person was there in the night time.” Q. “ What did she say at that time ?” Defendant’s counsel objected to the question as immaterial and incompetent and calling for hearsay evidence. The court overruled the objection, and defendant's counsel excepted. A. “She didn’t make me any answer; I said, I thought there was something queer about that girl; thought it was not right; and she didn’t make any answer. The same subject was mentioned again on Thursday, before the man was there in the night time.” Q. “ What was said ?” Defendant’s counsel objected to the evidence, as immaterial and incom petent, and hearsay. Overruled, and exception by defendant. A. “ I said, I thought if she was in my house, I would send her out and would not have her in it, and she didn’t make me any answer ; I asked her how the girl was, and she said, 1 all right; ’ she said on Thursday she was going for a doctor; that was before the man was there that night, sometime in the afternoon.”

It is contended on the part of the appellant, that the admission of this evidence was error ; that it was not part of the res gestes, and was not competent as -the declarations of a co-conspirator.

The defendant, who took the girl to the doctor, and arranged with him to operate upon her and produce an abortion, the doctor who undertook the job, and the woman who, knowing the facts, undertook to care for the girl until she was delivered, and thus hide the crime—all became co-conspirators,—and the acts and declarations of each in pursuance of the original con[344] eerted plan, and with reference to the common crime, are, in contemplation of law, the acts and declarations of all, and are therefore original evidence against each of them ; but to make a declaration competent, it must have been made in the furtherance of the prosecution of the common object, or constitute part of the res gestig, of some act done for that purpose. Greenleaf Ev. § 111; People v. Davis, 56 N. Y. 95-102.

It would consequently be competent to show anything that Mrs. Tripp did or said in reference to the girl, in her treatment or care of the girl, or in her attempt to hide the crime; and if she sent for a doctor, if she attended upon her in person during her sickness, if she attempted to hide the foetus when born, or if she gave any direction in reference thereto—such acts or directions would be in reference to the original concerted plan, and be within the rule. In answer to the first question, she said that the girl was a friend of hers, and came there for a rest. This answer, it is claimed on the part of the appellant,' was made to allay suspicion on the part of the servant girl, who was making inquiry in reference to;the presence of this girl in the house. If so, then we are inclined to the opinion that it was but carrying out the original concerted plan for hiding the crime. After the girl was taken sick, the witness said that she ¡bought there was something queer about the girl; thought it was not all right, and that if the girl was in her house she would send her out, etc. To these expressions on the part of the servant girl, Mrs. Tripp made no answer. It is now contended by the appellant that her silence was an admission that there was something wrong about the girl; but this, we are inclined to think, does not follow. No question had been asked her calling for an answer. Mrs. Tripp had not been accused by the witness of any crime or misconduct, and consequently the rule which prevails when a person is accused of crime or misconduct, and remains silent when there was an opportunity to deny the same, that that fact may go to the jury for its determination as to whether or not the individual, by such silence, intended to admit the truthfulness of the charge, does not apply. The statements of the witness pertain to the conduct and character of another person, whom Mrs. Tripp was not called upon to defend; consequently, her silence [345] tended to prove nothing. If, however, we are wrong as to the effect of this evidence, and the appellant is correct, Mrs. Tripp was at that time acting in reference to the subject which the defendant, her co-conspirator, had employed her to care for. Her silence, in reference to the true condition of the patient was one of the things contemplated in the original concerted plan. We are, consequently, of the opinion that the exceptions were not well taken.

The case of People v. Davis, supra, we do not regard as in conflict with this conclusion; on the contrary, it sustains the rule as we have stated it. In that case, a woman had been taken by the prisoner to the doctor’s office. The doctor had operated upon her at his office to produce a miscarriage. After she had returned home, she related to her stepmother what had been done at the doctor’s office, and how lie did it. It was held in that case that her declarations were not competent. The decision, however, was placed upon the ground that the statement was a mere narration as to a past transaction; that one conspirator cannot, by a subsequent confession, bind his co-conspirator; that the declarations were not made as part of the original concerted plan, in reference to the common crime. In this regard the case is distinguishable.

Free access — add to your briefcase to read the full text and ask questions with AI

People v. Murphy, 3 N.Y. Crim. 338 (N.Y. Super. Ct. 1885).

3 N.Y. Crim. 338 (People v. Murphy) — published by Counsel Stack Legal Research, free access to 12M+ legal documents.

Related

The People v. . D'Argencour
95 N.Y. 624 (New York Court of Appeals, 1884)
Pierson v. . the People
79 N.Y. 424 (New York Court of Appeals, 1880)
The People v. . Boas
92 N.Y. 560 (New York Court of Appeals, 1883)
Matteson v. . New York Central Railroad
35 N.Y. 487 (New York Court of Appeals, 1866)
People of the State of N.Y. v. . Davis
56 N.Y. 95 (New York Court of Appeals, 1874)