People v. Schrager

146 N.E. 151, 315 Ill. 169
CourtIllinois Supreme Court
DecidedDecember 16, 1924
DocketNo. 16219
StatusPublished
Cited by5 cases

This text of 146 N.E. 151 (People v. Schrager) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Illinois Supreme Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
People v. Schrager, 146 N.E. 151, 315 Ill. 169 (Ill. 1924).

Opinion

Mr. Justice Farmer

delivered the opinion of the court:

Simon K. Schrager (hereafter called defendant) was indicted by a grand jury of Cook county for embezzlement. The indictment contained three counts. The first and third counts were nollied by the prosecuting attorney. The jury returned a verdict finding defendant guilty of larceny by embezzlement in manner and form as charged in the second count, finding the value of the property to be $35,000 and the age of the defendant forty-two years. Motions for a new trial and in arrest of judgment were denied and judgment entered on the verdict sentencing defendant to the penitentiary. He has sued out this writ of error to review the judgment of the criminal court of Cook county.

The second count of the indictment charged Simon K. Schrager, then and there being broker and agent in the employ of Minnie Arnold, fraudulently and feloniously did, without then and there having the consent of Minnie Arnold, embezzle and fraudulently convert to his own- use a large amount of personal goods, funds, money and property of Minnie Arnold, which money then and there was delivered to and came to the possession of defendant by virtue of such employment, whereby and by force of the statute the defendant is deemed to have committed the crime of larceny.

The State contends the only question before this court is whether the testimony produced on the trial sufficiently establishes larceny by embezzlement against the defendant. The statute relied upon is as follows: ' “If any officer, clerk, agent, servant, solicitor or broker of any incorporated company, or if any clerk, agent, servant, solicitor, broker, apprentice or officer of any person, co-partnership, society or association, receiving any money, substitute for money or thing of value whatsoever in his fiduciary capacity, shall embezzle or fraudulently convert or appropriate the same or any part thereof to his own use, or with intent to embezzle, shall take, secrete or otherwise dispose of, or fraudulently withhold, appropriate, lend, invest or otherwise use or apply any money, substitute for money or. thing of value received by him in such fiduciary capacity, or the portion thereof, belonging to his principal, employer or fiduciary, without the consent of the company, person, co-partnership, society or association for or on account of which the same was received by him, he shall be deemed guilty of larceny and shall be punished as provided by the criminal statutes of this State for the punishment of larceny, irrespective of whether any such officer, agent, clerk, servant, solicitor, broker or apprentice has or claims to have any commission or interest in such money, substitute for money, or thing of value so received by him.” (Smith’s Stat. 1923, par. 210, p. 680.)

The proof presented on the part of the State was as follows: Minnie Arnold testified she is a widow living in Chicago. She met defendant about 1918 or 1919 when he was in the investment business, and thereafter he bought certain stocks .for her, which he delivered to her from time to time. In the spring of 1922 she had an account with defendant and he held 100 shares of Yellow Manufacturing Company stock. In June, 1922, she had a talk with defendant about the sale of the stock, when he told her about a stock dividend that was to be declared between June 18 and 22, and if the stock was sold before that she would lose that dividend. Defendant advanced her what money she wanted on the stock, which was about $7000. She directed that the stock be sold after the dividend was declared, and defendant was to wire her at New York about the sale. A wire was received by her from defendant advising of the sale, and she wired a reply on June 23, 1922, “I will leave it to your good judgment.” Witness returned to Chicago during the latter part of October, 1922, and met defendant at the First National Bank. Defendant told her he had bought 500 shares of Yellow Cab for her, and she told him that was all right. During the latter part of November, 1922, she went to defendant’s office and had a talk with him again about the 500 shares of Yellow Cab. He said, “I bought 500 shares of Yellow Cab,” and she said, “Well, that sounds pretty good.” Defendant did not tell her what he sold the'shares of Yellow Manufacturing Company for, but on this visit at his office he gave her a written statement, which was introduced in evidence as People’s exhibit 2. This statement was dated November 29, 1922, and showed the sale to Minnie Arnold of 500 shares of Yellow Taxi at 74y2, amounting to $37,250. A credit of $9200 is shown from the sale of Yellow Manufacturing Company stock and rights, and a further cash credit of $800, making a total credit of $10,000 and a debit balance on the stock purchase of $27,250. Mrs. Arnold further testified defendant told her on that date that she had a credit of $9200; that he had placed $800 to her account to make up $10,000. She sold some Stewart-Warner stock to defendant to make up the $800 he had placed to her account, and defendant, after paying her the difference for this stock, said to her, “That makes us even, and you have a balance of $10,000.” In the latter part of 1923 defendant still held 500 shares of Yellow Taxi stock, and on December 15, 1923, witness had a further conversation with him about an extra stock dividend the Yellow Taxi was to declare. Defendant told her it would be a one hundred per cent stock dividend and thereafter she would own 1000 shares. Later, on January 4, 1924, Mrs. Arnold had another conversation with defendant in his office, and at this time she testified he advised her to “dispose of all this stock, take out what money I wanted and re-invest the other,” and she said, “All right.” Defendant further stated: “You understand you cannot throw 1000 shares of stock on the market at one time, because I myself hold 1000 shares, and that would be 2000 shares, and it would not be right. We will dispose of 100, 150 or 200 shares at a time.” Defendant further stated Yellow Taxi was then worth 64, and that when the stock was sold the indebtedness of $25,000 would have to be paid first before she would get any money, and Mrs. Arnold stated she knew that was correct. She saw defendant a day or so later and was told the stock was not sold. A few days later, on January 25, 1924, she met defendant at his office, and he told her the stock was sold and he was going to give her a note for $35,000, which she could deposit in the bank. The note for $35,000, dated January 25,1924, due in seven days, was signed by defendant and given to Mrs. Arnold. This note was offered in evidence as People’s exhibit 3. The note was deposited by Mrs. Arnold in the First National Bank. About a week later she saw defendant in his office and talked with him about payment of the note. He said he had called up the bank and told them to hold the note for a few days, and assured her he would meet it at that time. He said, “I had an awful bump on the market.” A few days later she saw defendant at the First National Bank and asked him about her money, as she was getting worried. He said he was going to sell some property he owned on Kedzie avenue for $18,000 and would pay her that amount. She testified she said to defendant, “Did you use my money for to speculate with and lose it?” and he answered, “Yes.” Mrs.

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Bluebook (online)
146 N.E. 151, 315 Ill. 169, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/people-v-schrager-ill-1924.