People v. Townsend

79 N.W. 901, 120 Mich. 661, 1899 Mich. LEXIS 1009
CourtMichigan Supreme Court
DecidedJuly 11, 1899
StatusPublished
Cited by3 cases

This text of 79 N.W. 901 (People v. Townsend) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Michigan 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. Townsend, 79 N.W. 901, 120 Mich. 661, 1899 Mich. LEXIS 1009 (Mich. 1899).

Opinion

Moore, J.

An information was filed against respondent, charging him with an assault upon Charles Hufford with intent to kill and murder. Respondent was convicted of an assault with intent to do great bodily harm, less than the crime of murder. The case is here upon a bill of exceptions before sentence.

The record discloses that respondent, at the time of the commission of the offense, was a little more than 20 years old. Prior to April 28, 1898, he had been paying attentions to Miss H., and they finally became engaged to be married. They had occasional estrangements, though the engagement continued. April 28th respondent left Grand Rapids for a few days. Upon his return he was informed by one Blum that during his absence Charles Hufford and Miss H. had been riding with each other. He claims he was also told that Hufford said his purpose in going with Miss H. was to betray her. Mr. Hufford denied he had ever made such statement. The respondent expostulated with Miss H., and, she says, threatened to shoot Hufford and one Russell. He also had an interview with Hufford, and proposed they should fight a duel, Hufford to have the choice of weapons. Hufford disclaimed any knowledge of the engagement, and he, the respondent, and Blum went to the house of Miss H., and called her to the window, where she says she was asked if they were engaged, and she]’: replied, “Yes.” As early as April 28th, Miss H. says, though still engaged to respondent, that she had told him “enough times” she would not marry him. After respondent’s return to Grand Rapids, and his expostulating with Miss H., the engagement was broken off. The respondent felt very badly about this, and sought to have it renewed. For the purpose of talking over the engagement, he invited Miss H. to ride with him; and she says, when she told him she would not renew the engagement, he presented her a revolver, and asked her to kill him. He says the engagement at that time was renewed. On the 29th of May, respondent attended the funeral of the father of a friend [663]*663of his. After the funeral, he drove to the park. Just before getting there, he passed Miss EL, who was with a friend, Miss G., but said nothing to them. Near the entrance of the park, he saw Blum, and inquired of him if he had seen Hufford. Miss H. and her friend continued on to the entrance of the park. Hufford was in the park, with an acquaintance, Miss E. He came to where Miss H. and Miss G. were, and invited them to go into the park and meet Miss E. They accepted the invitation. The respondent’s version of what occurred is as follows:

“I think I met Blum at the park before I spoke to Miss H. I have no recollection of asking him about Hufford. All that I did was to pass the time of day with him. I didn’t ask any questions, that I remember of. I am sure I didn’t. I next saw Miss H., Miss G., and Mr. Hufford as they started to go up the steps towards the pavilion. Hufford was assisting Miss H. The other ladies were going along singly. I walked around awhile. Then I went up in that direction, and saw them as they were about to sit down, or were sitting down. I called Miss H. aside, and asked her if I could speak to her a moment. I wished to ask her if I could spend the afternoon with her. She did not come with me when I asked her to step to one side. She took, I should judge, four or five, six or seven, steps from that place, in a western -or northwestern direction, towards the pavilion. After going this distance, she said, ‘ If you want to say anything to me, you can say it right here.’ I think those were the words. I said, ‘All right, I will.’ At that moment I glanced towards Mr. Hufford, who was at the south end of the bench. I saw him walk around the bench and step towards me. He had his hand — I think it was the left hand — in his hip pocket, and he gave me what I considered a very threatening look. His manner and attitude frightened me somewhat. It looked very strange. I thought that he was going to shoot me. I really believed that. I pulled my revolver and shot at him, — in that direction. When I did so, I still believed he Was intending to shoot me. I believe so yet. I had no design of injuring him. I had not, up to that moment, any design of shooting at him or using any violence towards him. I shot because I thought it was the only way to protect myself. I felt bad and nervous and worried, but I am not [664]*664what I consider excitable. I would not have fired at him at that time but for that belief that he was going to shoot me. I thought at the time that it was necessary to do that in .order to protect myself, and I think so yet. When I saw him fall, I thought perhaps I might have killed him, and I started, not thinking what I was doing, and ran towards the southwest part of the woods.”

The testimony of Huff or d is that he was standing near the bench which he had procured for the young ladies, with his hand lying on the back of the behch; that he was not advancing towards respondent, and did not put his hand in his pocket, and had no revolver; that, when respondent raised his arm and fired, Hufford flung up his left arm, the bullet passing through it.

Counsel for respondent group the assignments of error as follows:

1. Refusal to submit to the jury certain of respondent’s requests relating to the right of self-defense.

3. Refusal to instruct the jury upon respondent’s theory of provocation, as reducing the offense to assault and battery.

3. Permitting a conviction for assault with intent to do great bodily harm, less than murder.

4. Permitting the prosecuting attorney to put to respondent and his witnesses improper and prejudicial questions, and to address to the jury improper and prejudicial remarks.

Counsel for respondent presented to the court 53 written requests to charge. Many of them were given just as presented by counsel. The substance of others was given in the general charge. Others of them were refused.

As to the first group of assigned errors: The court charged the jury very fully and fairly as to respondent’s right of self-defense, and his right to act upon appearances, even though he was mistaken as to the fact. Each phase of this feature of the case was fully covered.

As to the second group of assigned errors: The court was requested to charge the jury as follows:

“It is claimed on the part of respondent that, a short [665]*665time before the assault complained of, respondent had been informed that Hufford was attempting to alienate from respondent the affections of the woman with whom respondent was under engagement to marry, and had boasted of his intention to have sexual intercourse with such woman, and that, at the time of the commission of the assault, respondent was laboring under the influence of passion and excitement produced by such alleged misconduct on the part of Hufford. The seduction of one’s wife is regarded in the law the highest provocation which can be given a man. It is for you to determine, under all the evidence in the case, whether the alleged alienation of the affections and the alleged attempted seduction on the part of Hufford of respondent’s affianced wife was an adequate and reasonable provocation, sufficient to disturb respondent’s passion to an extent which might render an ordinary man, of fair average disposition, liable to act rashly or without due deliberation or reflection, and from passion rather than judgment.”

There were other requests based upon the same theory, and expressing the same idea in different verbiage.

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

Related

People v. Montgomery
204 N.W.2d 82 (Michigan Court of Appeals, 1972)
People v. Medley
64 N.W.2d 708 (Michigan Supreme Court, 1954)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
79 N.W. 901, 120 Mich. 661, 1899 Mich. LEXIS 1009, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/people-v-townsend-mich-1899.