People v. Wicks

11 A.D. 539
CourtAppellate Division of the Supreme Court of the State of New York
DecidedJuly 1, 1896
StatusPublished
Cited by14 cases

This text of 11 A.D. 539 (People v. Wicks) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Appellate Division of the Supreme Court of the State of New York primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
People v. Wicks, 11 A.D. 539 (N.Y. Ct. App. 1896).

Opinion

Hardin, P. J.:

In behalf of the appellant it is contended that the indictment on its face shows that the crime charged was not committed within the county of Ontario, and, therefore, that the grand jury had no legal authority to inquire into the crime, because it is claimed that the crime, if committed at all, was within the county of Monroe. However, an inspection of the indictment reveals the language thereof, which alleges that at the town of Manchester a conspiracy and confederation was formed to cheat Frances E. Stewart of her property, and that the accused did “ then and there feloniously, fraudulently and falsely pretend and represent to the said Frances E. Stewart that the said A. P. Wicks was acting for said Frances E. Stewart as real estate broker and commission agent in the selling of her said property.”

From the evidence it is very apparent that the representations made in a negotiation had between the complainant and the appellant took place in the town of Manchester, Ontario county.

Undoubtedly an indictment must show that the court in which it [543]*543is found has jurisdiction of the offense. (People v. Horton, 62 Hun, 610.)

If we consider the crime as it is alleged in the indictment, or as it is disclosed by the evidence in the case, we are warranted in saying that it was committed partly in the county of Ontario and partly in the county of Monroe, and the case, therefore, falls within the provisions of section 134 of the Code of Criminal Procedure. That section provides that if the crime “ or the acts or effects thereof * * * occur in two or more counties, the jurisdiction is in either county.”

We think that, within the cases that have been decided under that section, it was properly held that the objection to the jurisdiction was not well taken. (People v. Crotty, 30 N. Y. St. Repr. 44; People v. Dimick, 107 N. Y. 16.) The validity of such statute seems to be approved by the principle laid down in Mack v. The People (82 N. Y. 235).

(2) It is contended by the appellant that the indictment charges separate crimes—first, a conspiracy, and, second, grand larceny. We cannot assent to such contention. The indictment undoubtedly contains more allegations than were necessary to present a question of grand larceny. However, the allegations in respect to conspiracy, though perhaps not necessary, tended to apprise the defendant move fully of the proofs that he might be required to meet on traverse of the indictment.

In People v. Everest (51 Hun, 26) it was said: “It is never necessary for the People to prove all the allegations in the indictment if those which are supported by the evidence constitute the crime charged therein.”

In Bork v. The People (91 N. Y. 13) it was said: “ It was not necessary to prove that the defendant did all the specific acts charged in the indictment, to justify a conviction. It was sufficient to prove that he did any one of the acts constituting the offense. Where an offense may be committed by doing any one of several things, the indictment may, in- a single count, group them together, and charge the defendant to have committed them all, and a conviction may be had on proof of the commission of any one of the things, without proof of the commission of the others.” (Citing People v. Davis, 56 N. Y. 95.)

[544]*544The evidence reveals to us that some of the false representations were madel and some of the steps leading up to the full consummation of the crime were taken, in Ontario county, and it is quite mani■fest that had not such representations and steps been taken in the town of Manchester, the crime as finally consummated would not have been committed. The initiation of the scheme, as shown by the evidence to have been in Ontario county, was by means of representations which moved the complainant to the execution of the deed and to the obtaining of the search, and secured her confidence, which led her to cause to be executed her deed and to intrust the same to her husband, as her agent, to consummate the agreement which had been brought into existence by means of such false and fraudulent representations. The evidence very clearly indicates that the appellant in effect assured Mrs. Stewart that he was in good faith acting as a broker and aid in procuring a purchaser for her of her property, and that in furtherance of that assurance he introduced to her Frank J. Stinson and gave her to understand that Stinson in good faith desired to buy her property and move to Shortsville. The evidence also warranted the jury in finding that such representations were not true, and that Stinson was not a prospective purchaser, and that he was taken to Mrs. Stewart by the defendant under a fictitious name, and that the relations existing between Wicks, the appellant, and Stinson were not as represented at the time the interview took place with Mrs. Stewart. Subsequent representations were made by the appellant and Stinson to the husband of the complainant in the city of Rochester, which, upon the evidence, the jury were warranted in finding were false and delusive. The mortgage which was offered as a substitute for the $1,900 in cash seems to have been made with the connivance of the appellant and Peckens for the purpose of being used to turn over to the complainant. It was made in the name of Frank J. Stinson, whose real name was Frank Johnson, and the evidence warranted the jury in finding that the mortgage was the property of Wicks and Peckens, and also in finding that Wicks, the appellant, instead of acting for the complainant, was himself an interested party to consummate the scheme of substituting the mortgage for the $1,900 cash that had been promised to the complainant. We think the allegations of the indictment were sufficiently clear and [545]*545explicit to charge the crime of grand larceny in the first degree, and that the same was committed by the aid of false pretenses and fraudulent representations ; and that the evidence of the conspiracy might have been received to establish the crime, if the indictment had not contained all the specific allegations relating to the conspiracy. (People v. McKane, 143 N. Y. 455.) That same case seems to be an authority for saying that, where there is a conspiracy to commit a crime, and the crime committed is a felony, the conspiracy merges in the felony so as to prevent a prosecution for the conspiracy itself. (See People v. McKane, 57 N. Y. St. Repr. 723; People ex rel. Gaynor v. McKane, 78 Hun, 154.)

It is apparent that, for the reason that the indictment contained more specific and elaborate statement of the facts than was necessary, the appellant could not successfully demur thereto upon the ground that it charges more than one crime. Nor can we yield to the contention of the appellant that the representations alleged in the indictment, and established by the evidence, were mere expressions of opinion.

In People v. Dimick (107 N. Y. 30) it was said, viz. : Whether the representations alleged in the indictment were such as were calculated or capable to deceive was a question of fact for the jury. It could not be ruled as matter of law upon the face of the indictment that the representations could not and ought not to have deceived any one.”

Appellant calls our attention to People v. Blanchard (90 N. Y. 314).

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Bluebook (online)
11 A.D. 539, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/people-v-wicks-nyappdiv-1896.