Skinner v. State

45 N.W. 53, 28 Neb. 814, 1890 Neb. LEXIS 51
CourtNebraska Supreme Court
DecidedFebruary 19, 1890
StatusPublished
Cited by6 cases

This text of 45 N.W. 53 (Skinner v. State) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Nebraska Supreme Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Skinner v. State, 45 N.W. 53, 28 Neb. 814, 1890 Neb. LEXIS 51 (Neb. 1890).

Opinion

Norval, J.

At the January term, 1889,. of the district court for Dundy county an information was filed charging the plaintiff in error with making an assault upon one Rhoda A. Rogers, with the intent of committing upon her the crime of rape. He was convicted and sentenced to imprisonment in the penitentiary for two years. The defendant’s motion for a new trial was overruled and an exception was entered on the record, and he now brings the cause to this court for review by proceedings in error.

Several errors are assigned, but one of which will be considered, and that is, that the verdict of the jury is not sustained by sufficient evidence.

It appears from the evidence that the prosecutrix, with her husband and family, resided in the rear rooms of a [815]*815store building situated in the village of Alstine; that tbe residence portion was separated from the storeroom by a partition, through which there was door or passage-way from the residence portion to the store, and which, just previous to the time the alleged assault was made, was open. It also appears that prior to the alleged occurrence the families of the prosecutrix and the defendant were on friendly terms; that the defendant had boarded in the prosecutrix’s family at one time; had assisted her in the store, and that the two were frequently seen engaged in friendly conversation, with her head upon his breast. At the time of the alleged assault the store was kept by one J. P. Smith, and in which Mr. Smith was at the time. The husband, Mr. Rogers, had gone into the country on that day, which fact was known to the accused. The plaintiff in error, on the day in question, went into the store where Mr. Smith was, and passed on into the room occupied by the prosecutrix and her children. We quote the testimony of Mrs. Rogers, giving in detail what occurred in her room: •

Q,. Did you see the defendant on the 28th day of December, 1888?

A. I did.

Q,. Where did you see him?

A. He came to my house.

Q. Where was you at the time he came to your house?
A. I was in the kitchen at work.

Q,. About what time of day was this?

A. It was in the morning early he came first.
Q. What time — he came during the day again ?
A. Yes, sir; he came there about four times between 8 o’clock that morning and 10.
Q. Was any one with him?
A. No, sir.

Q,. Who was with you at these times on the 28th day of December that he came there?

[816]*816A. There weren’t any one in the room with me but my children, but Mr. Smith was there in the store building.

Q,. "Was any one in the kitchen with you?

A. No, sir. * * *

Q. What did Mr. Sbanner do and say to you when he came there first in the morning ?

A. Well, he came that morning and spoke and said “Good morning” to me; then he sat down by the stove and he asked me when we were going away (we were talking about leaving); I said I didn’t know when we were going, and then he began to inquire about a letter that we had got on the Monday before; and he asked me what it was and who wrote the letter; I told him I didn’t know; and he wanted to know what was in the letter; I said I didn’t know, and I would tell him what was in the letter; and he wanted to know what he was going to do about it; I said he wasn’t going to do nothing; he says “Is he going to leave you ? ”

Q. "Who did he refer to when he asked you what he was going to do about it ?

A. He wanted to know what Mr. Rogers was going to do about it — what he was going to do about the letter; that was the matter.

Q,. Go on and state what was said.

A. He says, “Is he going to leave you ?” Said I, “No.” He says, “Won’t you go with me?” I says, “No, I would not.”

Q. Mrs. Rogers, I wish you to narrate now what took place — what Mr. Skinner said to you when he first came in there in the morning of the 28th day of December ?

A. When he asked me to go with him I said, “No, I would not; I have a man of my own; I told him to leave, and he went home, and he was not gone home but a few minutes until he came back in the storeroom. I was in there sewing, and he wanted to know where Will was — if he had come back. Says I, “No; he is not home yet.” [817]*817I says, “ I want you to leave me.” He made no reply but just stood there. Then he turned around and went out and got on his pony. I went in the kitchen to work again. He rode around to the kitchen door, I had the door open; he rode up to the door and he says to me, “ When will Rogers want that table?” I knew what he wanted; I turned around and left him standing there, and he rode away and I didn’t see him any more until dinner. * * *

Q,. Now, when did you see the defendant again that day, on the 28th day of December?

A. I saw him go over the hills and he was gone about two hours and a half or three hours and then he came back at about half past three — -just about that time — as near as I can tell; he rode up to Mr. Towles’s store and tied his pony to the hitching post, and got off and came over to our place.

Q,. Where was you at that time, when he came over the last time?

A. I was in the kitchen.

Q,. Did he come to your door?

A. Yes, sir; he did.

Q,. Tell what he said to you this time.

A. And he came into the store first and got some medicine, and then he came from the storeroom into the kitchen; as he came in he closed the door after him, and as soon as I could get to the door I opened the door, and I told him if he would please just leave the door open, and then he flew back and says, “ Can’t I talk to you with the kitchen door shut ? ”

Q. State briefly what was said there.

A. Then he came up to me and wanted to have intercourse with me, and I told him “ No.”

Q,. Now, Mrs. Rogers, give the exact words that Mr. Skinner used to you at that time; just what he said.

A. Well, he says, “ Won’t you let me have it?” Said I, No, I will not.”

[818]*818Q. When he said this, where did he stand from you; how far ?

A. He stood just in front of me, just as close as he could possibly get.

Q,. Explain what he did to you.

A. When I told him “ No,” he took hold of my arms and forced me against the wall and said he must have it. I told him “No.” Said'I, “If you don’t let loose of me I’ll hollow.” He says, “ If you do, we’ll both die right here together.” He shoved his hand back where I seen a revolver sticking out of his pocket. He said, “ Besides, if you tell it, he’ll die too.” He meant Mr. Rogers.

Q,. Just go on and state what took place.

A. He says, “ If he opens his head to me I’ll drop him before he has a chance to do anything at all.”

Q. Did he say anything about officers ?

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
45 N.W. 53, 28 Neb. 814, 1890 Neb. LEXIS 51, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/skinner-v-state-neb-1890.