Speiden v. State

3 Tex. Ct. App. 156
CourtCourt of Appeals of Texas
DecidedJuly 1, 1877
StatusPublished
Cited by1 cases

This text of 3 Tex. Ct. App. 156 (Speiden v. State) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Appeals of Texas primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Speiden v. State, 3 Tex. Ct. App. 156 (Tex. Ct. App. 1877).

Opinion

White, J.

In the view we have taken of this case, it is unnecessary to discuss the many interesting questions presented in the record, as they are not likely to arise upon a subsequent trial. Most; of the errors complained of have reference to the charge of the court and the refusal of instructions asked by defendant.

The points we propose t'b examine are (1) with reference to the manner in which the jury was passed upon and filled up, (2) the competency of the expert and hearsay testimony adduced, and (3) the sufficiency of the evidence to sustain the verdict and judgment.

1. The mode in which a jury is summoned, and the jury list is returned by the sheriff is pointed out in section 9, chapter 109, of Acts of Fifteenth Legislature, page 171, in which it is provided that “ the lists shall be returned by the sheriff on the first day of the term, with a certificate thereon of the date and manner in which each juror was summoned; from each of which lists thirty persons, more or less, as the judge may direct, shall be selected, for the week named in the list, from those summoned and in attendance, and not excused by the judge in open court, in the order in which their names appear therein, who shall compose the regular panel for that week.” The names of these jurors are written upon slips of paper and placed in the box, which is then well shaken up ; after which they are drawn out and written upon two lists, one for the prosecuting attorney and the other for the defendant. After their challenges for cause, each party can then, from those remaining, exercise his peremptory challenges by striking their names from the list. The statute provides as follows :

[158]*1581 ‘ But, before either party shall be required to strike, those on the lists shall be challenged for cause, and others drawn, and placed, as drawn, upon the list, in place of as many as may be set aside for cause.” Acts Fifteenth Legislature, 82, sec. 22.

In this case defendant challenged six jurors, for cause, out of twenty-four called. He then asked to have the jury filled up with six jurors in place of those set aside; which was refused, because the twenty-four names drawn exhausted those in the jury-box, and there were none left in the box from which to supply the places of those challenged. Eleven men were then selected from the eighteen remaining. We do not think the court erred, under the circumstances, in requiring the parties to proceed to strike from the eighteen names remaining, since there were none left to be drawn from the box in lieu of those challenged for cause.

After the eleven were selected, as above stated, the court ordered the sheriff to summon another to complete the jury. This was not error, but was in conformity with the practice provided in the statute, which is as follows :

“When, from any cause, it may be necessary to make up a jury, if there be not enough of the standing jurors remaining, or in attendance, the court shall order, for the occasion, a sufficient number of other jurors, possessing all the qualifications prescribed for jurors in this act, to be summoned by the sheriff to make up the deficiency in said jury,” etc. Acts Fifteenth Legislature, 82, ch. 76, sec. 22.

2. With regard to the competency of the evidence.

Two witnesses were introduced, as experts, by the state, to compare the signature of defendant to an affidavit for attachment, which was proven to be genuine, with other letters and writings in evidence, and to express their opinion, after comparison, as to whether or not the letters and other writings were the handwriting of the defendant. Our statute providing for this mode of proof reads as follows:

[159]*159“ It is competent, in every case, to give evidence of handwriting by comparison made by experts or by the jury,” etc. Pasc. Dig., art. 3132.
“ Experts are persons who are selected by courts, or the parties in a cause, on account of their knowledge or skill, to examine, estimate, and ascertain things, and make report of their opinions.” 1 Bouv. L. Dic. They “may not only testify to facts, but are permitted to give their opinions in evidence.” 1 Greenl. on Ev., sec. 440.

In this case it is objected that the witnesses testifying did not qualify themselves as experts. We do not think the objection tenable. They were both tellers of banking-houses in the city of Dallas, one having had four years’, and the other two years’, experience in such position, where they were daily passing upon the genuineness of signatures and paying hundreds of checks, and both thought themselves experts and competent to judge of handwriting. We think the testimony was competent and admissible. This case is distinguished from the case of Haynie v. The State, 2 Texas Ct. App. 168, in that, in the latter case, the comparison of the handwriting was not sought to be established by experts or the jury, as provided in the statute, article 3132. In Haynie’s case it was held that the same rule as that established in civil cases would control. Hanley v. Gandy, 28 Texas, 211.

The evidence objected to in the twelfth, thirteenth, and fourteenth bills of exception was hearsay evidence, and clearly inadmissible. The witness was permitted to testify what a detective told him the defendant said. We know of no rule of law which would allow such evidence, and the court erred in not sustaining the objections raised to it.

3. The last, and, in our estimation, the most important, proposition to be considered is whether or not the evidence is sufficient to warrant the verdict and judgment when ap[160]*160plied to the law applicable to the case. As disclosed in the record, the facts are substantially as follows :

Pinkerton’s detective agency, at Chicago, Illinois, obtained, by some means, a number of letters and postal cards written by the defendant, from Dallas, to a friend in Chicago, urging him to come to Dallas and join him in breaking into and robbing some of the banks in the latter city. It appears that Pinkerton forwarded those letters to John Kerr, a banker of Dallas, who immediately called a meeting of the bankers of the city and submitted the matter to them. The result of this meeting was that the bankers requested Pinkerton to send a detective to Dallas to work up the case. Deroso, a sergeant of Pinkerton’s force, came, and, after an interview with the bankers, sent back to Chicago for Wood and McGuire, two detective aids, who were to represent themselves to the defendant as professional burglars, and induce him to enter some bank building in the nighttime, when they would procure his arrest.

After the arrival of Wood and McGuire, they set to work to cony out this plan, keeping in constant communication with Deroso, and, through him, with the bankers, who were kept constantly informed as to the plans and movements of the parties. Finally, it was agreed on all hands that the banking-house of Adams & Leonard should be broken into on Sunday night. Adams & Leonard agreed to the arrangement, and the detectives were, in the adventure, working in their employ.

Pursuant to the plan agreed upon, Deroso, Hereford, a deputy sheriff of Dallas county, a Mr. Mixon, United States deputy marshal, and another party, entered and took possession of the bank during the day-time, about two or three o’clock on Sunday, to remain therein until the burglary was effected and the defendant was arrested.

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Bluebook (online)
3 Tex. Ct. App. 156, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/speiden-v-state-texapp-1877.