State v. Barnett

14 P. 737, 15 Or. 77, 1887 Ore. LEXIS 52
CourtOregon Supreme Court
DecidedApril 18, 1887
StatusPublished
Cited by9 cases

This text of 14 P. 737 (State v. Barnett) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Oregon Supreme Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
State v. Barnett, 14 P. 737, 15 Or. 77, 1887 Ore. LEXIS 52 (Or. 1887).

Opinion

Lord, C. J.

The defendant was indicted, tried, and convicted of the crime of larceny by bailee. On the trial of the cause, it appeared in evidence that the money alleged to have been converted by the defendant to his own use was delivered to him by a witness of the name of De Wolf, for safe-keeping, and to facilitate its transportation somewhere in British Columbia. That the money was brought by the defendant in person into Pendleton, Umatilla County, Oregon, and there placed by him with the Wells-Fargo Express Company for shipment to the bank of British Columbia, in the city of Portland, Multnomah County, Oregon, and at the same time he addressed the following letter to the bank: —

“ PENDLETON,. Oct. 17, 1886.
“BanJc of British Columbia, Portland, Oregon.
“Dear Sir: I have sent you two thousand dollars, Canadian money, by Wells, Fargo & Company’s Express, to exchange for U. S. money. Please send draft on your bank to First National Bank, Pendleton, Oregon, to me.
(Signed,) “ E. T. Barnett.”

The money and letter sent as above stated were received by the bank at the city of Portland, and in accordance with the directions or instruction of the defendant, the Canadian money was converted into U. S. money, placed in a draft and sent to the defendant at Pendleton, Umatilla County, Oregon; that he received the draft and absconded with it to Dayton, W. T. It [79]*79was also-shown in evidence, that before he had shipped the money by Wells, Fargo & Co., he represented to the witness, De Wolf, that the money had been stolen out of the saddle-bags where he had placed it, and the defendant represented constantly that the money had been stolen by the Indians. It is thus seen that the defendant came into Oregon with the property placed in his custody, denying his possession, and asserting that the Indians had stolen it, and sent it by his innocent agent into the county in which he was afterwards indicted, and by his direction had the money converted into U. S. money, and a draft made payable to him for the purpose of appropriating it to his own use, and facilitating his escape with it. Upon this state of facts, the counsel for the defendant claims that the court was without jurisdiction to try the defendant, and as a consequence, that the judgment of conviction pronounced against him is void. "Virtually, this is based on two propositions: (1) That the bringing into this State by the defendant money stolen in British Columbia does not constitute an offense against the laws of this State; and (2) that not having been personally present in Multnomah County with the stolen money in his possession, the defendant could not lawfully be subjected to a trial there. The first objection raises the vexed question upon which there has been, and now is, much diversity of judicial opinion. For a collection of the authorities, and the holdings pro and eon, of the different States by their courts of last resort, see Bishop on Criminal Law, § 141. It was, however, at an early day held in this State, that the offense of larceny committed without the State continues and accompanies the stolen property, and that the offense may be tried in any county within the State into which such stolen property may be brought by the offender. And since this decision, it has been provided by law that: When property feloniously taken .... without the State, by burglary, robbery, larceny, or embezzlement, is brought within it, the action may be commenced and tried in any county therein into which such'property may be brought.5’ (Crim. Code, § 16.) The argument that a completed offense was committed before the defendant came into the State, and that his subsequent acts here could not make another, [80]*80for which he would be liable within the jurisdiction of this State, is effectually disposed of by the statute declaring that when property so taken without the State is brought within it, the action may be commenced and tried within any county therein into which such property may be brought. The offender who has obtained a felonious possession without the State cannot bring the property stolen or embezzled within the State, with the intent to appropriate or convert it to his own use, without violating the laws of this jurisdiction and rendering him liable to its punishments. “Always,” says Mr. Bishop, “when a man has with him property in the State where any legal inquiry concerning it arises, the courts look into the legal relation he sustains to it there. If he stole it in another State, he has not even the right to its custody in the new locality; and the rule in larceny is, that when a man, having in his mind the intent to steal, makes any removal or carrying of goods, to the custody of which he has no title, he commits the crime.” (Bishop on Criminal Law, § 138.) Our courts, indeed, have no occasion, neither have they jurisdiction, to try prisoners for larcenies committed abroad, against the law of foreign governments. But they can inflict punishment for offenses against our laws, and if a man has property in his hands here, they can inquire what legal relation he sustains here to this property; and if it came with him from a foreign country, the relation he sustained to it there establishes his relation to it here.” (Bishop on Criminal Law, § 139.) “The proposition that a man is to escape punishment for the violation of our laws, because he first violated the laws of a foreign country, is absurd in itself, and mischievous in its practical application. Nothing is plainer than that when a man is found here with property, our courts will inquire after the owner of it, equally whether said owner is a foreigner or a citizen, present, personally, or absent. Nothing is plainer than that our courts will protect the rights of property, equally whether the property is in the owner’s grasp, or wrongfully found in the grasp of a felon.” (Bishop on Criminal Law, § 140.) What was the legal relation which the defendant sustained to this property which he brought within the jurisdiction of this State? Upon the [81]*81admitted facts, for the purposes of this case, the property was intrusted to his custody as a bailee. Before he reached this State, he declared to the owner of it, what in fact was false, that the Indians had stolen it, when the identical property was then in his possession, and had not been out of it. He brought that property or money into this State, still denying his possession and asserting that falsehood, and with intent to convert and appropriate it to his own use, placed it in the hands of Wells, Fargo & Co., with directions to deliver it to the bank of British Columbia, and instructed the bank by letter to exchange or discount the Canadain money for U. S. money, and for the same “to send draft on your bank to theFirstiJational Bank, Pendle-ton, Oregon, to me,” the defendant; all of which was done and performed, and the draft received according to his direction and authority. Under this state of facts, can it be maintained that our laws have not been violated and a crime committed within their jurisdiction? It is conceded that it was the property of De Wolf, and that he was entitled to its possession, and that the defendant meant and intended to deprive him of its ownership, and to feloniously convert it to his own use.

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
14 P. 737, 15 Or. 77, 1887 Ore. LEXIS 52, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/state-v-barnett-or-1887.