State v. Davis

53 P. 678, 6 Idaho 159, 1898 Ida. LEXIS 45
CourtIdaho Supreme Court
DecidedJune 15, 1898
StatusPublished
Cited by40 cases

This text of 53 P. 678 (State v. Davis) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Idaho 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. Davis, 53 P. 678, 6 Idaho 159, 1898 Ida. LEXIS 45 (Idaho 1898).

Opinions

QUARLES, J.

— The appellant was, at the April term of the district court of the fourth judicial district, in and for Cassia county, tried upon the charge of murder, committed upon the person of one John C. Wilson, and convicted. Thereafter the appellant, whom we hereafter designate as the defendant, moved for a new trial, which was denied him. The defendant then took two appeals to this court — one from the judgment of conviction, and the other from the order denying him a new trial. These two appeals, by consent of both parties, were argued and submitted together, and we will consider both appeals together. On the hearing the defendant was ably represented by James H. liawley, Esq., and K. I. Perky, Esq., and the state was ably represented by Messrs. O. W. Powers and W. E. Borah. (The attorney general made no oral argument.) The ease has been carefully, fully, and ably briefed on both sides.

The application for a new trial was based upon the following grounds: “1. That the verdict was decided; by means other than [164]*164a fair expression opinion on the part of all the jurors; 2. That the court, misdirected the jury in matters of law during the course of the trial; 3. That the court erred in decisions of questions of law arising during the course of the trial; 4. That the verdict is contrary to law; 6. That the verdict is contrary to the evidence; 6. That new evidence has been discovered material to the defendant, and which he could not, with reasonable diligence, have discovered and produced at the trial."

The errors relied upon by the defendant are as follows: “1. Error in overruling motion for new trial upon the ground of the evidence being insufficient to justify the verdict, in the following particulars, to wit: (1) The evidence fails to show that defendant was present at the time of killing of the deceased or at the time deceased received his mortal wounds, or that defendant was an accessary or privy thereto; (2) That the evidence fails to show when deceased received his wounds resulting in his death, or when he died; (3) That the evidence shows that deceased received the wounds from which he died, and died, after the fourth day of February, 1896; (4) That the evidence shows that the defendant was not in the vicinity of the killing of deceased, or any place where it was possible for him to have been concerned in said killing, after the 4th day of February, 1896; (5) That the evidence shows that defendant could not have been at the place of lulling on February 4, 1896, and could riot have been guilty of the murder of deceased, by reason of the impossibility of his riding from the Brown ranch, at the time he was proved to have been there on that day, to the place of killing, and from there back to the Boar’s Nest ranch, at the time that the evidence shows that he was at said place on said day; (6) That the evidence fails to show any motive on the part of defendant for killing deceased; (7) That the evidence fails to show any intention on the part of defendant to kill deceased, or any reason or object for said course on his part, and, further, fails to show that he knew deceased or his companion, or knew of his presence or whereabouts at the time of the killing; (8) That the evidence fails to show that deceased was murdered; that it fails to show a premeditated, deliberate, or malicious killing by defendant or anyone else; (9) That the evidence fails to show [165]*165the guilt of defendant beyond a reasonable doubt, or to show his guilt at all; (10) That the evidence fails to show that the defendant was in possession or had under his control any weapon such as would account for the fatal wound on deceased; (11) That the evidence, taken as, and considered as, threats, does not and did not refer to deceased or his companion, but to other persons not connected with either of them, and that there is no evidence of threats by defendant against deceased; (12) That the conversation testified to by witnesses as having taken place and been had with the defendant referred, not to the killing of Cummings and Wilson, but to other matters not connected therewith. 2. Error in permitting evidence of other offenses to wit, the shooting affray at Wilson’s camp on the night of February 2, 1897, to be given in evidence. 3. Error in allowing witnesses to testify as to the conversations and alleged threats, and threatening and abusive language, of defendant in Shoshone Basin, during the summer and fail of 1896, and in refusing defendant’s motions to strike out such conversations and statements. 4. Error in allowing in evidence conversations had between defendant and officers having him in custody, while on the road to Albion, after his arrest. 5. Error in allowing witness Perkins to give his opinion to jurors in regard to what vital parts of deceased were penetrated by the bullets that caused his death. 6. Error in allowing witness Dr. Story to state his opinion of the relative position of the parties when the fatal shot was fired. 7. Error in refusing to strike out the evidence of witness J ames Dunn, found in subdivision 5 of errors, folio 1167 of transcript. 8. Error in allowing the paper picked up at the camp of Wilson and Cummings to be introduced in evidence. 9. Error in allowing witness E. R. Daley to testify as to the place where he found defendant at the time of his arrest, and the name he was there known by. 10. Error in allowing exhibits Nos. 5 to 11, offered by the prosecution, to be put in evidence. 11. Error in refusing a new trial upon the ground of newly discovered evidence. 12. Error in refusing to grant a new trial to defendant upon the ground of misconduct of the jury. 13. Error in refusing a citation to Addie Gordon, and to compel her to testify as to conversations had by Juror George [166]*166W. Gray in her presence. 14. Error in refusing to strike plaintiffs affidavits from the files, and in allowing them to be read upon the hearing, upon motion for new trial. 15. Error in allowing the affidavits mentioned in bill of exceptions No. 3 to be used upon motion for new trial. 16. Error in overruling defendant’s motion for new trial.”

The first error assigned is not, in our opinion, sustained by the record. It is true that no eye-witness swore to the fact that the defendant was present at the time and place the homicide occurred; still all of the circumstances point to' his presence, and also to the fact that he did the killing. The evidence shows that the deceased received his wounds on or about the fourth day of February, 1896, and died soon thereafter. The evidence shows motive and premeditated design on the part of the defendant to commit the homicide. The evidence tends to show that the deceased was killed on the morning of the 4th of February, 1896. The evidence shows that the deceased was killed by a 44-caliber shot, and it shows that, just before the homicide occurred, the defendant was shooting 44 cartridges from a 45-caliber pistol. The evidence shows that the deceased and his companion, Cummings, were sheepmen, engaged in herding sheep, and that defendant had repeatedly made threats against the lives of sheepmen; and that about the time of the killing the defendant, with another companion, Jack Gleason, were riding the range armed with Winchester rifles, revolvers, and dynamite.

While considering-this first assignment of error, we deem it proper to point out the facts established by the evidence, showing the conditions that existed in the locality of the crime, and the conduct of the defendant before and after the homicide. Cassia county is a stock county, some of its residents being engaged in raising cattle, and others in raising sheep.

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Bluebook (online)
53 P. 678, 6 Idaho 159, 1898 Ida. LEXIS 45, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/state-v-davis-idaho-1898.