State v. Davis

102 S.W. 528, 203 Mo. 616, 1907 Mo. LEXIS 38
CourtSupreme Court of Missouri
DecidedMay 14, 1907
StatusPublished
Cited by6 cases

This text of 102 S.W. 528 (State v. Davis) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Supreme Court of Missouri primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
State v. Davis, 102 S.W. 528, 203 Mo. 616, 1907 Mo. LEXIS 38 (Mo. 1907).

Opinion

FOX, P. J.

From a judgment of the circuit court of Jasper county, Missouri, convicting him of setting up, keeping and operating a certain table and gambling device, commonly called a “crap table,” devised and designed for the purpose of playing games of chance for money and property, defendant appeals. On February 26, 1906, the prosecuting attorney of Jasper county filed an information, and on March 6, 1906, he filed an amended information, duly verified, charging that the defendant on the — day of February, 1906, feloniously did set up, keep- and operate a certain table and gambling device, commonly called a “crap table,” which table was adapted, devised and designed for the purpose of playing games of chance for money and [618]*618property. At the March term, 1906, of the Jasper Circuit Court, and at the convening of court on the 14th day of March, this being the first case on the docket for that day, the State, by W. N. Andrews, prosecuting attorney, announced ready for trial, but the defendant announced that he was not ready and asked the court to grant him time to prepare an application for a continuance. This request was granted. While waiting for the supposed application for a continuance, the court ascertained that the defendant was preparing an application for a change of venue, whereupon the court called the case for trial and so notified the defendant. The jury was sworn to answer questions and the State proceeded to make its examination and finished the same, when the defendant filed the following applica-. tion and affidavits for a change of venue from the Hon. Howard Gray, the trial judge of the Jasper Circuit Court:

State of Missouri, Plaintiff, vs. A. M. Davis, Defendant.
“In the Circuit Court oe Jasper County, Mo.
“March Term, at Carthage, 1906.
“Application for Change of Venue.
‘ ‘ Comes now the defendant, A. M. Davis, and represents and shows to the court that he cannot safely proceed to the trial of said cause where it is now pending in Division No. One of said court, the Hon. Howard Gray, Judge, on account of the bias and prejudice of said Hon. Howard Gray, and that he cannot have a fair trial of said cause before said judge.
“Wherefore, he prays to have the change of venue as by law provided. A. M. Davis.
“State of Missouri, County of Jasper, ss.
“I, A. M. Davis, being duly sworn, upon my oath depose and say that I have read the foregoing application for change of venue, and that the matters and [619]*619facts therein contained are true, and that the Hon. Howard Gray, Judge of Division No. One, is biased and prejudiced in said cause and I cannot have a fair trial of said cause before the Hon. Howard Gray.
1 ‘ That said information of the bias and prejudice of the Hon. Howard Gray first came to this applicant since the adjourning of this court yesterday, Tuesday, the 13th day of March, 1906.. A. M. Davis.
“Subscribed and sworn to before me this 14th day of Mch., 1906. ' A. E. Cabmean, Clerk.
“ (Seal.) “By J. W. Gray, D. C.
“State of Missouri, County of Jasper, ss.
“We, Bert Mann and Walter Miller, upon our oath depose and say that we have read and know the contents of the foregoing application for a change of venue, and that the same is true, and that we are residents and citizens of Jasper county, Mo., and are not of kin or counsel to the defendant.
“Bert Mann,
“Walter Miller.
“Subscribed and sworn to before me this 14th day of March, 1906. A. F. Carmean, Clerk.
“ (Seal.) “ By J. W. Gray.”

The court overruled this application, and in doing so made the following order:

“Now comes the defendant and files herein his application for a change of venue in this case. By consent the same is taken up, and being seen, heard and fully understood by the court, the same is overruled.” To which action of the court the defendant objected and excepted at the time.

Whereupon, the defendant examined the jurors and proper challenges being made, the case proceeded. [620]*620The testimony upon the part of the State tended to show that Sheriff Marrs, Deputy Sheriff Marquiss and Deputy Sheriff Keir raided a certain room in the second story over the Woodbine saloon in the city of Joplin on one Saturday night in the month of February, 1906. Prior to forcing their way into said room, these officers went up in an alley, climed over a fence and got upon a flat roof of a one-story building and looked into the windows to see what was going on in said room. They saw a number of men up there, including the defendant, who were engaged in gambling. The defendant was standing behind a crap table, dealing craps, and several others were around the table on the outside, rolling two dice across the table. The defendant was paying the bets and cashing in the checks. The others were standing on the outside of the table and were placing their checks down on the table and rolling the dice. The table was identified by the officers as what is commonly termed a crap table, and was about four feet high with a railing around it about four or five inches high, and was eight feet long by three or four feet wide, and covered with a green cloth. On one side of the table, about the center thereof, there was a little space cut out, and in this space the defendant was standing while the game was in progress. On this table were numbers corresponding with numbers that can be made on a pair of dice, and on this particular table were I, 5, 6, 8, 9 and 10. The word “come” was also printed on the table, and this word is one that is used by gamblers in playing said game of chance. Dice were also found on the table, and the defendant was seen catching the dice as others would throw them, and throwing them bade to the player. The defendant was also seen dealing certain colored checks, round flat checks, which he gave in exchange for money. The officers further testified that the table which the defendant had charge of was the character of table devised, designed and made

[621]*621for playing the game of craps, and was commonly termed a ‘‘crap table.” The defendant also had a little ball, that looked like a half pool ball, which was used for some purpose, not explained by the evidence in this ease.

The defendant offered no evidence.

At the close of the evidence the court instructed the jury and the cause being submitted to them they returned a verdict finding the defendant guilty and assessing his punishment at two years imprisonment in the State penitentiary. Motions for new trial and in arrest of judgment being overruled, judgment of sentence in accordance with the verdict was entered of record, and from this judgment the defendant in proper form and due time prosecuted his appeal to this court, and the record is now before us for review.

OPINION.

The record before us in this case discloses, as heretofore indicated by the statement of the case, but one legal proposition, that is, the propriety of the action of the trial court in overruling defendant’s application for a change of venue.

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235 S.W. 177 (Missouri Court of Appeals, 1921)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
102 S.W. 528, 203 Mo. 616, 1907 Mo. LEXIS 38, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/state-v-davis-mo-1907.