State v. Day

95 S.W.2d 1183, 339 Mo. 74, 1936 Mo. LEXIS 628
CourtSupreme Court of Missouri
DecidedJune 30, 1936
StatusPublished
Cited by16 cases

This text of 95 S.W.2d 1183 (State v. Day) 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. Day, 95 S.W.2d 1183, 339 Mo. 74, 1936 Mo. LEXIS 628 (Mo. 1936).

Opinion

TIPTON, P. J.

An information was filed in the Circuit Court of Cape Girardeau .County, Missouri, charging the appellant with having knowingly received stolen .property. On a change of venue, the cause was sent to the Circuit Court of Mississippi County. A trial in that county resulted in a verdict of guilty and the appellant was sentenced to two years’ imprisonment in the State penitentiary.

■ On the night of February 23, 1935, the Yandeven. Mercantile Company’s store was burglarized by two negroes, David Lee Robinson and W. T. Cooper, who stole a quantity of cigarettes. There is no dispute concerning the burglary or that the cigarettes in question were stolen.

The next morning, which was Sunday, Robinson went to the appellant’s store, and there offered to sell the cigarettes for $50, which offer was accepted by the appellant. Later in the day Robinson and Cooper brought the cigarettes obtained in the burglary in a sack to the store of the appellant. At the time the negroes came in witness Brunke was in the store. They wbre suspicious of Brunke, but were informed- by the appellant that he was all right. After an examina *77 tion of the cigarettes the appellant told the negroes that all he would pay for the cigarettes was $40, which proposition the negroes accepted. Both of the negroes and Brúnke testified that at the time the negroes came into the store the appellant asked if that was the “corn” to which they replied “yes” and he also told them if they ever had any more to come back. At the same time he told the negroes and Brunke to say nothing about the transaction.

The appellant began to sell the cigarettes for $1 per carton which was under the standard price charged for cigarettes. He told the officers who investigated, the burglary of the Yandevens’' store that he was selling the cigarettes at that price as an advertising proposition. He claimed he bought- the cigarettes from a local wholesale house, but later changed his story and stated that this shipment of cigarettes was what was known as a drop-shipment and he was using it for the purpose of stimulating business. After the appellant’s son had told the officers that the appellant purchased .the cigarettes from the, two negroes, the appellant admitted this to be true.

- Brunke testified that immediately before the cigarettes were purchased the appellant told him that he had an opportunity to purchase some “hot” cigarettes and appellant asked Brunke advice on the matter.-- He also testified .that he was present when the cigarettes were purchased; that the negroes came in the store through the rear or side door and that the other doors were locked.

The appellant took the stand and for his defense denied that he knew at. the.time .he'purchased the cigarettes that they were stolen. He admitted buying the cigarettes from the negroes and selling.- them at the reduced price. Other pertinent facts, will be stated in the course of this opinion.

I. The' appellant contends that the court erred in. submitting the cause to the jury because there was insufficient evidence to show his knowledge that the cigarettes were stolen. It is not disputed that the goods were stolen. Ye are of the opinion that the evidence is sufficient to show that the appellant knew that the goods he purchased were stolen. Witness Brunke testified that immediately before the appellant purchased the goods he asked Brunke’s opinion as to whether he should purchase some “hot” cigarettes. He bought the cigarettes from two negroes unknown to him on a Sunday morning at a .price far below the wholesale price, and when questioned by the officers about the purchase, the appellant told three different stories as to how he came in possession of the goods. . This is sufficient evidence to sustain the verdict of the jury. [State v. Woodall, 300 S. W. 712; State v. Hicks, 64 S. W. (2d) 287; State v. Spires, 65 S. W. (2d) 1057.]

*78 II. The. appellant assigns ■ as error the refusal of the court to permit him to impeach the witness Brunke, by independent evidence to show his interest, bias and prejudice toward the appellant.

On cross-examination Brunke testified that he never had any bad feeling toward the appellant. , He stated that he had been employed by appellant’s sons-in-law who did not speak to the appellant but stated that he did not know whether he shared their feelings but that if he did he did not know it. He denied that he had been discharged by the appellant for refusing to help carry a piano upstairs. He denied that he had not spoken-to the appellant between March and September, 1932. He did not'remember whether or not he had told appellant’s daughter that appellant was a dirty crook. He stated he did not remember- whether he did or not; that he might and he might -not. He admitted ■ that the appellant came over to the filling station and-took out a desk and chair from the station.' When asked whether or not he called the appellant certain vile names and threatened to assault him- if the appellant came into the station, he stated, “I don’t know whether I said that or not, I don’t remember; I don’t believe I did.” He did not recall whether or not he made thé same státements to- appellant’s daughter, Mrs. Schwaeh. Witness- denied that he had fold appellant’s -son he had lied about appellant' to keep himself out of trouble. He did not ■ remember whether he had had a conversation-with appellants son or not. - He did not recall whether or not he had advised appellant’s son that he would get ;even with appellant. He - denied that he had undertaken to get appellant’s wife to leave him or had encouraged her- to leave'him. Witness denied that he had' threatened- to stamp the guts out of appellant if he undertook to move .a toilet from the premises. He claimed he merely told appellant not. to move it and made no threats. He denied any ill will toward appéílant.

The appellant tried to show by witnesses, Hazel Wulfers, Mrs. ’Albert Schach, Dipira Day and others that the witness had made statements that would show he was biased and prejudiced toward the appellant, but the trial court excluded this testimony on the ground that it was a collateral matter and the appellant was bound by the,, answers of "the, witness.

This was. prejudicial error. ’ A party who interrogates a" witness pn cross-examination, as, to bias and prejudice, is not bound by his answer , but may' contradict him by other evidence. Where a witness claims he has no qnjmlus for the party’to the litigation, the existence and real extent of his hostility and venom may be .shown by independent evidence. ’Great latitude should be allowed’to show the influence working on the witness including the relationship of the witness to the parties involved in the litigation. Facts which tend to discredit the witness or to lessen the value of his testimony are ma *79 terial and not collateral. [State v. Downs, 91 Mo. 19, 3 S. W. 219; State v. Jones, 106 Mo. 302, 17 S. W. 366; State v. Mulhall, 199 Mo. 202, 97 S. W. 583; State v. Pruett, 144 Mo. 92, 45 S. W. 1114; State v. Horton, 247 Mo. 657, 153 S. W. 1051; Bond v. Frisco Railway Co., 288 S. W. 777, 315 Mo. 987.]

In Rogers v. St. Avit, 60 S. W. (2d) 698, the St. Louis Court of Appeals said:

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Bluebook (online)
95 S.W.2d 1183, 339 Mo. 74, 1936 Mo. LEXIS 628, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/state-v-day-mo-1936.