State v. Dockery

147 S.W. 976, 243 Mo. 592, 1912 Mo. LEXIS 382
CourtSupreme Court of Missouri
DecidedJune 1, 1912
StatusPublished
Cited by11 cases

This text of 147 S.W. 976 (State v. Dockery) 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. Dockery, 147 S.W. 976, 243 Mo. 592, 1912 Mo. LEXIS 382 (Mo. 1912).

Opinion

FERRISS, J.

Conviction upon an information charging defendant, together with Otto Roussin and Louis Robare, with robbery in the first degree, committed upon one Erwin Dose. Defendant was tried separately, and his punishment fixed at five years in the penitentiary.

The evidence for the State tended to prove that on Sunday, at half past twelve, a. m., on May 8, 1910, said Dose met defendants Dockery and Roussin op North Grand avenue and Market street, in St. Louis. They were waiting for a Grand avenue car. Dose was under the influence of liquor. The three went to the Social Economic Club, where they met the other codefendant, Robare. This club was located in the downtown section of the city. At the club some beer was ordered, the three defendants and Dose drinking same. They remained some time at the club, drinking beer and entertaining and amusing themselves in different ways. At the suggestion of some one of the party they went out upon the street. Upon reaching an alley, defendant Dockery suggested that they go into the alley and urinate. They entered the alley to a distance of fifty feet, defendant leading the way, [595]*595when Dose stopped for the purpose mentioned. Robare threw his arms around Dose, while one of the others (Dose could not tell which) proceeded to choke him with one hand and go through his pockets with the other, and robbed him of ten dollars. This party asked him if he had any more money, and Dose said, “No.” They then turned Dose loose, who ran and hallooed: “Help, help, police; they have robbed me.” The two men who held Dose ran in a direction opposite to that taken by him. The money taken was mostly silver. There was one two-dollar bill. Roussin ran down the alley in the same direction taken by Dose. Police officer Archie, at 2:15 that Sunday morning, at Ninth and Chestnut streets, saw defendant and Robare running at full speed, side by side, up the street, and at the same time saw Roussin scuffling with Dose down the street. The officer fired a shot at defendant and' Robare, but did not stop them. Archie arrested Roussin after firing a shot at him. Later, the same morning, Robare and defendant were arrested, the latter at his home. Defendant denied having been down town that night. Archie said, “Didn’t you run when I shot at you1?” To this Dockery replied: “No, you are crazy; I didn’t hear any shot.” At the police station the three men, in the presence of Dose and several police officers, began accusing one another of the robbery. Dockery said that Robare and Roussin took the money, while Roussin maintained that the other two took it. All were searched. Two dollars and fifty cents was found on Dockery’s person, and about the same amount on Roussin. Robare’s pockets contained a dollar and a half and three keys, which keys were identified by Dose as his property.

The defendant’s testimony corroborated that for the State as to the happenings preceding the assault and robbery. He testified that Dose proposed going into the alley, and that Dose and the others preceded him (defendant) into the alley, he lagging behind be[596]*596cause of a sore heel; that he stopped at the entrance, the others going into the alley about ten feet; that he saw Robare and Ronssin assault Dose, but thought it was simply a quarrel; that one of them said, “Go to hell,” .and then the three ran away, leaving him behind; that thinking it was their intention to get rid of him, he walked over to Seventh street and Franklin avenue, boarded a street car and went home. He acknowledged that he told the police officers, when they came to arrest him, that he knew nothing about the affair, but denied that he made any statements at the police station inculpating the others or indicating his own complicity in the affair. He admitted that he, had drunk twelve bottles of beer and four Manhattan cocktails that night, and that he was “pretty well loaded.”

James Dockery, defendant’s father, testified that he was a member of the metropolitan police force, and was then a sergeant; that his son, the defendant, had always been industrious and had never been convicted of any offense; that he kept regular hours, and never gave him any trouble; that on the night in question defendant gave him twenty-five dollars, stating that he was going out to Forest Park Highlands and was afraid that he might lose the money.

Defendant introduced evidence tending to prove that his general reputation for industry and honesty was good.

The defendant contends in his brief that the following instructions given by the court- misdirected the jury:

“1. All persons who act together with a common intent in the commission of a crime are equally guilty. If you find and believe from the evidence, beyond a reasonable doubt, that at the city of St. Louis and State of Missouri, on or about the 8th day of May, 1910, Otto Roussin, Louis Robare and James Dockery did assault the prosecuting witness, Erwin Dose, by grasping and holding his arms and choking him, and [597]*597by violence to Ms person, or by putting Mm in fear of some immediate injury to Ms person, did take from Ms person, against Ms own will, ten dollars, lawful money of the United States, or any part thereof, with the intent at the time to take wrongfully and carry away and convert the same fraudulently to their own use, and permanently deprive the owner thereof without his consent, and if you find that said property so taken belonged to said Erwin Dose, and was of any value whatever, then you .should find the defendant, James Dockery, guilty of robbery in the first degree, and assess his punishment- at imprisonment in the penitentiary for such time as you deem proper, not less than five years. And if you do not so find the facts you will acquit the defendant.

“2. It is not necessary for the State to show that the defendant, James Dockery, himself actually assaulted the prosecuting witness, Erwin Dose, or that defendant actually took from him any part of the money mentioned in the information, but you will be authorized in finding the defendant guilty of the offense charged if you find, beyond a reasonable doubt, either:

‘£ 1st, that he assaulted the prosecuting witness, Erwin Dose, and by violence to' his person or by putting him in fear of some immediate injury to his person, took the money mentioned in the information, or some, part thereof, from his person; or,

££2d, if the defendant was present and aided and assisted Otto Roussin -and Louis Robare, or either of them, in assaulting said Erwin Dose and taking his property from his person, against his will; or,

££3d, if he was present for the purpose of aiding, abetting or assisting said Otto Roussin and Louis Robare, if necessary, in such assault and in taking such property from the person of said Erwin Dose against his will.”

[598]*598A further contention is that the court erred in failing to instruct of its own motion on alibi.

I. It is urged that the first instruction is faulty in that it assumes that there was evidence of a common intent among the three parties charged with the crime. The record contains ample evidence to support this instruction. There was evidence that defendant led the way into the alley, and that he suggested going there. There was slight evidence that he actually participated in the holdup. Dose testifies that Robare had hold of his arms, and that either defendant or Boussin (he could not swear which) took his money; but he did testify that the two men who had hold of him ran off together.

Free access — add to your briefcase to read the full text and ask questions with AI

Related

State v. Reynolds
131 S.W.2d 552 (Supreme Court of Missouri, 1939)
State v. Knight
278 S.W. 1036 (Supreme Court of Missouri, 1926)
State v. Burrell
252 S.W. 709 (Supreme Court of Missouri, 1923)
State v. Letz
242 S.W. 681 (Supreme Court of Missouri, 1922)
State v. Lee
231 S.W. 619 (Supreme Court of Missouri, 1921)
State v. Liolios
225 S.W. 941 (Supreme Court of Missouri, 1920)
State v. Wansong
195 S.W. 999 (Supreme Court of Missouri, 1917)
State v. Finkelstein
191 S.W. 1002 (Supreme Court of Missouri, 1917)
State v. Sykes
154 S.W. 1130 (Supreme Court of Missouri, 1913)
State v. Chissell
150 S.W. 1066 (Supreme Court of Missouri, 1912)
State v. Connors
150 S.W. 1058 (Supreme Court of Missouri, 1912)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
147 S.W. 976, 243 Mo. 592, 1912 Mo. LEXIS 382, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/state-v-dockery-mo-1912.