State v. Duestrow

38 S.W. 554, 137 Mo. 44, 1897 Mo. LEXIS 6
CourtSupreme Court of Missouri
DecidedJanuary 19, 1897
StatusPublished
Cited by43 cases

This text of 38 S.W. 554 (State v. Duestrow) 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. Duestrow, 38 S.W. 554, 137 Mo. 44, 1897 Mo. LEXIS 6 (Mo. 1897).

Opinions

Sherwood, J.

Upon the facts contained in the foregoing and accompanying statement, we are to determine the validity of the various errors assigned on behalf of defendant; they are twelve in number.

1. Relative to the retention on the panel of the juror Heeger, as to which exception was saved, it appears that he had heard only fragmentary portions of the testimony adduced at three former trials, two of which were confined to the sole issue of insanity,' and the last was a mistrial on the issue of defendant’s guilt of the crime charged. Heeger having other business in town, would occasionally drop into the courthouse and listen a few moments to the testimony, but in all the trials he had not been in the courtroom much more than an hour.

These facts bring this case fully within the ruling announced in State v. Taylor, 134 Mo. 109. We went over the subject quite extensively in that case, and do not care to do so again. Besides, defendant in his challenge for cause does not charge that Heeger had formed or expressed an opinion from what he had seen in the papers or heard from the witnesses, and if this had been done it would have been amply refuted by [83]*83the singularly frank statements of the old Herman farmer, showing in a manner not to be misunderstood that he had neither formed nor expressed an opinion upon the guilt of the accused, and had no feeling ■against the plea of insanity; very sensibly adding, -however, that he would not believe in insanity unless it were proven.

The challenge for cause, as already stated, is not based on any of these grounds, but upon the ground “that said Heeger was prejudiced against the defendant, ■and could not afford defendant a fair trial, and did not sufficiently understand the English language to properly act as a juror.” In what the alleged prejudice consisted is not pointed out, and the lack of sufficient knowledge of the English language is based upon the 'fact that Heeger, though he could read English, could not explain the meanings of the words “prejudice’'’ and “bias.” This inability of Heeger readily to define, or his hesitancy in defining these words, we do not regard as sufficient to disqualify him from fully ■discharging his duties as juror, and if they did, his inability or hesitancy would be shared by many respectable citizens of this state.

2. No valid objection can be taken against tho law of 1895 (laws of that year, p. 165 et seq.), because it was enacted after the commission of the crime charged in the indictment. That law simply shortened the time for making challenges from forty-eight to twenty-four hours, and constituted but a change in the mere method of procedure, and as such is not obnoxious to the charge of unconstitutionality, either under the national or state constitutions. Such methods of procedure are subject to the will of the legislature, and do not, speaking in a general way, impinge any vested or substantial rights of a party accused. State v. Taylor, 13 Mo. loc. cit. 113 et seq. and cases cited.

[84]*843. Error is asserted to have occurred in allowing the state to recall its own witness, one E. O. Eggling, Jr., and ask him leading questions. Repeated decisions of this court have established that it is matter-resting in the sound discretion of the court whether, in any case, leading questions shall be asked, and if asked, though improperly, this does not constitue reversible error.

Eggling, on a previous trial occurring but a few months before, had testified to a conversation which had taken place between him and defendant the night before the homicide, in regard to some-sewering, which witness was to do, and in the same short conversation, defendant, speaking in reference to his wife, said, “I will get rid of that son of a b-some time.” This-latter portion of the conversation witness could not recollect, or so pretended. This conduct on the part of this recalcitrant witness, furnished ample ground for asking him direct questions, questions otherwise inadmissible only in case of cross-examination.

Touching the point in hand, Grreenleaf says: “In some cases, however, leading questions are permitted, even in a direct examination, — namely, where the witness appears to be hostile to the party producing him, or in the interest of the other party, or unwilling to give evidence; or where an omission -in his testimony is evidently caused by want of recollection, which a suggestion may assist. * * * So, where, from the nature of the case, the mind of the witness can not be directed to the subject of inquiry, without a particular specification of it; as where he is called to contradict another, as to the contents of a letter, which is lost, and can not, without suggestion, recollect all its contents, the particular passage may be suggested to him. * * * Indeed, when and under what circumstances a leading question may be put, is a matter [85]*85resting in the sound discretion of the court, and not a matter which can be assigned for error.” 1 G-reenl., Evid. [14 Ed.], sec. 435, and cases cited. See, also, 2 Elliott’s Gen. Prac., sec. 613.

The above cited authorities fully justify the asking of the' questions propounded to this unwilling witness, and it was unnecessary for the state to plead surprise or of having been misled, since both those elements were patent to the most casual observation, since nothing could more conduce to surprise than to have a witness who had previously testified to the whole of a short conversation, but a few months before, and then, afterwards forget, or pretend to forget, the latter and more striking portion of that conversation in relation to threats made against the life of the wife. And such right to ask the hostile witness leading questions, was not at all affected by reason of the fact that the witness was recalled for that purpose. Nor was it affected by reason of the fact that such questions had a tendency to show that the witness had been tampered with by the party who was greatly interested in procuring or producing a lapse of memory on the part of the non-remembering witness. Nor does it at all affect the propriety of such questions that they may incidentally have the effect of impeaching such witness. Courts should not be averse to letting in the light of day on such reprehensible transactions. The lower court, however, out of abundant caution gave, at the instance of defendant, an instruction which excluded the testimony of Eggling, worthless as it was, from the consideration of the jury; so that even if error was committed in this regard, which we do not admit, it would have been cured by the instruction given.

4. Error, it is urged, was committed in the admission of testimony on the part of the state tending to show that defendant, when drinking, would be quarrel[86]*86some, apt to draw his pistol, and prone to be bullying-toward those with whom he came in contact, and who would not resist him.

The object of the introduction of this evidence-seems to have been to show what manner of man defendant was, in order that the jury might the more readily determine the disposition of defendant, make comparison between his acts at various times and those-which immediately preceded and accompanied the homicidal act, and thus be enabled to form a more correct idea of whether defendant was insane at the time-the fatal act occurred.

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

Related

State v. Adkins
537 S.W.2d 246 (Missouri Court of Appeals, 1976)
State v. Aubuchon
394 S.W.2d 327 (Supreme Court of Missouri, 1965)
State v. Crayton
354 S.W.2d 834 (Supreme Court of Missouri, 1962)
Neuhoff Bros. Packers v. Kansas City Dressed Beef Co.
340 S.W.2d 193 (Missouri Court of Appeals, 1960)
Hall v. Brookshire
267 S.W.2d 627 (Supreme Court of Missouri, 1954)
Sturm v. Washington Nat. Ins. Co
208 F.2d 97 (Eighth Circuit, 1954)
State v. Eaves
243 S.W.2d 129 (Supreme Court of Missouri, 1951)
State v. Barton
236 S.W.2d 596 (Supreme Court of Missouri, 1951)
State v. Scott
223 S.W.2d 453 (Supreme Court of Missouri, 1949)
State v. Sapp
203 S.W.2d 425 (Supreme Court of Missouri, 1947)
State v. Holland
189 S.W.2d 989 (Supreme Court of Missouri, 1945)
State v. Ferguson
182 S.W.2d 38 (Supreme Court of Missouri, 1944)
State v. Shelton
174 S.W.2d 202 (Supreme Court of Missouri, 1943)
Scheufler v. Manufacturing Lumbermen's Underwriters
163 S.W.2d 749 (Supreme Court of Missouri, 1942)
State v. Evans
133 S.W.2d 389 (Supreme Court of Missouri, 1939)
State v. Murphy
90 S.W.2d 103 (Supreme Court of Missouri, 1936)
State v. Wickman
43 P.2d 933 (New Mexico Supreme Court, 1935)
State v. Barbata
80 S.W.2d 865 (Supreme Court of Missouri, 1935)
State v. Shepard
67 S.W.2d 91 (Supreme Court of Missouri, 1933)
State v. Warren
33 S.W.2d 125 (Supreme Court of Missouri, 1930)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
38 S.W. 554, 137 Mo. 44, 1897 Mo. LEXIS 6, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/state-v-duestrow-mo-1897.