State v. Gwynne

45 P.2d 849, 142 Kan. 13, 1935 Kan. LEXIS 276
CourtSupreme Court of Kansas
DecidedJune 8, 1935
DocketNo. 32,017
StatusPublished
Cited by6 cases

This text of 45 P.2d 849 (State v. Gwynne) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Supreme Court of Kansas primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
State v. Gwynne, 45 P.2d 849, 142 Kan. 13, 1935 Kan. LEXIS 276 (kan 1935).

Opinion

The opinion of the court was delivered by

Harvey, J.:

Charles Gwynne was convicted of bank robbery. He has appealed, and contends the trial court erred: (1) In overruling his motion to quash the information; (2) in ruling upon the admission of evidence; (3) in giving certain instructions; and (4) in overruling his motion for a new trial. It also is argued the verdict is not sustained by the law and the evidence.

The information, omitting formal opening and closing, reads:

“. . . that on the 7th day of August, 1930, at the county of Harper, in the state of Kansas, Charles Gwynne did then and there unlawfully, willfully and feloniously enter the premises of the Corwin State Bank of Corwin, Kansas, a corporation organized and existing under the laws of the state of Kansas, with the intent to hold up and rob said bank, and did then and there unlawfully, willfully and feloniously hold up and rob said bank, with the use of firearms, of lawful money of the United States of America, in the sum of $1,005 contrary . .

[14]*14The motion to quash was on the ground that it “is insufficient to charge the defendant with the violation of any of the laws of the state of Kansas or the commission of any crime whatsoever.”

The statute (R. S. 21-531), on which the prosecution was based, reads:

“That if any person shall enter or attempt to enter the premises of a bank or trust company or any banking association, with intent to hold up or rob any bank or trust company or banking association, or any person or persons therein, or thought to be therein, of any money or currency or silver or gold, or nickels or pennies or of anything of value belonging to or in the custody of said bank or trust company or banking association, or from any person or persons therein; or shall intimidate, injure, wound or maim any person therein with intent to commit such holdup or ‘stick-up’ or robbery, he shall, upon conviction thereof, be sentenced to be imprisoned in the penitentiary at hard labor for a term of not less than ten years nor more than fifty years.”

Appellant argues the information did not specifically describe what was intended to be taken in the robbery, or what was so taken, as "money or currency or silver or gold, or nickels or pennies.” It was described as “lawful money of the United States of America, in the sum of $1,005.” This was sufficient, especially since there was no controversy in the case as to kind of money defendant intended to and did take. It also is argued there is no allegation that the money taken belonged to or was in the custody of the bank. It is alleged defendant did “hold up and rob said bank.” It would be difficult to rob the bank of something it did not own or have in its custody. That is the necessary meaning of the language used. There is no intimation defendant was prejudiced in any way by the language used instead of using the exact words of the statute. Appellant also argues the information was bad for duplicity. This point was not raised in the motion to quash. It is true that entering the bank with the intent of robbing it is an offense, under the statute, although the robbery is not accomplished. (State v. Dietrich, 117 Kan. 105, 230 Pac. 329.) It is also an offense, under the statute, to rob a bank, without regard to the intent the robber had when he entered the bank. We never have heard of its being held, however, that entering a bank with the intent of robbing it and carrying out that intent by robbing the bank, does not constitute an offense, and that is the only point raised by the motion to quash. The point is not well taken. Had defendant raised the point of duplicity perhaps the prosecutor could and would have filed the information in two counts — one entering with the intent to rob the bank and the other [15]*15robbing the bank. Perhaps the likelihood this would be done prompted defendant not to raise the question in the trial court. At any rate he did not raise the question there; hence, it is not available to him here.

Appellant’s objections as to evidence received and instructions given relate to this: The Corwin bank was robbed August 7, 1930. Corwin is in Harper county, Kansas, and but a few miles from the south line of the state. On September 3, 1930, the Burlington State Bank of Burlington, in Cherokee county, Oklahoma, was robbed. Cherokee county, Oklahoma, joins Harper county, Kansas, on the south. The towns of Corwin and Burlington are about twenty-five miles apart. This appellant and one Roscoe Eeebeck were charged with and convicted of the robbery of the Burlington bank. Evidence pertaining to the robbery of the Burlington bank, appellant’s connection therewith and his conviction thereof, was received on the trial of this case. In its instructions the court told the jury the limited purpose for which such evidence was received, and that it should be considered for no other purpose. All of this is in harmony with well-established rules of law in this state, as shown by our former decisions. There was no error in this respect. (See State v. King, 111 Kan. 140, 206 Pac. 883; State v. Robinson, 125 Kan. 365, 368, 263 Pac. 1081; State v. Frizzell, 132 Kan. 261, 295 Pac. 698; 137 Kan. 35, 19 P. 2d 694; State v. Caton, 134 Kan. 128, 4 P. 2d 677.)

The evidence tending to support the verdict may be summarized as follows: Corwin is a small town in a farming community about twenty miles west and south of Anthony, the county seat. The bank is located on the southeast corner of the intersection of the two principal streets of the town. It faces west. The main door is at the northwest corner of the building. There are two large windows on the north and a passageway leading from the front lobby along the north side of the main room to a directors’ room in the rear, and from this there is a door which opens north to the street. This door was open, but the screen door was latched on the inside. Inside the main room is the customary partition, with tellers’ windows, back of which are the fixtures for the bank employees, and to the rear of that space is the bank vault. On the morning of August 7, 1930, A. L. Anderson, cashier, was the sole employee of the bank present. A Mrs. Wallace, who lived on a farm near Corwin, was in the bank to have some papers filled out. She was standing in [16]*16the bank lobby near the cashier’s window. Anderson was inside the railing filling out the blank on a typewriter. It was shortly after ten o’clock. A car drove up from the east and stopped at the north door of the directors’ room of the bank. Two men were in the car. One of them remained in the car; the engine was kept running. The other one got out of the car and tried to open the screen door. Being unable to do so he walked west to the main door of the bank at the northwest corner of the building. As he did so he passed the two north windows. Both Anderson and Mrs. Wallace saw him, but paid little attention to him except to notice that he was dressed in unionalls and was wearing a cap. They went on with their work. He stepped in the main door of the bank, and at that time had tied across his face, so as to conceal all of it below his eyes, a large red handkerchief. He pointed a large pistol at Anderson, commanded that he throw up his hands, and proceeded to rob the bank. Anderson handed him what money was in the till, $1,005. He commanded both Anderson and Mrs. Wallace to keep their eyes down and to enter the vault, which they did. The door was closed.

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Related

State v. Gunby
144 P.3d 647 (Supreme Court of Kansas, 2006)
State v. Myrick
317 P.2d 485 (Supreme Court of Kansas, 1957)
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64 P.2d 71 (Supreme Court of Kansas, 1937)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
45 P.2d 849, 142 Kan. 13, 1935 Kan. LEXIS 276, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/state-v-gwynne-kan-1935.