State v. Kruse

124 N.W. 385, 19 N.D. 203, 1909 N.D. LEXIS 106
CourtNorth Dakota Supreme Court
DecidedDecember 23, 1909
StatusPublished
Cited by6 cases

This text of 124 N.W. 385 (State v. Kruse) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering North Dakota Supreme Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
State v. Kruse, 124 N.W. 385, 19 N.D. 203, 1909 N.D. LEXIS 106 (N.D. 1909).

Opinion

Carmody, J.

The defendant was convicted in the county court of Ward county of the offense of keeping and maintaining a common nuisance during the two years immediately prior to February 17, 1908, in violation of the provisions of chapter 65 of the Penal Code (Rev. Codes 1905, sections 9353-9395), and appeals from the judgment of conviction and the order denying his motion for a new trial. Upon being arraigned he interposed a demurrer to the information upon the following grounds: (1) “That ,it does not substantially conform to the Code of North Dakota for the year 1905.” (2) “That more than one offense is charged therein.” (3) “That the facts therein stated do not constitute -a [204]*204public offense” — which demurrer was overruled. This ruling is assigned as error but is not argued in appellant’s brief.

The description of the place in the information is as follows: “A saloon in a building situated in the city of Minot, in said county and state.”

John J. Lee, sheriff of -Ward county, testified: That he knew the defendant. Arrested him at the Minot Hotel in the city of Minot, Ward county, N. D., in the evening between 8 and 9 o’clock. Saw him behind the show case. After the arrest the sheriff compelled defendant to open a box in the kitchen, out of which the sheriff took part of a barrel of Val Blatz beer. There was a padlock on the box. The sheriff told the defendant to open it, and defendant said he would get the keys. He walked out and the sheriff went with him. Defendant then came back, took the keys out of his pocket and opened it. The box from which the beer was taken was built like a counter, with a cover and a table ’cloth over it. , There was room for a couple of barrels. There was only one barrel there, and it was pretty near full. About a dozen bottles had been taken out. The bottles were branded “Val Blatz beer.” The sheriff arrested the defendant on the 22d day of December, 1907. Had no search warrant; had a warrant for defendant. Defendant told the sheriff that he could look elsewhere in the building. Defendant opened the box himself.

Thomas Lacy testified: That he resided at Minot for 14 years. Knew the defendant for about two and a half years. Knew him during the year 1907. He was running the Minot Hotel. Lacy boarded there for a while in November, 1907, before Defendant was arrested. Bought meal tickets from him. Bought beverages from the defendant, probably in November. Bought them in the rear end of the hotel. The beverage was of a kind of reddish color. It looked like beer; was labeled “Peerless beer.” Bought the same beverage from the defendant in the same hotel several times. Paid him 35 cents a bottle for it. He handed out the beverage personally. Lacy probably drank out of bottles and glasses. Defendant pulled the caps off the bottles and delivered them to Lacy personally. This occurred in the Minot Hotel, Ward county, N. D.

W. J. Carroll testified: That he lived in Minot for 21 years. Knew the defendant for about a year. Was in the Minot Hotel during the, year 1907. Saw the defendant there. Carroll went there to get change, eat meals, and get something to drink. He got [205]*205beer fronj the defendant; could not tell how many times; once or twice a week, and maybe more; paid the defendant 35 .cents a bottle, and he delivered the beer to Carroll personally. This was in the room off the kitchen. Carroll thinks defendant went in the direction of the kitchen to get the beer; sold it by the bottle. There were some chairs there. Defendant delivered it to them. Carroll was usually there once or twice á week, and again for a whole week he would not be there. Ordinarily he paid the defendant for the beer. Once or twice the defendant treated to beer. Carroll was in there and drank beer during August, September and October, 1907; got the beverage out of beer bottles. Some of them were labeled “Blatz” and some “Gund’s Peerless.”

W. S. Shaw testified: That he lived in Minot for about seven years. Knew the defendant and knew his hotel. Could not swear that he bought anything to drink in the Minot Hotel during the summer. He was in there with other parties a time or two and drank with them; got the stuff in bottles. It looked like beer and tasted like beer. They paid defendant for it. Defendant handed out the bottles himself and took the money. This was in August, September or November, 1907.

Section 13 of our prohibition statute (chapter 110, page 321, Laws 1890) declares that “all places where intoxicating liquors are sold, bartered or given away, in violation of any of the provisions of this act, or where persons are permitted to resort for the purpose of drinking intoxicating liquors as a beverage, or where intoxicating liquors are kept for sale, barter or delivery in violation of this act, are hereby declared to be common nuisances,” and it is further provided that the owner or keeper of such place shall, upon conviction thereof, “be adjudged guilty of keeping a common nuisance.” The selling of intoxicating liquors contrary to the provisions of this act does not constitute the offense nor does the keeping of intoxicating liquors for sale contrary to the provisions of this act constitute the offense. Neither is the offense committed by permitting persons to resort to the place for the purpose of drinking intoxicating liquors as a beverage. They are evidences of the offense. It is keeping the place where these things, or some of them, aré doné, that constitutes the offense. Proof of keeping by the defendant, and that any one of the prohibited acts was done by the defendant in such place during such keeping, would "make the offense complete. State v. Dellaire, 4 N. [206]*206D. 312, 60 N. W. 988; State v. Rozum, 8 N. D. 548, 80 N. W. 477; State v. Thoemke, 11 N. D. 386, 92 N. W. 480.

Appellant attempted to show, by the owner of the hotel building in which the nuisance was alleged to have been maintained, that the building was rented to appellant’s wife, also, that meal tickets were issued by her. This evidence was objected to by the state, and the objection sustained, and some evidence that was given on these points, was, on motion of the state, stricken out. The rulings are now complained of as error. While it is not necessarily the owner of the building, but the keeper, who is guilty of maintaining a nuisance, and while the wife may own or rent the property in which the nuisance is maintained, if the husband permits a common niusance to be kept and maintained in the building by his wife and enjoys the fruits of the illegal traffic, then he must share with her the responsibility therefor, or if he assented to and participated in the business, or exercised acts of control over the property, then he was guilty of keeping a nuisance. When the husband lives in the house and exercises acts of control and management, he is the keeper, notwithstanding the wife may own or rent the building and carry on the business therein and receive all the profits. State v. Rozum, 8 N. D. 548, 80 N. W. 477. Still, in our opinion, the evidence objected to and stricken out should have gone to the jury on the question of who was the keeper of the place, who had the care, custody and superintendence of it. and the court erred in the ruling complained of.

Appellant complains of the instructions of the trial court.

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
124 N.W. 385, 19 N.D. 203, 1909 N.D. LEXIS 106, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/state-v-kruse-nd-1909.