State v. Lem Woon

107 P. 974, 57 Or. 482, 1910 Ore. LEXIS 68
CourtOregon Supreme Court
DecidedApril 5, 1910
StatusPublished
Cited by27 cases

This text of 107 P. 974 (State v. Lem Woon) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Oregon 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. Lem Woon, 107 P. 974, 57 Or. 482, 1910 Ore. LEXIS 68 (Or. 1910).

Opinions

Mr. Justice Eakin

delivered the opinion of the court.

Many of the assignments of error arise out of the fact that there is evidence tending to show that decedent, the two defendants, and most of the witnesses are Chinese, and are members of a Chinese society known as the “Bow On Tong”; that before the killing there was trouble in the Tong, which had divided it into two factions; and [486]*486that decedent was blamed for this trouble. Most of the Chinese witnesses for the State and the decedent belonged to what is referred to as the new faction, and most of those for the defense belonged to the old faction, and there was evidence tending to show that the killing was the result of the trouble between the factions. The trial was conducted principally by Dan J. Malarkey, who appeared with the district attorney for the State.

1. The first assignment of error relates to the conduct of Mr. Malarkey in the cross-examination of Chin Lum, a witness for defendant, who belonged to the old faction of the Tong, lived in the same rooms with defendant, and testified for defendant upon his defense of an alibi. After some cross-examination as to what took place at those rooms, Mr. Malarkey asked: “Isn’t it a fact that is a place where you keep a lot of knives and pistols and guns to kill people with?” This was objected to, and the objection sustained. The question was repeated in a different form, and an objection again sustained, and a third time it was asked in another form, and objected to. The objection was at first overruled, and the witness answered:

“That place belong Bow On Tong, formerly Bow On Tong headquarters. Good many members come there to stay, and leave their things there. Don’t know who belonged, because former time Bow On Tong been there.”

It appears that a box containing the weapons referred to in the question were on the clerk’s desk, and were about to be presented by counsel, when the court adjourned until morning and reserved final decision for further consideration. On reconvening court, the judge announced that he was not. clear as to the admissibility of this evidence, and that the defendant should have the benefit of the doubt, and excluded the evidence. Thereupon, at the request of Mr. Malarkey, the jury retired, and in their absence there was further controversy in [487]*487relation to the question, and the weapons were offered in evidence, but not in the presence of the jury, when the court said:

“The introduction of the weapons under such circumstances might tend to prejudice the case of this defendant in the minds of the jury. Call the jury.”

It is not necessary for us to determine the relevancy of the matter sought to be adduced by the question and offer, as the objections were sustained.

2. But the inquiry is whether asking the question, the presence of the box of weapons, and the statement were prejudicial and reversible error, without other ruling by the court or exception by defendant. The first reference to the trouble in the Bow On Tong was by the defense in the cross-examination of the State’s witnesses Lee Shu and Gow Ying Yuen. It was also mentioned by decedent in his dying declaration as testified to by Lee Hueng and E. W. Wilbur, and also by defendant in his direct examination, and this question was asked evidently on the theory that the trouble resulting in the shooting was a Tong fight, and we see nothing in the facts or conduct of counsel to indicate that the question was asked in bad faith or from an improper motive. The mere asking of the question was not reversible error. In this connection may be considered assignment of error No. 6, relating to the conduct of Mr. Malarkey in asking defendant’s witness Sam Ah Pye, “You and Won Jake Num have fixed up a good many Chinese jobs, haven’t you?” which, upon objection, was' withdrawn, and no ruling was asked or exception taken, and therefore no error was committed, although the asking of such a question should not be countenanced.

3. The second assignment of error relates to the scope of the cross-examination of Jo Bong, a witness for defendant, and the statements of Mr. Malarkey in rela[488]*488tion thereto. His direct examination related only to what took place in his hearing at the hospital. Defendant’s counsel had previously brought out in cross-examination of the State’s witnesses and by defendant himself the facts disclosed as to the Bow On Tong, the division in it, and that the Chinese witnesses belonged to one faction or the other. It was evidently the purpose of the defendant to impress upon the jury that the killing of Lee Tai Hoy was the result of a feud in the Tong, one faction against the other, rather than a personal difficulty between the slayer and Lee Tai Hoy. This purpose is also disclosed by the effort of defendant to introduce the evidence of Mr. Lord and Sam Ah Pye as to the custom of the Chinese to seek revenge in such cases against any one in the opposing faction. Jo Ah Bong, as had had already been shown by the State’s evidence, was present when defendant and Yee Gueng were arrested in their rooms at the corner of Second and Oak streets, having the door to the rooms locked and barred, and refused to admit the officers, and, when they forced the door, they found Jo Bong and defendant Yee Gueng in the toilet and this defendant in the other room. And, after arresting Jo Bong and Yee Gueng, they discovered on the floor of the toilet a 41 Colt’s revolver loaded. Upon the cross-examination of Jo Bong, Mr. Malarkey asked: “Why didn’t you open the door when the officers knocked ?”

4. Counsel for defendant objected to this question on the ground that it was incompetent and not cross-examination, whereupon Malarkey remarked:

“Are you objecting to having this man who was down there tell what happened there? Can’t I show that you tried to seal this man’s lips who was there; that he was standing on guard at the door with a gun, preventing the police getting them; * * and I have a right to show the interest of this witness in this case and show that this [489]*489witness, whom you put upon the witness stand, and whom you fail to ask about what occurred at the time and place where he was present. I have a right to develop upon his cross-examination his interest in this defendant,” etc.

Defendant’s counsel moved that “these remarks be stricken out with reference to murderers and everything else in this case, and the remarks about the man standing on guard at the door with a pistol.” The reference to “murderers and standing guard with a loaded revolver” was stricken out. The question objected to was proper cross-examination, as tending to show the interest of the witness, and the aid he was rendering defendant and the objectionable parts of Malar key’s remarks were stricken out. We find no prejudicial error in this assignment.

5. Thereafter the witness was cross-examined at length as to his conduct from the time he ate supper until the time of the arrest, about 8 o’clock, all of which was objected to as not cross-examination, and exceptions were saved. This examination tended to show his interest and may have had a bearing upon his credibility, and was within the State’s privilege of cross-examination. It is said in State v. Mah Jim, 13 Or. 235 (10 Pac.

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
107 P. 974, 57 Or. 482, 1910 Ore. LEXIS 68, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/state-v-lem-woon-or-1910.