State v. Mattson

206 N.W. 778, 53 N.D. 486, 1925 N.D. LEXIS 6
CourtNorth Dakota Supreme Court
DecidedAugust 26, 1925
StatusPublished
Cited by3 cases

This text of 206 N.W. 778 (State v. Mattson) 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. Mattson, 206 N.W. 778, 53 N.D. 486, 1925 N.D. LEXIS 6 (N.D. 1925).

Opinion

Bubee, J.

The defendant in this action was convicted of the crime of murder in the second degree, committed on the person of one Mabel Anderson, a pregnant woman, by means of medicine and instruments, without any design to take her life, while attempting to procure a miscarriage, the same not being necessary to preserve her life. The defendant specifies 97 errors, largely relating to the admission of testimony of witnesses detailing conversations had with Mabel Anderson and with Sydney Jondahl, who it is claimed were co-conspirators with the defendant Mattson, and, therefore, claimed by the state to be admissible as against the defendant Mattson.

The appellant contends, first, that Mabel Anderson, the victim, was not a co-conspirator, but there is no merit in this contention in this *489 state for under § 9605 of tbe Compiled Laws of 1913 it is a crime for a woman to solicit, or submit to, any operation, or to use any means with intent to procure a miscarriage.

Tbe appellant further contends that a large part of tbe testimony of Mrs. Minnie Kanstrom, mother of Mabel Anderson, testifying to conversations with her daughter, was not in furtherance of the conspiracy and was highly prejudicial to the defendant who was not present during the conversations. As an example of her testimony she is asked:—

Q. Did she (meaning Mabel Anderson) say she had any trouble of any kind?

To. which there was an objection that same was hearsay, immaterial and incompetent. The objection being overruled she answered:

A. She told me that she was in trouble with Sidney Jondahl, that he was the cause of it; that she was in family trouble; that she was in the family way and that Sydney Jondahl was the cause of it. She said she was going to a doctor and I told her not to go. She said “There is no danger, for Sydney is taking me. He is to pay the doctor $50.”
Q. Did she tell you who the Doctor was ?
Ans. Yes, she said—
Objected to as hearsay.
Overruled.'
A. She said she did not know his name or telephone number but he was to he found in the basement of the auditorium.

This is almost in the same language of the witness Paulsrud in the case of State v. Moeller, 20 N. D. 114, 126 N. W. 568. Dale confided to Paulsrud the fact that he was looking after a girl who was at the hotel and who was in trouble and that he employed Dr. Moeller to relieve her, how much he was to pay him, when it was to he done, and her condition afterward.

Again,—

A. On New Year’s Day I asked her where she had been and she said “At the basement of the auditorium.” She said she did not feel good and said, “I think the doctor gave me too big a dose of medicine.” When she came back on the 1st I noticed the smell of turpentine ancl *490 I asked ber if sbe was using turpentine and sbe said tbat was off the medicine be was giving ber.
Q. Well, did sbe say anything to you about the doctor at the auditorium telling ber sbe should not tell anybody about bis giving ber treatments ?
Objected to as leading, suggestive and hearsay.
Oourt: Well, it seems somewhat leading.
Wineman: I will ask tbat in another form.
Q. State what your daughter told you the doctor said to her about talcing treatments ?
Objected to as leading and suggestive.
Overruled.
Q. Did she tell you as to the number of cases he was treating ?
Objected to as leading and hearsay.
Overruled.
A. Sbe told me be said be bad two other cases and tbat one of the cases went through all right but that one of the cases, the girl went to a doctor and tbat sbe took sick and got typhoid fever and died, and that tbat case cost him $1,500.
Q. Did she say anything to you as to what the doctor at the auditorium charged for his services?.
Objected to as immaterial, irrelevant, incompetent, leading and suggestive.
Overruled.
A. She said Sydney was to pay the doctor at the auditorium $50.
Q. Now, did Mabel Anderson tell you during the time she was going to the auditorium bow the doctor treated ber ?
A. Sbe said be injected medicine into her.

These conversations were all bad at the home of Mrs. Banstrom and not in the presence of the defendant.

Mary Berg, after the death of Mabel Anderson, had a talk with Jon-dabl at the city hall and states:

“He said ‘It was the funniest thing, the girl took sick and got sort of faint and I took ber into the auditorium.’ I asked him, ‘Where were you going?’ He said ‘Just out for a walk.’ He said sbe bad been doctoring and had been taking some quinine.”

*491 Dr. Alfred For tun bad a conversation witb Jondabl on tbe lltb of December, and there is no evidence of any relations between tbe defendant and Sydney Jondabl and Mabel Anderson before tbe last of December, 1923. The doctor testified that Mabel Anderson bad come to him for, relief and that about a week later Sydney Jondabl called and asked if Mabel Anderson bad been there. Further, be wanted to know if something could not be done.

I advised him to get married.
Q. What-did be say to you?
Objected to as being immaterial, incompetent and irrelevant.
Overruled.
A. He said at tbe present time be did not have enough money to afford to get married. He said since be bad been thinking it over be felt that be was not responsible. That was bis other objection to getting married.

E. A. Vaaler, called as a witness on tbe part of tbe state,.testified:

Jondabl came into Void’s Drug Store where I was employed and asked if be could get 4 or 5 grains of, or capsules of, quinine. I went and put them up and labelled tbe box. He started to button up his coat, be bad bis uniform on. Then he said “I am going out for a little time to-night with some ex-service men but I have a girl up a tree and I have to attend to her tonight.” He said “This is good for that, isn’t it?” I said, “Good for what?” And be said “Good for pregnancy pains ?” I said “It can be used that way.” He said “Have you got anything better?” and I said I bad not. I said, “What is it, a little delay ?” And be said “No, she is three months gone” and then be said “I have a friend working on her, be has used instruments twice.”

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Related

People v. Buffum
256 P.2d 317 (California Supreme Court, 1953)
State v. Phillips
277 N.W. 609 (North Dakota Supreme Court, 1938)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
206 N.W. 778, 53 N.D. 486, 1925 N.D. LEXIS 6, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/state-v-mattson-nd-1925.