State v. McPherson

139 N.W. 368, 30 S.D. 547, 1913 S.D. LEXIS 7
CourtSouth Dakota Supreme Court
DecidedJanuary 6, 1913
StatusPublished
Cited by9 cases

This text of 139 N.W. 368 (State v. McPherson) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering South 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. McPherson, 139 N.W. 368, 30 S.D. 547, 1913 S.D. LEXIS 7 (S.D. 1913).

Opinion

McCOY, P. J.

In this Case defendants were jointly indicted by a grand jury of Meade county charged with the offense of allowing and permitting shareholders of a bank to become indebted thereto at one time in excess of 50 per cent, of the paid-up capital stock of such bank, contrary to the provisions of sections 29 and 30 of chapter 222, Laws of 1909, and which indictment in substance was as follows: “The grand jurors of the state of South Dakota, within and for the county of Meade, Eighth judicial circuit, duly and legally impaneled, charged, and sworn according to law, in the name of and by the authority of the state of South Dakota, upon their oaths present: That Donald A. McPherson, Henry O. Anderson, -Henry E. Perkins-, Charles Francis, and Frank M. Stewart, late of said county, Yoemen, on the rst day of January, in the year of our Lord one thousand nine hundred and ten, at and in the county of Meade, and state of- South D'akota, aforesaid, within, the jurisdiction of this court, then and [568]*568there being, were then and there officers, respectively, of the Meade County Bank of Sturgis, a banking corporation, duly organized, existing and authorized to transact a banking business under and by virtue of the law's of the state of South Dakota, that is to say, Donald A. McPherson at the time and place aforesaid was then and there president an'd director of said bank aforesaid, and the said Henry O. Anderson was then and there at the time and place aforesaid vice president and director of said bank aforesaid, and the said Plenry F. Perkins, at the time and place aforesaid, was then and there cashier of the said bank aforesaid, and the said Charles Francis was then and there at the time and place aforesaid a director of said bank aforesaid, and the said Frank M. Stewart, at the time and place aforesaid, Was. then and there a director of said bank aforesaid, and which said bank aforesaid was then and there transacting a banking business at Stur-gis, in the said county and state aforesaid, and did then and there willfully, unlawfully, knowingly, and feloniously permit and allow Donald A. McPherson, S.amue G. Sheffield, Henry E. Perkins, Frank M. Stewart, and Samuel G. Sheffield and Frank M. Stewart, co-partners as Sheffield & Stewart, who were then and there shareholders of and in the Meade County Bank of Sturgis, a, banking corporation, as aforesaid, to at one time, that is to say, on Saturday, the 1st day of January, A. D. 1910, to become indebted to the Meade County Bank of Sturgis, a banking corporation, as aforesaid, in the sum' of fifty thousand and eight hundred forty-nine and 50-100 ($50,849.50) dollars in the manner following: That is to say, that in the county and state aforesaid, at the time and place aforesaid, the said Donald A. McPherson was then and there permitted and allowed to become indebted to the said bank aforesaid in the sum of five thousand, nine hundred forty-nine and 50-100 ($5,949.50) dollars, and the said Samuel Q. Sheffield, at the time and place aforesaid, was then and there permitted and allowed to become indebted to the said bank aforesaid, in the sum of ten thousand, seven hundred ($10,-700) dollars, and the said Henry E. Perkins, at the time and place aforesaid, was then and there permitted and allowed to become indebted to> the bank aforesaid in the sum of twelve hundred ($1,200) dollars, and the said Frank M. Stewart, at the time and place aforesaid, was then and there permitted and allowed tO' [569]*569become indebted to the said bank aforesaid in the sum of fifteen thousand, five hundred ($15,500) dollars, and the said Frank M. Stewart and the said Samuel G. Sheffield, copartners as Sheffield & Stewart, .were then and there permitted and allowed at the time and place aforesaid to become indebted to the said bank aforesaid in the sum of five thousand ($5,000) dollars, all of which sums aforesaid, were, as aforesaid, permitted and allowed to be borrowed by the said officers aforesaid, then and there at the time and place aforesaid, ¡being a total sum exceeding fifty (50) per cent, of the paid-up capital of the Meade County Bank of Sturgis, a banking corporation, as aforesaid, which. said • bank aforesaid then and there at the time of said indebtedness aforesaid then and there had a paid-up capital of fifty thousand ($50,000) dollars, all of which said indebtedness aforesaid was not then and there discount of bills of exchange drawn in good faith against actually existing values, and was not then and there the discount of com1 mercial paper actually owned 'by the shareholders aforesaid, and said shareholders were not then and there negotiating the same, contrary to the form of the statute in such case made and provided, and against the peace and dignity of the state of South Dakota.” To which indictment the defendant Frank M. Stewart interposed a separate demurrer upon, the following grounds : “ (1) That said indictment does not substantially conform to the requirements of the 'Code of Criminal Procedure for the state of South Dakota, in that it does not contain a statement of the facts constituting the alleged offense in ordinary and concise ! language, and in such manner as to enable a person of common understanding to know what is intended. The said indictment is not direct and certain as to the offense charged, nor the particular circumstances of the offense charged, though the particular circumstances thereof are necessary to constitute a complete offense, and said indictment is indirect and incomplete in such regard. (2) That more than one offense is charged in s'aid indictment. (3) That the facts stated in said indictment do not constitute a public offense.” The court sustained the demurrer, and, omitting recitals, caused to be entered the following' order and- final judgment; “It is ordered and adjudged that said demurrer be and the same hereby is sustained, and it is ordered that said defendant be and hereby is dismissed and discharged of the said indictment.” To [570]*570'the said ruling of the court and the entry of judgment sustaining s'aid demurrer the state duly excepted, and now, on appeal, specifies, and urges such ruling and judgment as error.

It is asserted .by appellant in the brief that the trial court sustained the said demurrer on the sole ground that chapter 222, Laws of 1909, is unconstitutional and void, and in conflict with section 2i, art. 3, State 'Constitution. We are of the opinion that the record does not show upon what grounds the demurrer was sustained. We are also of the opinion that none of the grounds of demurrer to said indictment are well taken; but that said indictment sufficiently charges a public offense under sections 29 and 30 of said chapter 2.2,2.

[1] It is the contention of respondent that the title of the legislative act (chapter 222, Laws of 1909) is in conflict with section 21, art. 3, State Constitution, in that such title is not sufficiently broad in its terms to cover or include the provisions of sections 29 and 30 of said act. Section 21, art. 3, provides that no law shall embrace more than one subject, which shall be expressed in its title. The specific contention is that the subject of criminal enactment in relation to the banking business is not included within the title of said act.

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

Related

State v. Settle
46 S.W.2d 882 (Supreme Court of Missouri, 1932)
State v. Pointer
213 P. 621 (Oregon Supreme Court, 1923)
State v. Brown
167 N.W. 400 (South Dakota Supreme Court, 1918)
Cessna v. Otho Development & Power Co.
153 N.W. 380 (South Dakota Supreme Court, 1915)
State v. Kirby
148 N.W. 533 (South Dakota Supreme Court, 1914)
Dunlap v. Chicago, M. & St. P. Ry. Co.
144 N.W. 226 (South Dakota Supreme Court, 1913)
State v. Stewart
139 N.W. 371 (South Dakota Supreme Court, 1913)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
139 N.W. 368, 30 S.D. 547, 1913 S.D. LEXIS 7, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/state-v-mcpherson-sd-1913.