State v. Merry

127 N.W. 83, 20 N.D. 337, 1910 N.D. LEXIS 85
CourtNorth Dakota Supreme Court
DecidedMay 29, 1910
StatusPublished
Cited by15 cases

This text of 127 N.W. 83 (State v. Merry) 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. Merry, 127 N.W. 83, 20 N.D. 337, 1910 N.D. LEXIS 85 (N.D. 1910).

Opinion

Carmody, J.

The defendant was informed against by the state’s attorney of Adams county, for the crime of obtaining property by false pretenses. The case was transferred from Adams county to Stark county, and tried before Judge Burr and a jury. The trial resulted in a conviction. A motion for a new trial was overruled, and he was sentenced to imprisonment in the county jail of Adams county for a period of eight months, to pay a fine of $200 and the costs of prosecution, taxed at the sum of $500, and in default of said fine and costs, to be imprisoned in the county jail of Adams county for a further period of two months. The defendant appeals from the judgment and from the order denying his motion for a new trial. The information charges in substance that the defendant on the 7th day of October, 1908, at the county of Adams, etc., did commit the crime of obtaining property by false pretenses, committed in the manner following, to wit:

That at said time and place the said Charles E. Merry wilfully, unlawfully, and feloniously contriving and intending, knowingly and designedly by false pretenses to cheat and defraud one John G. Johns of his property and money, did wilfully, unlawfully, feloniously, knowingly, and designedly falsely pretend to the said John G. Johns that he, the said Charles E. Merry, was a duly authorized agent and representative of the Commercial Club of Dickinson, North Dakota, and that, as said agent and representative, he was authorized to solicit and [341]*341collect money for immediate use in paying for the work of a preliminary survey and other necessary work of organization in connection with the building of a proposed railroad extending from the town of Williston to the towns of Dickinson and Hettinger in the state of North Dakota, and the said John Gr. Johns then and there believing the said false pretenses and representations so made as aforesaid by the said Charles F. Merry, and being then and there deceived thereby, was then and there induced by reason of the false pretenses and representations so made as aforesaid to deliver and then and there did deliver to the said Charles F. Merry, a certain check and order on the Adams county State Bank of Hettinger, North Dakota, for $100 and payable to the order of the said Charles F. Merry, and then and there of the value of $100, and then and there the property of him, the said John Gr. Johns, and then the said Charles F. Merry did then and there wilfully, unlawfully, feloniously, knowingly, and designedly receive and obtain the said property from the said John Gr. Johns by means of the said false pretenses and representations aforesaid, and with intent then and there to cheat and defraud the said John Gr. Johns of said property, which pretenses were specifically negatived to be false, to the knowledge of the defendant.

It will be observed that all the pretenses described in the informations, and alleged to be false, are: That the defendant represented that he was a duly authorized agent and representative of the Commercial Club of Dickinson, and that as said agent and representative he was authorized to solicit and collect money for immediate use in paying for the work of a preliminary survey and other necessary work of organization, in connection with the building of a proposed railroad, extending from the town of Williston to the towns of Dickinson and Hettinger, and the said John Gr. Johns, believing said false pretenses and representations, and being deceived thereby, was then and there induced by reason of the false pretenses and representations so made as aforesaid to deliver, and did deliver, to the defendant a check on the Adams County State Bank for $100 payable to the order of said defendant. The evidence on the part of the state, as far as material, is substantially as follows: A. Gr. Newman testified that he was a resident of Hettinger, -vice president of the first National Bank of that place, first met defendant in the bank. He was brought in there and [342]*342introduced by a man named John Midland. Said he had some proposition he wanted to talk to witness about. Wanted to sell him some railroad stock. Was pretty busy at the time and took him down to Dr. Johns, .who was'president of the Commercial Club. Defendant said to' witness that he had represented the Dickinson Club in Chicago and New York with trust companies, that he had already made provisions to dispose of this stock, and all he wanted was to get some local men residing in Hettinger-to secure about $100 apiece so as to get the incorporation papers of record, etc. John G. Johns, complaining witness, a physician, testified that defendant was brought in by Mr. Newman and introduced as .a gentleman from Dickinson, who was representing the Commercial Club in the interests of a railroad that was to be built by the Commercial Club of Dickinson from Williston to Dickinson and Hettinger, and possibly later from there southwest to Deadwood and on through to the coast. Was pretty busy told defendant that he, witness, had no interest in it. Defendant said he wanted a few representative men interested, and get them to take some stock. Witness told defendant he had no money to put in a railroad; that all the money he had would not build perhaps 6 inches of a railroad. Defendant said all he wanted was to get the amount of $100 or so for one'share, so as to get the good will of the people, and secure the right of way between the two towns. That he, defendant, would only give at least one or two shares to any one individual, and he only wanted to place a matter of four or five in town, and said it was necessary, under the state laws, to get a few residents to get a charter for the railroad. That he had been to New York and Chicago, and had arranged to finance the road, and the road would be built in the course of a year or such a matter. Under these representations, witness took a share of stock and gave defendant his check for $100. Defendant said it would be -necessary for witness to sign the articles of incorporation. Defendant and witness went across the street, and signed the articles of incorporation before a notary public. In the course of half an hour witness learned something that opened his eyes, and his railroad stock went down. Witness also testified as follows: “Q. Did the defendant tell you that he was an agent and represented the Dickinson Commercial Club?' A. Yes, sir. Q. What did the defendant state to you regarding his relations with the Dickinson Commercial Club in the [343]*343matter oi soliciting and collecting money for nse in paying for the work of a preliminary survey and other necessary work of organizing in connection with the building of the railroad, if anything? (Objected to on the grounds of incompetent, irrelevant, and immaterial, leading, not within the issues of the allegations of the information. Overruled. Exception.) A. He stated he was an agent or representative of the Commercial Club of Dickinson, that he was there in the interest of that club to get money and interest the people along the •line of tiie road. That this money was to be used in the preliminary ■survey of this road. Q. At that time, did the defendant show you any papers or written instructions purporting to be signed by the people from Dickinson, who belonged to the Commercial Club? (Objected to as not within the issues of the information. Overruled. Exception.) A. Yes, sir. Q. You may tell the jury what papers he did •show you. (Same objection. Same ruling. Exception.) A. He showed me the articles of incorporation of the railroad, and a number •of signatures of Dickinson people. (Defendant moves to strike out .all this evidence as not responsive to the question. Overruled. Exception.

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
127 N.W. 83, 20 N.D. 337, 1910 N.D. LEXIS 85, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/state-v-merry-nd-1910.