State v. Rogers

161 S.W. 770, 253 Mo. 399, 1913 Mo. LEXIS 267
CourtSupreme Court of Missouri
DecidedDecember 9, 1913
StatusPublished
Cited by22 cases

This text of 161 S.W. 770 (State v. Rogers) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Supreme Court of Missouri primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
State v. Rogers, 161 S.W. 770, 253 Mo. 399, 1913 Mo. LEXIS 267 (Mo. 1913).

Opinion

BROWN, P. J.

Charged with murder and convicted of manslaughter, defendant appeals from a judgment of the circuit court of Dunklin county fixing his punishment at two years in the penitentiary.

Defendant shot and killed one A. J. Lovins at a farm occupied by Thomas Walls, in Dunklin county, on Sunday, June 23, 1912. The circumstances surrounding and leading up to this tragedy were as follows :

In the early part of the year 1912, the defendant was hired to Thomas Walls as a farm hand. The family of Walls consisted of his wife, stepdaughter and three sons, Elmer, Jack and Tommie, all grown, or nearly grown. Thomas Walls will hereafter be referred to as Walls, Sr.

A courtship sprang up between defendant and the stepdaughter of Walls, Sr., which resulted in their marriage about six weeks before the tragedy. Walls, Sr., was very much displeased at the marriage, and, on account of the fact that they were not welcome at the Walls home, defendant and his wife went to board with one T. A. Blankenship, who resided some two hundred yards from the Walls home. After the departure of defendant from the home of Walls, Sr., one A. J. Lovins (sometimes referred to in this opinion as “Bub”) was employed to take his place as a farm hand.

On the day of the tragedy one Dora Stevens paid a visit to the Walls family. She is a niece of Walls, [404]*404Sr., and was at that time engaged to marry Lovins, the hired hand. In going to town to meet her, Walls, Sr., Elmer Walls and Lovins, each procufe'd a quart of whiskey, of which Lovins and Walls, Sr,, partook quite freely. During the day defendant and his wife came along the road by the home of Walls, Sr., and he invited them into his house. This was the first time Walls, Sr., had shown a disposition to be friendly with them since their marriage. They accepted the invitation and remained there until quite late in the afternoon.

Walls, Sr., Lovins and defendant took several drinks of whiskey together during the day, and when night drew near Walls, Sr., and Lovins were quite drunk, and defendant was partially drunk. At one time during the afternoon Walls, Sr., proposed to defendant and Lovins-that they kiss all the women present. Walls, Sr., did kiss defendant’s wife (his stepdaughter), and defendant kissed Dora Stevens; but if this incident caused any friction or ill will between the parties it does not appear in the evidence.

Defendant and his wife returned to Blankenship’s (where they were boarding). After their departure Walls, Sr., and Lovins decided to attend a church service which was being conducted near-by. Dora Stevens, believing that if they attended church in their then drunken condition they would get into trouble, tried to-dissuade them from going, but failing in that effort she sent Jack Walls to request defendant to come back to the Walls home and help keep the drunken men away from church. She testified that she thought defendant could exert a greater influence over Walls, Sr., and Lovins than anyone else.

Pursuant to this request, defendant placed a revolver in his pocket and returned to the Walls home. On arriving there he found Walls, Sr., very angry over the alleged fact that somebody had stolen his whiskey. Defendant asked Lovins and Elmer Walls [405]*405who took the old man’s whiskey, whereupon Lovins replied: “You would not accuse me of stealing- it, would you ? ’ ’ Defendant replied: ‘ ‘ Some of you took it, and if you will give it to him, or give him a drink, he will get quiet.” This remark seemed to anger Lovins very much and he immediately began swearing and threatening to whip defendant unless he ‘ ‘ took it back. ’ ’ Up to this point there was no conflict in the evidence. Some of the State’s witnesses testified that Lovins struck defendant on the back with his hand and stated that defendant or he (Lovins) would get a whipping unless defendant took back what he had said. Defendant became angry and, drawing his revolver, threatened to shoot Lovins. Lovins continued to swear and make a disturbance, whereupon defendant proposed to one of the Walls boys that they procure clubs and beat Lovins to death. Lovins, according to the State’s evidence, kept on quarrelling, swearing and challenging defendant to fight, until defendant shot him twice, the second shot producing almost instant death. The State’s evidence further tends to prove that Lovins was entirely unarmed, and was only seeking a fist fight or ordinary battery with defendant.

After the shooting defendant walked to the home of Blankenship, two hundred yards away, put up the revolver and took down a shotgun and loaded it, and, on being asked by Blankenship what he was going to do replied: “Go back and kill every d — d one of them.” Blankenship took the gun away from defendant, and he then remained at Blankenship’s until arrested some hours later. On the part of the defendant there was slight evidence of a secret plan between Walls, Sr., and Lovins to assault defendant.

Within a few minutes after Lovins was killed, Walls, Sr., was heard to say that defendant would be sent to the penitentiary for fifteen or twenty .years, [406]*406and that he would “get shet” of him for that length of time at least.

Defendant, testifying in his own behalf, stated that it was almost dark when Jack Walls came to Blankenship’s and told him that Walls, Sr., and Lovins were iangry, and that Dora Stevens and Mrs. Walls wanted him to come down to the Walls home; that they thought he (defendant) could do more with them than anyone else. Defendant promised to go down there in about fifteen minutes. Before starting down to Walls’ a “curious feeling” came over him and he armed himself with a revolver. That Walls, Sr:, had made threats against him and that he “had no reason to know but what he meant it.” That on his arrival at the Walls home be inquired of Mrs. Walls what she wanted with him. She replied that she did not want anything, and that if she had known that he was coming she would have.told him not to come, but she did not inform him that there was any danger at hand.

He further testified that he told Lovins and Elmer Walls to get Mr. Walls’s whiskey and give him some and he would be all right, whereupon Lovins pulled off his coat and started toward defendant, but was stopped by Tommie Walls. Walls, Sr., hearing the loud talking, came out of the house and inquired about the trouble. Tommie Walls replied: “Nothing, only Bud (meaning Lovins) is out here cutting up.” Walls, Sr., then remarked that he would see ‘ that no one run over Bud.”

Defendant told Walls, Sr., that it was “all settled,” whereupon he (Walls, Sr.) went off in the direction Lovins had gone. That Mrs. Walls again suggested that defendant go home, and he had walked to the edge of the porch when Walls, Sr., and Lovins again came on the scene. Walls, Sr., seized defendant and pushed him off the porch, and pulled him around facing Lovins, saying at the time: “That has to be settled.” That Lovins cursed defendant and said: [407]*407“You have got to take it back.” That Walls, Sr., slapped Lovins on the back and said: “I will stay with you.”

Defendant stated that it was growing dark and he walked back ten or twelve steps to keep out of the way of Lovins, Walls, Sr., and Elmer Walls, all three of whom pursued him; that he would have run but could not on account of a stove and wood pile which were behind him. That he then drew his revolver and warned them two or three times to stop.

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Bluebook (online)
161 S.W. 770, 253 Mo. 399, 1913 Mo. LEXIS 267, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/state-v-rogers-mo-1913.