State v. West

57 S.W. 1071, 157 Mo. 309, 1900 Mo. LEXIS 28
CourtSupreme Court of Missouri
DecidedJune 26, 1900
StatusPublished
Cited by12 cases

This text of 57 S.W. 1071 (State v. West) 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. West, 57 S.W. 1071, 157 Mo. 309, 1900 Mo. LEXIS 28 (Mo. 1900).

Opinion

GANTT, P. J.

The defendant with Eli T. Stubble-field was indicted at the February term, 1899, of the Pettis Circuit Court. He was duly arraigned and pleaded “not guilty.” A severance was granted and each tried separately. Defendant was convicted and sentenced to the penitentiary for ten years. He appeals.

The indictment sought to charge an offense under the act of April 2, 1895 (Laws of Missouri, 1895, p. 160), entitled “An Act in relation to the crime of train robbing and to provide a penalty therefor.”

The indictment is in these words:

“In the circuit court of Pettis county, Missouri, April term, 1899.
“State of Missouri, county of Pettis, ss.
“The grand jurors for the State of Missouri, duly impaneled, sworn and charged to inquire within and for the body of the county of Pettis and State aforesaid, upon their [313]*313oat-b present and charge that heretofore, to-wit, on the twenty-ninth clay of November, 1898, at the county of Pettis and State of Missouri, James L. West and Eli J. Stubble-field, unlawfully and feloniously did stop, detain and arrest the progress of a certain railway passenger and' express train, the property of the Missouri Pacific Railway Company, a corporation- duly organized and existing under the laws of the State of Missouri, by then and there giving to the engineer of said train a danger signal by swinging a lighted lantern across the track of said railway in front o.f said train, which said railway train was then and there upon and moving along the railroad track and railway of the said Missouri Pacific Railway Company within said county of Pettis and State of Missouri, with the felonious intent then and there to commit robbery thereon, contrary to the statutes in such cases made and provided, and against the peace and dignity of the State.”

The evidence tended to prove the following facts: The Missouri Pacific Railway Company is a railroad corporation •duly organized under the laws of Missouri, and on the 29th day of November, 1898, and for a long time prior thereto and ever since owned and operated a railroad from Sedalia, in Pettis county, to Nansas City, in Jackson county, known us the Lexington branch of the Missouri Pacific Railway and ran its trains over said branch. Georgetown, Hughesville and Houstonia are stations on said railroad in Pettis county.

On the night of November 29, 1898, the regular passenger train from Kansas City to Sedalia was stopped a short distance east of Hughesville, in Pettis county, by a danger giVnal; the waving of a white light across the railroad track. The lantern was waved by a masked man who held the lantern in one hand and a revolver in the other. The division superintendent, Mr. Hopkins, had been apprised that an attempt to rob the train would occur that night and in pursu-[314]*314anee of tbis information bad caused a guard to be placed on tbe train. "When tbe danger signal was displayed tbe engineer of tbe train responded with two short blasts and immediately sbut off tbe steam and applied tbe air to tbe brakes and stopped tbe train. As tbe engine approached, tbe man who was waving tbe lantern sprang to tbe left side of tbe track. One of tbe guards shot at him and be shot at tbe guards on tbe engine cab almost simultaneously.

As soon as tbe train stopped, tbe guards jumped off and pursued tbe parties who stopped tbe train. Tbe defendant "West was arrested in tbe adjoining field.

Thomas Furlong, who was in charge of tbe detectives, testified that be saw a man standing upon tbe bank of tbe cut above tbe place where tbe man waved tbe lantern was standing, and tbis man also was shooting at tbe train. Tbis man ran across tbe field and tbe guards followed and arrested him. He identified tbe prisoner as James West, tbe defendant. When arrested be bad two handkerchiefs around bis neck, a sack in bis overcoat pocket and was armed with a revolver and bad a number of cartridges. Tbe prisoner was brought to tbe train by tbe guards and laid on tbe floor of tbe baggage car, and was identified by Barnett, one of tbe guards. While lying there be was approached by Furlong and asked if be knew him. Tbe prisoner answered, “You are DeLong aren’t you?” and then said “How did I get here?” He was brought to Sedalia on tbe train. Having beard that tbe defendant was feigning drunkenness, Mr. Hopkins and Mr. Manley went to tbe prisoner and bent over bbn, close to bis face to ascertain if be bad been drinking, but they could discover no smell of liquor on him.

Tbe other robber escaped from tbe scene of tbe “bold up,” but about half past twelve o’clock that night was arrested by tbe officers in Sedalia and proved to be Stubble-field. He was wounded in tbe right elbow and bis clothing was shot. He was disguised.

[315]*315E. H. Adams testified that be bad lived in Sedaba for 17 years. Had been employed by tbe Missouri Pacific Eail-way as fireman and engineer for 15 and 16 years, but at tbe time of tbe “hold up” was not working for tbe company but bad an office in Sedaba. West and Stubblefield were both old employees of tbe Missouri Pacific. West tbe defendant, bad been employed as engineer for 8 or 10 years. Sometime in tbe latter part of June or first of July, 1898, be came to tbe office of witness Adams and said be was in need of money and intended to bold up a Missouri Pacific train on tbe Lexington branch. He said be bad men who would help him — Eh' Stubblefield, Joseph West and Eobert Cunningham. Later on Joe West was at a conference and Stubble-field was there on two different occasions. In tbe latter part of October, West, tbe defendant, and Stubblefield were in witness’s office over Bank of Commerce building in Se-daba and they then said they bad made their arrangement and were going to rob that train. They finally agreed to do-it on tbe night of November 25th. Tbe arrangement was that James West, Stubblefield, Cunningham and Joe West were to meet witness Adams at tbe Grand avenue and Main street crossing and ride out to tbe place for stopping tbe train in Adams’s surrey. Adams was to take them out and come back. After robbing tbe train they were to cut tbe engine off and ride back to Sedaba on that.

For some reason tbe first appointment for tbe 25th failed and they then set tbe 29th of November as tbe time. Tbe object in riding out was to avoid being trailed by blood bounds. They agreed they would rob train No. 194 on Lexington branch. This train was due in Sedaba at 10:05 p. m. They agreed they would stop tbe train, compel tbe engineer and fireman to go with them into tbe express car and make tbe messenger open bis safe and if-be didn’t they would kill him. Tbe defendant said to witness tbe reason they [316]*316could not go tbe first nigbt was tbat Cunningbani’s child was very sick but tbe train would be beld up on Tuesday tbe 29th of November. Witness was to meet them at 7:30 at Grand avenue and take them out to Georgetown. At tbat bour be went in bis surrey and met tbe defendant and Stubblefield at tbe Grand avenue crossing. They bad a lantern, mask, revolvers and sack. Witness drove them in a surrey to a point 150 yards from tbe railroad crossing west of Georgetown, and let them out and then drove borne. Tbe spoils were to be divided between Adams, Stubblefield and West, tbe defendant. This witness identified tbe handkerchiefs which were found on defendant and tbe lantern and sacks.

Grimshaw, tbe express messenger, testified to seeing tbe lantern waved.

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
57 S.W. 1071, 157 Mo. 309, 1900 Mo. LEXIS 28, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/state-v-west-mo-1900.