Teegarden v. State

79 N.E. 211, 39 Ind. App. 15, 1906 Ind. App. LEXIS 99
Indiana Court of Appeals·Decided October 30, 1906·No. No. 6,122·Published

Opinion

Wiley, J.

Appellant was convicted on a charge of having violated §l283d Burns 1901, Acts 1895, p. 2é8, §é. So much of that section as applies to the offense charged is substantially as follows: “Any room where intoxicating liquors are sold by virtue of a license issued under the law of the State of Indiana, for the sale of spirituous, vinous, malt or other intoxicating liquors in less quantities than a quart at a time, with permission to drink the same upon the premises, shall be situated upon the ground floor,” and, among other requirements, shall front upon a public street, and be provided with windows or glass door or doors, so that the whole of said room may be in view from the street or highway upon such day as the sales of liquors are prohibited, etc.

The affidavit, omitting its formal parts, is as follows: “William W. James, being duly sworn, says that George Teegarden, on the 23d day of July, 1905, at the county of Owen, State of Indiana, he being then and there the occupant of a certain room and the manager in control of the [17] business conducted therein, said room then and there being on the first floor, situate on West Eranklin street, in the town of Spencer, Owen county, Indiana, and known as the 'Beer house/ which said room was then and there located and fronted upon a certain public street, to wit, Eranklin street, in said town, in which said room intoxicating liquors were then and there sold under and by virtue of the laws of the United States, to be used and drank as a beverage, did then and there unlawfully keep and maintain said room, it not being then and there so arranged either with windows or glass door or doors so that the whole of said room might be in view from the street or highway upon which the same is situated, said day being the first day of the week, commonly called Sunday, contrary to law,” etc.

Appellant’s motions to quash the indictment, for a new trial, and in arrest of judgment, were overruled, and such rulings are assigned as errors.

We are favored with able arguments both by counsel for appellant and the State upon the sufficiency of the affidavit. The proposition is asserted by counsel for appellant, and controverted by the State, that §!283d, supra, was repealed by the adoption of the criminal code of 1905. This proposition is also ably discussed. We do.not, however, deem it important to consider or decide either of these questions, because under the undisputed facts the State is not entitled to a conviction. The essential and material facts disclosed by the evidence are these: The building mentioned in the indictment was owned by a brewing company as a cold storage for beer. It was built with thick walls, with cinders between the outer and inner surface. There was an office attached to the building, but no opening from the office into the building. Beer was shipped from the brewery by ear loads and stored there. The beer was stored in the building with ice, so as to preserve it, and .from such building it was distributed to purchasers. It was shipped in kegs, cases, and barrels. Appellant was the agent of the [18] brewing company to receive, store, sell and distribute its beer from that point. The beer was sold by him in quantities of five gallons and over at a time. There is no evidence that he ever sold any beer, in any quantity, to be drunk on the premises. The building was situated on a public street in the town of Spencer, Owen county, and it was not arranged at any time so that the whole of the room could be seen from the street. The building was in the same condition when appellant took employment with the brewing company as it was at the time mentioned in the affidavit. Upon these facts the State insists that the appellant was properly convicted and that the judgment of the trial court should stand. If these facts bring appellant within the class embraced in the statute the judgment should be affirmed.

1. Our first inquiry, therefore, will be to determine this question. It seems a self-evident proposition that the section of the statute which forms the basis of this prosecution cannot be effective against any person, unless he comes within the class embraced in its provisions.

2. We have no doubt but that the provisions of §7283d, supra, relating to the location of the room, doors, windows, screens, etc., so that a view of the room may be had from the street during days and hours when the sale of liquor is prohibited, refer to rooms where liquor is sold under a license to consumers, with the privilege of allowing the same to be drunk on the premises. It has no application to wholesalers.

The act of 1875 (Act 1875 [s. s.], p. 55, §§1-8, 12, 18-20, §§5312-5323 R. S. 1881) provided for granting license to sell intoxicating liquors at retail, etc. In 1897 (Acts 1897, p. 253) the legislature amended sections one, five, and seven of the act of 1875.

Section seven of that act (§5318, supra) provided that under certain specified conditions the county auditor should [19] issue to the applicant a license which would authorize him to sell intoxicating liquors in less quantities than a quart at a time, with the privilege of permitting the same to be drunk on the premises, etc.

In 1897 (§7283 Burns 1901) that section was amended by adding the following proviso: “That none of the provisions of this act shall apply to any person engaged in business as a wholesale dealer, who does not sell in less quantities than five gallons at a time.”

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Teegarden v. State, 79 N.E. 211, 39 Ind. App. 15, 1906 Ind. App. LEXIS 99 (Ind. Ct. App. 1906).

79 N.E. 211 (Teegarden v. State) — published by Counsel Stack Legal Research, free access to 12M+ legal documents.

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