Valtiero v. State

219 S.W.2d 73, 153 Tex. Crim. 260, 1949 Tex. Crim. App. LEXIS 1149
CourtCourt of Criminal Appeals of Texas
DecidedFebruary 23, 1949
DocketNo. 24234
StatusPublished
Cited by19 cases

This text of 219 S.W.2d 73 (Valtiero v. State) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Criminal Appeals of Texas primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Valtiero v. State, 219 S.W.2d 73, 153 Tex. Crim. 260, 1949 Tex. Crim. App. LEXIS 1149 (Tex. 1949).

Opinions

HAWKINS, Presiding Judge.

It was charged against appellant that with malice aforethought he killed Thomas Gentry Taylor by beating and striking him with an “automobile oil pan.” Upon conviction punishment was assessed at death.

On the night of September 30, 1947, at about 10:00 p. m. deceased was in a beer tavern in the city of Dallas. He bought a bottle of beer for which he paid with a one-dollar bill, getting back eighty cents in change. He was seen to have only three dollar bills at that time. Later in the night he went into another beer tavern, The Bank D’Ora Cafe, and sought to buy more beer but was refused because he was thought to be intoxicated. Appellant and a companion were in the beer tavern at this time. Immediately after deceased left the tavern appellant and his companion left. At this time deceased was known to have been wearing a brown hat, and two shirts; a white one, and on top of it a red plaid shirt. A short time later in the night deceased’s body was found in an alley near the beer tavern. His hat was gone and likewise the red plaid shirt. As described by non-expert witnesses, his head had been beaten into a “pulp”. Near the body was an “automobile oil pan” — called by some wit[262]*262nesses a “crankcase” — with blood and hair on it. A witness testified that after appellant arid his companion left the beer tavern following'.deceased appellant came back later and left with witness a package wrapped in newspaper, asking her to keep it for him; that through curiosity she looked to see what was in the package, and found it to be a red plaid, shirt. Appellant again came back to the tavern, got the package and took it away with him. Appellant was arrested two or three days later. At this time neither deceased’s hat nor the red plaid shirt had been found, and the officers had no information as to their whereabouts. In a conversation with Captain Will Fritz, who was in charge of the homicide and robbery detail of the Dallas Police Department, appellant told Captain Fritz and officer E. R. Beck where the hat had been thrown in high weeds, and went and pointed out its location. It was found as a result of appellant’s disclosure, and identified as deceased’s hat. In connection with the information from appellant v which lead to the recovery of the hat he told Captain Fritz that he (appellant) and his companion killed. deceased by striking him numbers of times with the automobile oil pan, and said both of them struck deceased several times, and that they took his hat, shirt and about two dollars in money. Appellant also fold the officers, or attempted to tell them where the red plaid shirt was. They were not able to recover the shirt, but from what appellant told them they did find where the shirt had been, but it was then gone. The state introduced a written confession of appellant taken under the formalities required by the statute after the'proper warning, which confession is as follows, omitting the formal parts.

“* * * My name is Umberto Remierz Valtierra. My address is 2704 North Pearl. I am 21 years old. On the night of September 30th, 1947, at about 10:00 o’clock P. M. I was in a beer joint at Alamo & Wichita Streets. I was sitting in the booth drinking a bottle of beer, Martin Salazar was already in the beer joint when I went in there. He was sitting at the bar drinking a bottle of beer. He saw me and came over to the booth where I was and sit down beside me. About 10:15 o’clock P. M. This same night, an old man that I knew was named Taylor, came into the beer joint while I was sitting there, with Martin Salazar. The old man came over to the booth and was arguing with Martin Salazar and he walked on away in a few minutes and got a bottle of beer at the bar. After he walked away to get the beer Martin Salazar t turned to me and said ‘Let’s rob the old man after he gets, out of the place.’ The old man was drunk. Taylor drank his beer and went out of the place at about 10:30 o’clock P. M. We both "got up and followed him out of [263]*263the beer joint and down Alamo Street about a block and I took the old man by the hand and led him up the alley. Martin Salazar was us, walking on the other side of the old man. Martin Salazar grabbed a hold of the old man and I picked up an old crank case and started beating him over the head with it while Martin Salazar held so he couldn’t fight back as I hit him * * * I beat him in the head and Martin Salazar released him and he fell to the ground and I kept beating him on the head until I was sure he was dead. Martin Salazar searched Taylor’s pocket and found a dollar and took it. I took his hat and threw it in the bushes a short distance away from where he was beaten to death. Martin Salazar told me he wanted the old man’s shirt, which was a red checked shirt and he took it off of him. I took the old man’s tie off of him and threw it up on the fence. We left and went up on Cedar Springs to a beer joint at Cedar Springs and Olive Street, and Martin Salazar bought two bottles of beer with the money taken from the old man. We drank' the beer and I left for home and Martin Salazar was still there when I left. * * *”

The confession was received in evidence without objection. Appellant did not testify.

Because of the penalty assessed we have made a more extended and detailed statement of the evidence than would otherwise have been thought proper, in order to demonstrate that under the facts the death penalty assessed by the jury was well merited.

Reversal is sought upon alleged errors brought forward in ten bills of exception.

Bill of exception number one reflects that witness Hill testified that he ran a beer tavern, and that on the night of the killing deceased came into witness’ place and bought a bottle of beer; that every time deceased came to town he would buy beer at witness’ place. He was asked on cross-examination if on the night of the killing deceased got drunk in witness’ place. The state objected on the ground that such inquiry was immaterial, and the bill registers complaint because of such ruling. We fail to see the materiality of this inquiry. The evidence shows that deceased left Hill’s place and later went to another beer tavern where he sought to buy more beer but was refused because he was thought at that time to have had “too much to drink.” In the confession of appellant he said deceased was drunk when [264]*264he left this second beer tavern. There seems to have been no issue joined on this point.

Bill of exception number two, as qualified by the trial judge, shows that on cross-examination of state’s witness Rodriguez he was asked if he had not been indicted in Dallas County for robbery, which he answered in the affirmative. He was then asked if he had not been in jail “a lot of times,” to which he also answered, “Yes.” The bill then shows that counsel for appellant asked, “Tell us about what all the —.” Here he was interrupted by an objection from the state that the question was improper, which objection was sustained. Counsel for appellant then asked how many times witness had been in jail for theft in Dallas County in the last three years, to which question objection was also sustained. Counsel for appellant then asked witness, “Tell us how many times you have been in jail or have been indicted for robbery.” This was also objected to as being an improper question, which objection was sustained, and counsel for appellant then withdrew the question.

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Bluebook (online)
219 S.W.2d 73, 153 Tex. Crim. 260, 1949 Tex. Crim. App. LEXIS 1149, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/valtiero-v-state-texcrimapp-1949.