Waldrep v. State

1942 OK CR 99, 127 P.2d 860, 74 Okla. Crim. 438, 1942 Okla. Crim. App. LEXIS 273
CourtCourt of Criminal Appeals of Oklahoma
DecidedJuly 1, 1942
DocketNo. A-9961.
StatusPublished
Cited by7 cases

This text of 1942 OK CR 99 (Waldrep v. State) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Criminal Appeals of Oklahoma primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Waldrep v. State, 1942 OK CR 99, 127 P.2d 860, 74 Okla. Crim. 438, 1942 Okla. Crim. App. LEXIS 273 (Okla. Ct. App. 1942).

Opinion

JONES, J.

The defendant, Tom Waldrep, was charged jointly by grand jury indictment with Joe H. Smalley, in Oklahoma county, with the crime of violating section 2474, O. S. 1931, 21 O. S. 1941 § 274, selling appointments to office. Said cause was transferred from the district court to' the court of common pleas of Oklahoma county, a severance was had, defendant was tried, convicted, and sentenced to serve one year in the county jail, to' pay a fine of $1,000, and has appealed.

The defendant was, at the time of the offense charged, a State Senator of Oklahoma. His term of office had about three and one-half more years to run. Joe H. Smalley and L. Y. Beaman were ex-members of the lower *441 house of the Oklahoma Legislature. All three of these meu had been long-time personal and political friends.

Coy Smith was an 18-year-old boy who, with his father, T. J. Smith, were citizens of Arkansas. Coy Smith was married to a daughter of L. V. Beaman.

Chester Leonard, -Shannon Leonard, Mastín Thom-ason and Ernest Casto- were also residents of Arkansas. Si Miller resided at Peckham, Okla.

The above-named persons were the principal actors in the drama revealed by the record, which resulted in the conviction of defendant.

Both Beaman and Smalley, spent a good deal of time at the State Capitol building, and directed most of their activities from the office of Department of Mines, where they were on friendly terms with one James Ballard, who had a job in that office.

Mr. Beaman testified:

“Q. (By Lewis Morris, County Attorney) Now, coming down to- this case, did you meet Joe Smalley there at the Capitol building and have any conversation with reference to jobs? A. Here is how that started: I was in the Department of Mines. I think I made a remarle that they were besieging me for jobs and didn’t know I was out of politics, and I couldn’t help them, and I think he made the remark that if I had those people, or those people was coming to me, he might be able to help place some of those people. I asked him the agreement of placing them, and he said Senator Waldrep had some appointments and he probably could persuade the Senator to help him make these appointments, or get the appointments for me. Q. What else was said? A. Relative to prices? Q. Yes, that’s what we are trying? A. $350.”

The testimony further reveals that before leaving the conference a schedule of job selling prices was agreed upon: $100 per month job would cost $350; $125 per month, up to $500. These jobs were to be promised with *442 a tenure of three and one-half years, during the balance of the senatorial term of defendant Waldrep. Beaman went to Arkansas and contacted in a short time the above-named prospects for jobs. He testified to coming back to the Capitol building with T. J. Smith and one Howard White, another job seeking man. On the fifth floor of the Capitol building they sold Coy Smith a job for $350, and sold Howard White one for $500. T. J. Smith paid the money for Coy’s job; Beaman got $75 of this money and Smalley ivas given the balance; this money being paid over in the corridor of the Capitol while T. J. Smith, Beaman and Smalley were together. The evidence shows the money paid in May, 1937, for a Highway Department job, which was to' last while defendnat was Senator. That Coy got a job that paid $100 per month, whereas he was promised $150 per month. In December, 1937, or January, 1938, Coy lost his job; that witness Beaman saw Waldrep regarding- this loss of job; that he-told Waldrep he had brought Coy down here, felt responsible, and would appreciate his getting the boy back. Waldrep stated he would do his best. Coy got another job with the state, but was wanting the $450 back he had paid. That Wald-rep later gave Coy 'Smith one check for $150 and one for $212. Beaman testified that he paid Waldrep the $75 that he had received as his part of the sale price from Coy; Waldrep’s two checks proved to be “hot.”

T. J. Smith testified that he and Coy were residents of Arkansas; Coy was in love with Beaman’s daughter; wanted a job so he could marry her; later did marry her. That Beaman came to Smith’s garage in Mayesville, Ark., and “asked me did I reckon Coy would be interested in a good job.” That he answered and said Coy was about to quit school, and would like a good job; Beaman offered job in Oklahoma City on state pay rolls. “Beaman spoke *443 of me ‘buying a horse,’ and said if I got in on it that it would cost me money, and explained that the ‘horse’ meant a job on Oklahoma state pay rolls.” Smith told Beaman he didn’t have $350, but Beaman came back “every day or two until I kinder got interested.” Smith says he urged Coy to take a job as offered by Beaman. Then he assured Beaman he could raise the cash, and Beaman said the job would last three and one-half years, and was to pay $125 per month. About May 1, 1937, T. J. Smith went to Oklahoma City on this job buying deal and Howard White went with him. White “bought a horse” in the form of a $500 job at the Capitol. T. J. Smith describes his experiences when he got to> Oklahoma City; says he and Beaman went to the Mines office in the Capitol, and there found one Jim Ballard and Smalley. Smal-ley was introduced to witness. The money question came up and Smalley “guaranteed the job” after Smith assured him he had the cash with him to pay off. First of next month Coy Smith got his job and went to work in the Highway Department. That both Beaman and Smalley told him, “they worked through the ¡Senator,” but did not name him at that time.

It was developed in his testimony that this Senator was defendant, Tom Waldrep. Smith was suspicious, and before paying out his $350 said he wanted to see this man Waldrep personally; that Smalley made a phone call. All of the foregoing took place in the Capitol; that Smal-ley reported he could not get to see the Senator that day, but “By G — , we will guarantee the work, you just go ahead and fix things up.” So, Smith testified: “I paid them the money. Evidently the salesmen were nervous; out in the corridor steps Beaman; we walked like we was going down the steps, outside of the office, but right on the bannister Mr. Beaman says, ‘You got it?’ I says, *444 ‘Yes, I got it.’ Close at hand stood Joe Smalley. I handed them the money, and they counted it and if I am not awfully mistaken they both counted it right out on the bannister there and said, ‘By G — , it’s there.’ ” The “horse” had been sold. Smith concludes his testimony with the remark, “They had about all it looked like, that they wanted off of me. I went back home that day.”

Then T. J. Smith relates meeting with defendant at his office in Shawnee after Coy lost his job. He and Coy went to see defendant to> get their money back. They had to wait some time, as the Senator was busy in his private office, but after awhile “we went into the office and he asked how we was; and Coy introduced me, and we talked a little bit, and I just asked Mr. Waldrep wasi there any way he could help us get Coy’s money if he couldn’t put him to work.” The Senator said, “You bet we will work it out.” Defendant told them he was expecting Joe ¡Smalley any minute at the office.

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Related

Tice v. State
1955 OK CR 59 (Court of Criminal Appeals of Oklahoma, 1955)
Parnell v. State
1952 OK CR 150 (Court of Criminal Appeals of Oklahoma, 1952)
Nix v. State
1945 OK CR 50 (Court of Criminal Appeals of Oklahoma, 1945)
Barnett v. State
1942 OK CR 159 (Court of Criminal Appeals of Oklahoma, 1942)
Rowland v. State
1942 OK CR 128 (Court of Criminal Appeals of Oklahoma, 1942)
Minter v. State
1942 OK CR 123 (Court of Criminal Appeals of Oklahoma, 1942)
Smalley v. State
1942 OK CR 100 (Court of Criminal Appeals of Oklahoma, 1942)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
1942 OK CR 99, 127 P.2d 860, 74 Okla. Crim. 438, 1942 Okla. Crim. App. LEXIS 273, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/waldrep-v-state-oklacrimapp-1942.