Washburn v. State

167 Tex. Crim. 125
CourtCourt of Criminal Appeals of Texas
DecidedJune 25, 1958
DocketNo. 29,674
StatusPublished
Cited by57 cases

This text of 167 Tex. Crim. 125 (Washburn 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
Washburn v. State, 167 Tex. Crim. 125 (Tex. 1958).

Opinions

DAVIDSON, Judge.

This is a conviction for the murder of Helen Harris Weaver, with punishment assessed at ninety-nine years in the penitentiary.

The case has been twice before this court, the first time upon the question of bail, (161 Texas Cr. Rep. 651, 280 S.W. 2d 257) and then upon the former appeal, (164 Texas Cr. Rep. 448, 299 S.W. 2d 706).

This prosecution was brought and conviction obtained upon that proposition of law which says that one intending to commit a felony and who in the act of preparing for or executing the crime shall, through mistake or accident, do another act [127]*127which if voluntarily done would be a felony shall receive the punishment affixed to the felony actually committed. Art. 42, P.C.

The indictment charged that appellant “* * * did voluntarily and with malice aforethought kill Helen Harris Weaver by causing a bomb, to-wit: a collection of dynamite and electrical detonating caps, to be attached to the electrical system of an automobile in such manner that an attempt to start the motor of said automobile and put- said automobile in use would cause an explosion, and did then and there and thereby cause said bomb to explode when the said Helen Harris Weaver attempted to start said motor of said automobile and put said automobile in use, and the explosion of said bomb, so attached and caused to explode, in the manner aforesaid,v did then and there kill the said Helen Harris Weaver * *

We are met with the contention that the indictment is fatally defective because in the same count it charges appellant with being both a principal olfender in and an accomplice to the murder of Helen Harris Weaver.

Of course one can not be both a principal and an accomplice to the commission of the same offense.

Appellant insists that the use of the words “causing a bomb * * * to be attached to * * * an automobile” is to be given the meaning that he secured another to attach the bomb to the automobile under the circumstances alleged and that such constituted him an accomplice to the crime committed.

The statute, Art. 70, P.C., sets out four fact situations by and through which one may become and is an accomplice to the commission of a crime by another.

Under that statute it has been the long and continued holding of this court that an accomplice must be indicted as such and that the indictment must charge the principal with the crime and then charge the statutory act or acts which constitute the accused an accomplice thereto. The authorities so holding will be found under Note 35 of Art. 70, Vernon’s P.C.

It can not be said, therefore, that the mere allegation that appellant caused a bomb to be attached to the automobile charged that he was an accomplice to the murder.

[128]*128Moreover, an accused can cause another to commit a crime and be a principal thereto. Art. 68, P. C.

We are unable to agree that the indictment was subject to the objection urged.

The former conviction in this case was reversed because of the error in connection with the calling of and the failure of the coindictee, Andrew H. Nelson, to testify.

Upon the instant trial, Nelson did testify after having been given by the state full and complete immunity from prosecution in the case.

It was the province of the state to grant immunity, and the election of Nelson to testify. The appellant had no right to object thereto.

Appellant very ingenuously argues that, with full and complete immunity from any and all acts growing out of the charge and accusation relative to the death of Helen Harris Weaver, Nelson was, when testifying, under no restraint nor the pains and penalties of perjury.

We are unable to agree with appellant that such is true. When the state granted Nelson immunity from prosecution it did not thereby license him to lie or to commit perjury as a witness. When testifying as a witness, Nelson was under all the restraints of perjury.

Appellant’s contention that the facts are insufficient to warrant his conviction, and also the questions in the case which are presented for review require a statement of the facts:

The deceased, Helen Harris Weaver, who was the wife of Harry Weaver, was fifty-one years of age at the time of her death and possessed of a considerable estate consisting of separate and community property. The Weavers had been married sixteen years at the time of her death. They had no children of that union. Each had children by a former marriage.

The appellant, Harry L. Washburn, married a daughter of the deceased and they had two children. Some time prior to the death of Mrs. Weaver, appellant and his wife separated and a divorce followed. Appellant was awarded the care and custody [129]*129of the children. They were in his custody at the time of the killing.

The Weavers made their home on a ranch near San Angelo. At the time of Mrs. Weaver’s death, however, and for some time prior thereto they resided in the home of Mrs. Harris, the mother of deceased.

The Harris home, a large two-story edifice, was situated on one of the principal streets of San Angelo and near the business section of that city. Across the street from the home was a filling station operated by the witness Lamb.

It was the state’s contention that the appellant concluded that Harry Weaver stood in his way and was a bar to his obtaining money from the deceased by extortion and intimidation and that such conclusion formed the motive to kill Harry Weaver.

For the purpose of showing the plan, purpose, and intent of the appellant to extort money from the deceased, the state proved the following:

About two o’clock, a.m., on April 23, 1951, which was almost four years before the death of Mrs. Weaver in January of 1955, the witness Weaver awoke to find appellant standing at the foot of the twin beds in his and deceased’s bedroom and holding a gun in each hand, one of which guns belonged to Weaver and had been kept in a night stand between the beds. Appellant demanded a check for $20,000 from the deceased, threatening to take her life if she refused. Weaver reasoned with appellant, as follows:

“* * * after Mrs. Weaver is — after we are dead you won’t be able to cash any check any more and they will suspect you [of the killing].”

Weaver suggested as a compromise a cash payment from the deceased “as soon as she can get it” and the doubling of the $250 monthly payment which had been stopped several months earlier by her. Mrs. Weaver agreed to this, and appellant consented to put the guns down and leave the house, exacting of Mrs. Weaver, however, a promise to try to “* * * make the little girl [deceased’s daughter and appellant’s former wife] come back and live with [him],” and further saying:

[130]*130“If either one of you tell a soul I have been out here, I will come back and kill you both.”

The matter seems to have stopped there, and appellant left.

The witness McKinnis testified that he and another person, at appellant’s hiring, agreed to kill Weaver, for which appellant paid them certain sums of money in advance. Among the instructions given them by appellant was that they were to go to the home of Harry Weaver near San Angelo and shoot him with a gun. The agreement was never carried out.

Free access — add to your briefcase to read the full text and ask questions with AI

Related

Orona v. State
341 S.W.3d 452 (Court of Appeals of Texas, 2011)
Briggs, Darius Damascus v. State
Court of Appeals of Texas, 2003
Fernandez v. State
989 S.W.2d 781 (Court of Appeals of Texas, 1998)
Darby v. State
922 S.W.2d 614 (Court of Appeals of Texas, 1996)
Lyon v. State
872 S.W.2d 732 (Court of Criminal Appeals of Texas, 1994)
Price v. State
861 S.W.2d 913 (Court of Criminal Appeals of Texas, 1993)
Crawford v. State
863 S.W.2d 152 (Court of Appeals of Texas, 1993)
Callaway v. State
818 S.W.2d 816 (Court of Appeals of Texas, 1991)
Lyon v. State
764 S.W.2d 1 (Court of Appeals of Texas, 1988)
Gamez v. State
737 S.W.2d 315 (Court of Criminal Appeals of Texas, 1987)
Creel v. State
710 S.W.2d 120 (Court of Appeals of Texas, 1986)
Fielder v. State
683 S.W.2d 565 (Court of Appeals of Texas, 1985)
Port v. Heard
594 F. Supp. 1212 (S.D. Texas, 1984)
Mitchell v. State
650 S.W.2d 801 (Court of Criminal Appeals of Texas, 1983)
Van Sickle v. State
634 S.W.2d 946 (Court of Appeals of Texas, 1982)
Paulus v. State
633 S.W.2d 827 (Court of Criminal Appeals of Texas, 1982)
Bush v. State
628 S.W.2d 441 (Court of Criminal Appeals of Texas, 1982)
Barefoot v. State
596 S.W.2d 875 (Court of Criminal Appeals of Texas, 1980)
Russell v. State
598 S.W.2d 238 (Court of Criminal Appeals of Texas, 1980)
Arney v. State
580 S.W.2d 836 (Court of Criminal Appeals of Texas, 1979)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
167 Tex. Crim. 125, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/washburn-v-state-texcrimapp-1958.