Wever v. State

238 N.W. 736, 121 Neb. 816, 1931 Neb. LEXIS 238
CourtNebraska Supreme Court
DecidedOctober 30, 1931
DocketNo. 27967
StatusPublished
Cited by14 cases

This text of 238 N.W. 736 (Wever v. State) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Nebraska Supreme Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Wever v. State, 238 N.W. 736, 121 Neb. 816, 1931 Neb. LEXIS 238 (Neb. 1931).

Opinion

Good, J.

Inas L. Wever, plaintiff in error (hereinafter designated defendant), was convicted on an information charging her with first-degree murder by administering strychnine poi-Mon to her husband, George Wever. She brings the record of her conviction to this court for review.

There are numerous assignments of error, but many of them are not discussed in the briefs and are apparently abandoned. We shall consider only those which are dis[818]*818cussed in the briefs and apparently relied upon by defendant.

Defendant complains that the court erred in permitting evidence to be received tending to show frequent quarrels and controversies between defendant and her husband, extending over a period of several years previous to the homicide in question. The record discloses that defendant, as a witness, gave evidence of like tenor, although she did deny some specific incidents related by witnesses for the state. It is a rule that the admission of incompetent evidence is not prejudicial where the same facts are established by the testimony of the complaining party himself, and whether before or subsequent to the admission of the incompetent evidence. 17 C. J. 324.

It is contended that some of the incidents related by state witnesses were too remote and should not have been considered or admitted in evidence. While some of the incidents were somewhat remote, the evidence tends to show that there was a continuous course of conduct between the parties, and that hostilities existed during many years previous to the homicide. It is also a rule that remoteness of such testimony is regarded as affecting the weight and not the admissibility of the evidence, especially when the condition continues to the time of the homicide. 30 C. J. 184, 196-198; Sharp v. State, 115 Neb. 737.

Defendant complains because evidence was admitted showing the purchase by her of arsenic on the day before the death of Mr. Wever. The information charged the commission of murder by the administration of both arsenic and strychnine sulphate, but there is no evidence that Mr. Wever’s death resulted from arsenical poisoning. At the close of the state’s evidence, on motion of the prosecuting attorney, all evidence relating to the purchase of the arsenic was stricken from the record, and the jury were directed to disregard it.

We think the evidence was properly admissible. The defendant testified that the strychnine purchased on the day of Mr. Wever’s death was for the purpose of exterminating rats, and the arsenic had been purchased the [819]*819day before for the same alleged purpose. Evidently, sufficient time had not elapsed since the purchase of the arsenic on the 8th day of December to determine whether other or different poison was necessary to accomplish that purpose. The purpose for which defendant said she purchased the strychnine might very well be questioned, in view of the very recent purchase of arsenic for the same purpose. With respect to this testimony, no error prejudicial to the defendant was committed in its admission, but, had it been error, the striking thereof from the record and the direction to the jury to disregard it were sufficient to destroy any effect it might have had. This court has held in McCormick v. State, 66 Neb. 337, and Robinson v. State, 71 Neb. 142, that error in the admission of evidence is cured by withdrawing such evidence and directing the jury to disregard it.

It is contended that defendant was deprived of a fair trial on account of hissing and applauding on the part of spectators in the courtroom during the trial. There is no evidence in the record of any hissing. The only evidence of applause is a notation by the reporter, following a verbal tilt between counsel for defendant and a state witness. . The court promptly rebuked such conduct and stated that if it occurred again the courtroom would be cleared. Ordinarily, this would be sufficient, but, aside from that, no objection was raised by defendant; nor is there anything in the record to disclose the nature or extent of the applause, or who was guilty of the ■ misconduct. If counsel for defendant at the time had reason to apprehend or believe that such conduct would prejudice the rights of defendant, they should have then requested the court to declare a mistrial. Instead, they elected to proceed with the trial without objection, and took the chance of a favorable verdict, and now seek to overturn ■the verdict for causes which they knew and did not object to before the case was submitted to the jury.

In Kriss v. Union P. R. Co., 100 Neb. 801, it was held: “The general rule is that counsel cannot remain quiet and seemingly acquiesce in remarks of opposing counsel in his [820]*820argument to the jury, and after verdict obtain a reversal because of matters not objected to at the time.” The same rule is applicable to alleged misconduct of spectators. Furthermore, it is a rule that demonstrations on the part of spectators do not constitute ground for a new trial where they are checked promptly and where it appears probable that the jury were not prejudiced thereby. Debney v. State, 45 Neb. 856; Lindsay v. State, 46 Neb. 177. The evidence discloses nothing from which it could be inferred that defendant was in any wise prejudiced by whatever applause there may have been.

It is rather mildly urged in the brief that the trial court should have instructed on the lesser degrees of homicide; second-degree murder and manslaughter. In the instant case, there is no evidence in the record which would, under any circumstances, justify a verdict for murder in the second degree or manslaughter. Defendant was either guilty of murder in the first degree or not guilty of any offense. In Davis v. State, 116 Neb. 90, it was held: “In a prosecution for murder in the first degree committed by administering poison, the court is not required to instruct the jury as to the law applicable to manslaughter or murder in the second degree, where the evidence clearly establishes that the defendant is either guilty of the crime charged or entirely innocent.”

The principal ground of complaint, and the one chiefly relied upon for reversal, is the insufficiency of the evidence to sustain the verdict. There is evidence in the record tending to show that for a period of years preceding the homicide defendant and her husband had frequent quarrels and controversies; that when her husband was away from home she telephoned a married man that “the coast was clear,” and requested him to come to see her in her home, and that she entertained him until 2 o’clock, or later, in the morning; that defendant, on one occasion, stated to a witness that another married man had secured a divorce from his wife for her, the defendant, and that it was “up to her” to get rid of her husband; that she had stated this man had given her a diamond ring. [821]*821There is evidence tending to show that on another occasion she was surreptiously removing her personal property from the home, with a view to separating from her husband. There is ample testimony to show motive, on the part of the defendant, for the commission of the crime charged.

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
238 N.W. 736, 121 Neb. 816, 1931 Neb. LEXIS 238, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/wever-v-state-neb-1931.