Aubrey v. State

May 2, 1896
Reporters:
, ,
Before:
Wood
Wood, J.

The defendant was convicted of murder in the first degree, upon an indictment which charged that he ‍​‌​‌‌‌​​‌​‌‌‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​‌​​​​​‌‌‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​​​‌‌​‌​​‌‌‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌‌‌‌​​‌‌‌‌‌​‌​‌​​​​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌‍“did unlawfully and feloniously, with malice aforethought, and with premeditation and deliberation, assault, kill, and murder one Rufus Harris by shooting him with a pistol, * * * with the felonious intent to kill and ‍​‌​‌‌‌​​‌​‌‌‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​‌​​​​​‌‌‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​​​‌‌​‌​​‌‌‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌‌‌‌​​‌‌‌‌‌​‌​‌​​​​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌‍murder,” etc. Does the omission of the word “wilfully” render the indictment defective as a charge for murder in the first degree ? A wilful killing is an intended killing. Both the words “deliberation” and ‍​‌​‌‌‌​​‌​‌‌‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​‌​​​​​‌‌‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​​​‌‌​‌​​‌‌‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌‌‌‌​​‌‌‌‌‌​‌​‌​​​​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌‍“premeditation” involve a prior purpose to do the act in question. And it is impossible to conceive of a murder committed with a “felonious intent” that is not wilful. State v. Townsend, 24 N. W. ‍​‌​‌‌‌​​‌​‌‌‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​‌​​​​​‌‌‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​​​‌‌​‌​​‌‌‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌‌‌‌​​‌‌‌‌‌​‌​‌​​​​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌‍Rep. 535; Leonard v. Territory, 7 Pac. Rep. 872, and authorities cited; State v. Shelton, 64 Iowa, 333; State v. Stackhouse, 24 Kas. 445; 1 Wharton, Cr. Law, sec. 380. We conclude therefore that the word “wilful” finds ‍​‌​‌‌‌​​‌​‌‌‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​‌​​​​​‌‌‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​​​‌‌​‌​​‌‌‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌‌‌‌​​‌‌‌‌‌​‌​‌​​​​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌‍its equivalent in the other terms employed.

We cannot say that the verdict is without evidence to support it.

Affirmed.