57 Ga. App. 173 | Ga. Ct. App. | 1938
The Code, §§ 26-7408, 26-7409, makes it a misdemeanor to fraudulently procure money on a contract for services. The purpose of this law “is not to enforce the contract to perform services, but to punish the fraudulent procurement of money, or other thing of value under the contract.” Brown v. State, 8 Ga. App. 211 (68 S. E. 865). “Because of the nature of this law, and lest it be abused, the courts have been strict in requiring the State to allege and prove those things which, under the statute, are necessary for a conviction.” Winters v. State, 32 Ga. App. 56 (122 S. E. 635). To make a prima facie case the State must prove, among other things, a definite contract (Sanders v. State, 7 Ga. App. 46, 65 S. E. 1071; Adams v. State, 10 Ga. App. 801, 74 S. E. 95; Starling v. State, 5 Ga. App. 171 (4), 62 S. E. 993); that the defendant failed to perform the services so contracted for, without good and sufficient cause (Simmons v. State, 18 Ga. App. 65 (2), 66, 88 S. E. 800; Ashley v. State, 22 Ga. App. 626, 97 S. E. 82; Crayton v. State, 26 Ga. App. 426 (3), 106 S. E. 919; Johnson v. State, 125 Ga. 243 (3), 54 S. E. 184; Hankinson v. State, 6 Ga. App. 793, 65 S. E. 837; Thorn v. State, 13 Ga. App. 10 (2), 78 S. E. 853); and that he failed to return the money so advanced, with interest thereon at the time said labor was to be performed, without good, and sufficient cause, and all to the loss and damage to the hirer. Lewis v. State, 15 Ga. App. 405 (3) (83 S. E. 439); Abrams v. State, 126 Ga. 591 (55 S. E. 497); Coleman v. State, 6 Ga. App. 398 (5) (65 S. E. 46); Mobley v. State, 13 Ga. App. 728 (79 S. E. 906). Mere proof that the defendant failed to carry out the contract does not give rise to a presumption that he did so without good and sufficient cause (Thorn v. State, supra; Beeman v. State, 17 Ga. App. 752, 88 S. E. 408, and cit.), nor is such essential element supplied by statements of the hirer that he knew of no good reason why the laborer did not comply with the contract. King v. State, 36 Ga. App. 272 (136 S. E. 466); Wood v. State, 39 Ga. App. 555 (147 S. E. 780); Cofer v. State, 34 Ga. App. 220 (129 S. E. 110); Barlow v. State, 42 Ga. App. 437 (156 S. E. 641). In the present case the prosecutor testified: “I made a contract with him [the defendant] on January 1, 1937, to work as a farm laborer for the year 1937. I told him I would give him sixty cents a day. He worked for me until sometime about the first of March. A white man came to my place at
Judgment reversed.