209 F. 740 | 7th Cir. | 1913
(after stating the facts as above). The conviction of the plaintiff in error arises under an indictment charging that he made false oath and testified falsely in bankruptcy proceedings as specified—in effect charging violation o-f section 29b of the Bankruptcy Act.- For reversal of the judgment the contentions relied-upon are: (1) That the indictment is “fatally defective.” (2) That material variance appears between the averments of the indictment and the proof submitted, as to testimony 'of the accused before the referee. (3) That the proof is “fatally defective” as to the names of petitioning creditors in the bankruptcy proceeding. (4) That reference for examination before the referee in the bankruptcy proceeding was not proven. (5) That there was no actual examination before the referee.
Afer extended averments in reference to the bankruptcy proceedings against one Offner and examination of the accused as a witness therein, before the referee, the indictment charges in various terms that the accused made false oath and testified falsely that he “did not see any goods delivered from the place of business” of the bankrupt as described, at times specified in the inquiry—with subsequent averments of materiality—and proceeds with special averments (a portion of which we have italicized for convenient reference), as follows:
“Whereas, in truth and in fact, the grand jurors aforesaid * * * do further presentdhe facts to be, and present that the said Samuel Baskin when so taking his said oath as aforesaid, and so swearing as aforesaid, and when so testifying as aforesaid, at and upon the said hea/Hng and examination, then and there well lonew, that he, the said Samuel Baskin, did see certain go.ods removed from the said place of business” of the bankrupt (at the times and place specified in the inquiry).
And then states the number of packages so removed each day and their general contents. Cannot this averment, however awkward in expression, reasonably be interpreted to falsify the_ matter testified, together with the averment that it was known to be false ?
The contention therefore that conviction for perjury cannot rest on an averment that the accused well knew, when he testified in denial thereof, that he had seen the goods removed, does not arise for decision, nor call for comment upon the cases cited (Bartlett v. United States, 106 Fed. 884, 46 C. C. A. 19 ; Commonwealth v. Still, 83 Ky. 275; Commonwealth v. Weingartner [Ky.] 27 S. W. 815) in support of such contention.
We believe, however, that the evidence so introduced was both admissible and sufficient for prima facie proof that the bankruptcy proceedings were pending in the District Court within its jurisdiction, as averred in the indictment. Both docket and entries therein were properly identified as records of that court and thus import verity. The provisions of the act for involuntary proceedings against the bankrupt leave no room for question of their identity with those described in the indictment, whether all or part only of the petitioning creditors are mentioned in the docket entry. Such proceedings are instituted by the petitioning creditors and other creditors may intervene therein, as of course, but the proceeding must be carried on as a single cause of involuntary bankruptcy, whereof the District Court has exclusive jurisdiction; and neither of the petitioners can withdraw or dismiss without notice to all creditors and hearing thereupon. These proceedings are therefore distinguishable for identification from the ordinary suits between litigants, involved in the above citations, so that their rulings are inapplicable here, even if it be assumed that their doctrine is consistent with the rule governing the federal courts in perjury cases, as exemplified in Markham v. United States, supra. It may be that introduction of the creditors’ petition, through which jurisdiction was acquired, together with the docket entries; would furnish more satisfactory proof upon any issue involving either jurisdiction or identity of the proceeding; but no question was raised at the trial upon the sufficiency of the docket evidence, and we are satisfied that no reversible error is embraced in the assignment.
The "docket in evidence was the court’s record book of proceedings in open court, and whether the entries therein were made by the judge personally, or by the clerk as the hand of the court, they are not only competent but first-hand evidence of the orders or rulings pronounced in open court in the proceedings in question; and the order referred to is presumptively written up by the clerk for further record, in conformity with his understanding of the direction. We do not understand that any provision of federal law prescribes the method, language or terms in which such minutes are to be made, so that Stein v. Myers, 253 Ill. 199, 97 N. E. 295, and other Illinois cases' cited for the contention of error, are inapplicable to the case; and their meaning, if not clear, can well be ascertained in the methods authorized by law. As the act of bankruptcy expressly provides for appointment of refereesj as judicial officers, invested with specified judicial powers in bankruptcy proceedings—including the citation and examination of witnesses under oath—to be exercised whenever an order of reference is entered by the court, the meaning of the- above entry is free from doubt to this extent, at least, that the cause was specially referred to Referee Eastman for some purpose. The record shows: That the creditors’ petition for involuntary bankruptcy was filed the day before; that a receiver had been appointed and qualified upon petition therefor, in conformity with the well-known practice of the court in such cases; that the receiver was granted leave “to employ counsel, custodian and insure”; that no issue, was thus presented upon the petition, so that the only inquiry open for reference or hearing was to ascertain the property and its whereabouts subject to the receivership; and that Refetee Eastman forthwith proceeded to call witnesses and make the examination in question. In this view, we believe the meaning of the terms “ex. etc.” clearly appears to authorize such examination, and may well support the verdict, under the- assumption that proof was needful, both of the fact and purpose of an order of reference for affirmance.
5. The concluding proposition of error is that the evidence establishes the entire examination of the witness in the bankruptcy proceeding to have been conducted without the presence of or actual hearing by Referee Eastman. On reference to the record, however, it appears that this contention rests alone on affidavits presented after verdict, on motion for a new trial—which form no entertainable portion of the record, although erroneously incorporated in the bill of exceptions—so that it is both needless and improper to discuss the import of such affidavits. As the evidence preserved in the record proves the averment that the accused testified under oath administered by the referee and shows the testimony thereupon given, these assignments are overruled without further comment.
Finding no reversible error in the assignments, the judgment of the District Court is affirmed.