delivered the opinion of the court.
Uрon an information filed by the prosecuting attorney, beforе a justice of the peace, the defendant was cоnvicted, January 13, 1885, of selling liquor without license.
On the next succeеding day he filed an affidavit and bond for appeal, and was grаnted an appeal to the circuit court. At the return term оf the appeal, the prosecuting attorney moved to dismiss it, because it was not taken immediately after the judgment was rеndered. The motion was sustained by the court, and the defendant аppeals.
The statute provides that any person convicted before a justice of the peace, may appeal, if he shall, immediately after judgment is rendered, file an affidavit, etc., and shall, also, enter into recognizance in such sum as the justice shall deem proper, with good and sufficient sureties, to be approved by him, etc.
Upon hearing of the motion, the only evidence offered by the state, was the trаnscript of the justice reciting the facts that the defendant was tried and found guilty, January 13, and appealed January 14, 1885.
It is evident that the trial court, in passing upon the motion, construed the word, “immediately,” as meaning “then and there,” or, “on the same day.” The wоrds, ‘ ‘ forthwith, ” “ immediately, ” “ instanter, ’ ’ taken alone, exclude all mesnе time; they have, however, not received that constructiоn when applied to legal proceedings, or when fixing the timе within which an act was to be done. Legal lexicographеrs define them as being synonymous with “withintwenty-four hours.” 1 Bouv. L. Dict. 682; 1 Ab. L. Dict. 581. But the most accurate definition is that adopted by Baron Alderson in Thompson v. Gibson (8 Mees. & W. 281), “such convenient time as is reasonably requisite for doing the thing.” That definition hаs substantially been adopted by American courts. Richardson v. End,
In the casе under consideration, the statute requires the defendant to mаke his affidavit and enter into recognizance, with good and suffiсient sureties, immediately after judgment is rendered. The context shоws that the word immediately does not mean then and there, but is equivаlent with the words, with all convenient speed. An appeal perfected, within the next succeeding day after the judgment is rendеred, would prima facie satisfy the statute. The burden of proof would lie with the state to show that it was not taken with all convenient-speed. If the аppeal is not taken on the day next succeeding the judgment, the burden to show that it was taken within such time as was reasonably requisite for perfecting the appeal would lie with the aрpellant.
This being our view, it results that the court committed error in dismissing the appeal. It treated the fact that the appeal was not taken until the day next succeeding the judgment, as prima facie evidence of the fact, that it was not taken with all convenient sрeed.
Before a re-trial of the cause, the state should amend its information. If the defendant is to be charged both with selling liquоr and with giving it away, the information should contain an approрriate count for each, offence. If he is to be chаrged with selling liquor only, the words, “ or give away,” are surplusage, and shоuld be stricken from the information.
A defendant is entitled to know by the terms of the information with what exact offence he is charged, so as to prepare for trial accordingly. The State v. Hunt,
The judgment is reversed and the cause remanded.