206 Mo. 696 | Mo. | 1907
This cause is brought to this court by appeal on the part of the defendant from a judgment of conviction in the circuit, court of Barry county for seduction under promise of marriage. Omitting formal
“D. H. Kemp, prosecuting attorney within and for the county of Barry, in the State of Missouri, acting herein under his oath of office, and upon his knowledge, information and belief, informs the court that one James R. Fogg, on the — day of March, 1905, at and in the county of Barry and State of Missouri, did then and there, under and by promise of marriage, made to one Minnie P. Hefley, by him, the said James R. Fogg, unlawfully and feloniously seduce and debauch her, the said Minnie P. Hefley, she, the said Minnie P. Hefley, being then and there an unmarried female of good repute and under twenty-one years of age, against the peace and dignity of the State.”
Defendant filed an application for a change of venue on the ground of the alleged prejudice of the regular judge of that court, which application was sustained, and Hon. Argus Cox, under the provisions of the statute, was requested to try the case, and in obedience to such request did try the case in Barry county at the September term, 1906, of said court.
While in the trial of cases of this character it is essential in the trial court to have the witnesses detail minutely all the acts done and conversations had which tend to establish the commission of the offense charged, yet in the appellate court we do not deem it essential to recite in detail all of the testimony of the respective witnesses as to the commission of this offense. Testimony of witnesses in cases of this character frequently consists of statements that add nothing to the legal literature of this State and cannot be of any interest to the profession or the public; therefore we must be content with a sufficient statement of the tendency of the proof to enable us to determine the legal propositions arising from the evidence introduced. We have read
The defendant introduced several witnesses, who testified that prosecutrix’s general reputation for virtue and chastity was- bad; and that her general reputation for truth and veracity was also bad. The defendant also introduced William Glenn as a witness, who testified that some five years previous to the time of testifying he was employed by the father of the prosecutrix to aid him in looking after his stallion and jack that he had upon his premises. This witness testified as to improper and inappropriate conduct on the part of the prosecutrix about the bam in watching the stock that was being looked after by the witness. Miss Lena Cantwell testified that she, Alfred Henbest and prosecutrix were sitting up with Frank Hefley, a brother of prosecutrix, during an illness that occurred some time prior to the alleged engagement; that William Glenn'
“Monday evening.
“My dearest one, as I got a letter from Lum Henry to-day I will write you a few lines, they want me to come and stay with them, he said he would give me $2.00 a week if I would, but I don’t want to go. Mama and Papa said to do just as I pleased and now I will leave it to you. I would have to go Friday, of course I need the money, as for that, but I don’t want to go. I will do just whatever you say, so if you say go I will go, and if you say not I won’t go, I would have lots of fun for there is just one kid, she is about 7 years old.
“They have two girl boarders, you knowT told you something about going down yonder, I asked Ma this morning and she said she didn’t care and she asked Pa and he said if I would help him shock the wheat I could go if I wouldn’t stay over three weeks, that don’t sound
‘1S. H. I will send this by Charles and Lili if I see them pass and if I don’t I will send it by Talbert. ’ ’
In rebuttal the State proved that defendant’s witnesses, William Glenn and Miss Lena Cantwell, had bad reputations for truth and veracity, and that Miss Cantwell’s reputation for virtue and chastity was also bad. The State also proved that the general reputation of prosecutrix for truth and veracity, virtue and chastity was good. . Prosecutrix and Alfred Henbest testified in rebuttal, and denied that prosecutrix made the statement that she would pull off her clothes and go and get in bed with William Glenn; and prosecutrix denied going to the hay loft and denied seeing William Glenn with the stallion and jack in service. She admitted writing a part of the letter to defendant, but claimed that some word's had been changed and others added. Prosecutrix and Tom Van Zandt denied that prosecutrix called him into her bed room and that she told him
. At the close of the evidence counsel for appellant requested the court to give an instruction in the nature of a demurrer, directing the jury to acquit the defendant, which request was refused by the court, to which action of the court the defendant properly saved timely exceptions. The court then instructed the jury in conformity to its views as to the law applicable to the facts developed. We deem it unnecessary to here reproduce the instructions given by the court, or-those requested by the defendant and refused. Errors assigned applicable to the instructions given and those refused will be given proper attention during the course of the opinion. The cause was submitted to the jury upon the evidence adduced and instructions given by the court and they returned a verdict finding defendant guilty as charged and assessed his punishment at two years imprisonment in the penitentiary. Timely motions for new trial and in arrest of judgment were filed and by the court overruled. Sentence and judgment were entered in conformity to the verdict and from this judgment the defendant in due time and proper form prosecuted his appeal to this court and the record is now before us for consideration.
OPINION.
The record before us in this cause discloses numerous complaints of error as grounds for the reversal of this judgment. We will give such -attention to the errors assigned as their importance demands.
I.
Learned counsel for appellant assail the sufficiency of the information in this cause and insist that the trial court erred in overruling the motion in arrest of
II.
It is insisted by appellant that the court erred in permitting the prosecuting witness to take her baby and exhibit it to the jury while testifying. Upon that question we are unwilling to say that because the mother had her child in the court room when she was testifying would constitute reversible error. The representative of the State did not offer or make profert of the child, and we are unwilling to announce a rule of law; which goes to the extent of prohibiting a mother from taking her child into the court room. We are of the opinion that proper deference should be shown .the trial court, and the presumption must be indulged that it has exercised proper precaution in the administration of the law, and if in the judgment of the court the mere fact that the prosecutrix had her child with
III.
It is insisted that the court committed error in its refusal of instruction numbered 2 requested by defend: ant. This instruction was as follows:
“The court instructs the jury that when the. facts and circumstances such as usually attend an engagement of marriage are relied upon as corroboration, slight and indifferent particulars are not sufficient; nor will proof of attention merely be sufficient, unless from its duration and constancy, and from the acts, conversation and conduct of the parties, it reasonably carries conviction to the mind that an engagement of marriage exists, and that the attention is not merely such as might reasonably be expected without impropriety from a gentleman towards a lady whose society is agreeable and is not merely such as might reasonably be expected between two young people, who were having illicit intercourse with each other; and the corroboration of the prosecuting witness as to the promise of marriage, if any, whether, direct or positive, or consisting of facts and circumstances as stated above, must be something more .than sufficient to overcome the oath of a defendant and the legal presumption of his innocence.”
In our opinion there was no error in the refusal of this instruction. The subject of the necessity of corroboration of the prosecutrix in order to warrant a conviction was sufficiently covered by instruction numbered 4, in which the court told the. jury, that “you cannot find that the promise of marriage was
The appellant, in our opinion, has 'no right to complain that the subject of corroboration oí .the prosecutrix has not been fully covered, and most favorably so, by the declarations of law as heretofore indicated. While there might be a state of facts testified to in a case of this character which would demand. of the court an argumentative instruction similar to instruction numbered 2 requested by the defendant, yet in our opinion the facts in this case, in view of the •clear and full presentation of the subject of corroboration by the court in other instructions, did not authorize the court to give instruction numbered 2, or at least it was not reversible error to refuse it.
IV.
It is contended that the court erred in refusing instruction numbered 3 requested by the defendant. We have carefully read instruction numbered 3 and we deem it unnecessary to reproduce it, as it is simply a direction upon the same subject of corroboration of
y.
It is insisted that the court committed error in its refusal of instruction numbered 5 requested by defendant. That instructión is as follows:
“The court instructs the jury that if they believe from the.evidence that the prosecuting witness, Mayine P. Hefley, had sexual intercourse prior to the 30th day of March, 1905, with the defendant or any other person or persons, then you will acquit the defendant, and in this connection you are instructed that’ it is not necessary to show by direct evidence that the female had illicit intercourse prior to said date, but it may be shown, like all other facts, by circumstances. ’ ’ It is sufficient to say upon this insistence that instruction numbered 5 does not correctly declare the law, and there was no error in the court refusing to give it. This instruction simply asserted'the legal proposition, without qualification, that if the prosecutrix at any time prior to March 30, 1905, had sexual intercourse with the defendant or any other person or persons, this entitled the defendant to an acquittal. It was expressly ruled by this court in State v. Sharp, 132 Mo. 165, that there was such a thing as reformation in a female, and this court held that the trial court very properly modified the instructions in that case similar to instruction numbered 5 now under consideration, holding that if the prosecutrix had sexual intercourse with any other person than the defendant prior to the alleged seduction, the defendant was entitled to go acquit, “unless you further find that at
VI.
It is next very earnestly insisted that the court committed reversible error in the refusal of instructions numbered 6, 7, 8 and 9 requsted by the defendant. These instructions practically treated of the same subject and will be considered together. They were as follows:
“6. The court instructs the jury that although . you may believe that the defendant had carnal intercourse with the prosecuting witness, Mayme P. Hefley, yet, if you further find that she consented to said connection in consideration of a promise, if any, then and there made to her by defendant that he would marry her, or if she consented to said intercourse without the practice by defendant of arts or blandishments upon said prosecuting witness and she yielded to satisfy her passions, then you will acquit the defendant.
“8. The court instructs the jury that if you shall find and believe from the evidence in- the case that the defendant had carnal intercourse with Mayme P. Hefley, and that she yielded to him on account of the promise of marriage, if any, and without the practice by him of arts or blandishments, then, even though she may have been of good repute, she was not seduced, and the jury should acquit the defendant.
“9. If you shall believe from, the evidence that the defendant had carnal intercourse with the said Mayme P, Hefley, and that she yielded to him solely on account of a promise of marriage, without the practice by him of arts and blandishments, then, though she may have been of good repute, she was not seduced, and you must acquit the defendant.”
• It is sufficient to say of the error complained of in the refusal of the instructions above quoted, that there was no error in the refusal of them for the reason that the subjects treated of in those instructions were fully and fairly presented by instruction numbered 7 given by the court. This instruction so clearly, fully and fairly presented the law of this case that we will be pardoned for here reproducing it. It was as follows:
“7. The court instructs the jury to authorize a conviction in this case, you must believe and find not only that said Mayme P. Hefley was at the time of the seduction, if any, a woman of good retrate in the community in which she lived, and that she was then single and unmarried and under twenty-one years of age, ■ and that defendant did in fact seduce her, but
As to this instruction it is sufficient to repeat what this court said in State v. Meals, supra, when discussing a similar instruction in a. case of this character, that is, this instruction “expressly requires the jury to find!
VII.
We have examined the disclosures of the record alleging error assigned in respect to the polling of the jury after the return of the verdict. It is only necessary to say that in our opinion there is no merit in that complaint.
VIII.
It is urged by counsel for appellant that the court committed error in the exclusion of the testimony offered to prove the defendant’s reputation in the neighborhood in which he resided for truth and veracity. This testimony was properly excluded for the reason that the defendant’s reputation for truth and veracity had not been assailed, and the mere fact that there was a conflict between his testimony and that of the prosecuting witness, is not in contemplation of law such an attack upon his reputation for truth and veracity as would warrant the court in admitting the testimony as to such reputation, for the purpose of bolstering up the testimony of the defendant, when such reputation had been in no way assailed. As applicable to this proposition we know of no rule of law which makes any distinction between the defendant as a witness and any other witness in the case; therefore we take it that the rule as announced in State v. Thomas, 78 Mo. 327, is decisive of this question.
IX.
We have fully analyzed and considered instruction numbered 5 and those given by the court, which is made the basis of complaint of error on the part
X.
This brings us to the final contention of the appellant, that the testimony as introduced was insufficient to authorize a conviction, and that the instruction in the nature of a demurrer to the evidence should have been given by the court as requested by the appellant. It is unnecessary to cite the repeated announcements of the rule by this court that it will not undertake to weigh conflicting testimony developed upon the trial. The witnesses testifying were before the jury; their conduct and manner could be observed, and presumably all the tests as to their credibility were applied. Their testimony was detailed in the presence of the trial judge, and under his supervision, and it is clear to our minds that the. trial court and jury are in a far better position to determine the credibilty of the witnesses and the weight to be attached to their testimony than the appellate court, which is confined to.the disclosures of a lifeless record embracing the evidence detailed in the case. We have carefully con
We have given expression to our views upon the legal propositions disclosed by the record before us, which results in the conclusion that there was evidence sufficient to support the verdict of the jury, and finding no reversible error in the trial of the case the judgment should be affirmed, and it is so ordered.