176 P. 590 | Or. | 1918
The vital question in this case is whether or not there was sufficient evidence to sustain the verdict. It appears from the record that at about 12 m. on March 13,1917, on one of the principal streets
The evidence shows that a 38-caliber bullet was extracted from- the body of the deceased; that a 32-cali-ber bullet was taken from the ankle of Mrs. George; that those shots were fired by either Chin Ping or Chin Borkey; that immediately after the shooting all of the defendants ran away and disappeared within the Chinese buildings adjoining Adams Avenue, where the shooting took place; that such buildings were at once surrounded by officers and numerous citizens called to their assistance; that after a diligent search during the whole afternoon, at about 5 p. m. of the same day Chin Ping, Chin Borkey, Ah Sam, Chong Bing and this defendant were discovered in a pit underneath a bedroom in the rear of the Joss House, in which were also found three fully loaded revolvers and another with all but one of the shells fired; a mattress and some quilts. There was a trap-door on hinges leading into this pit, which was securely fastened from below, and entrance to the pit could be made only through this door, which was completely covered and concealed by a carpet upon
Adams Avenue is fifty-six feet in width and the Joss House, the store of Quon Sing & Co. and the Chinese laundry adjoin and front on that street, diagonally across from the postoffice building. The map offered in evidence shows that the pit was in the northeast corner of the bedroom, which was connected with and in the rear of the Joss House, about one hundred and seventy-five feet from the drinking-fountain in front of the postoffice, where the deceased fell. The evidence shows that at and prior to the time of the shooting the defendant Chin Lem was standing on the sidewalk in front of the Quon Sing store, about one hundred and thirty-five feet from where Eng was killed; that immediately after the shooting he disappeared and was not seen again until he was discovered in the pit with four of his codefendants.
No witness testified that Ching Lem was seen with a revolver and there is no evidence which tends to show that either Chin Ping or Chin Borkey had more than one revolver, but there is much significance in the facts that the defendant and four other Chinamen, with four revolvers, were found in the pit; that three of those revolvers were fully loaded; that there was only one shell remaining in the other revolver and that another pistol, from which all of the shots had been recently fired, was found in a nearby shed; that after William
Jim Lee testified that at the time of the shooting he came from Hip Lee’s store and saw two Chinamen standing in front of the Quon Sing store, and identified them as the defendant Ching Lem and Ah Sam, one of the codefendants; that Ching Lem took one or two steps forward and looked across to the postoffice towards Eng; that he, Jim Lee, had known Ching Lem for several years. Ralph Winters testified that about a minute after the shooting he saw four Chinamen “running across this yard from this wood-shed to building marked ‘kitchen’ that about a minute later he saw another Chinaman and they were all running. Chief of Police Rayburn testified that he heard the shots and with the assistance of fifteen or twenty citizens immediately surrounded the Chinese buildings so that no one could escape without being seen; that the pit above referred to was three feet deep, three feet wide and seven or eight feet long; that in one revolver there were one loaded cartridge and five empty shells; that it was a thirty-eight Colt’s; that in the revolver found in the shed there were six empty shells; this revolver was a thirty-two-twenty; and the cut in the floor for the trap-door was fresh. John Newell testified that at the time of the shooting he saw three Chinamen in front of the Quon Sing store; that they all disappeared immediately after the shooting; that they seemed to be very much excited; that one was looking towards Eng and another was looking back towards the Chinese buildings, and that they all disappeared at the same
From the facts that the tacks had been recently removed from the carpet; that the trap-door had lately been cut in the floor; that it was covered and concealed; that the pit was freshly dug; that at the time of the shooting the defendant was seen standing on the sidewalk in front of the store of Quon Sing & Co., in an excited state; that immediately after the shooting he disappeared among the Chinese buildings and was later found in the pit, over which was a trap-door bolted from underneath; that the pit was open and ready when he went in; that it was only about forty-five feet from where he was standing on the sidewalk; that there were five Chinamen hidden and concealed together in the pit and five revolvers were found in and
The court gave its instruction number 5 as follows:
“I instruct you that flight and concealment, immediately after the commission of a crime is a circumstance which you may take into consideration in determining the guilt or innocence of the defendant; and if you find from the evidence beyond a reasonable doubt, that immediately after the fatal shots were fired, which killed William Eng, the defendant fled and concealed himself in a pit under the floor of an outbuilding adjacent to the Chinese quarters, then Í charge you that you are at liberty to consider this circumstance along with the other evidence, tending to connect the defendant with the commission of the crime,”
—and its instruction number 10, as follows:
“I instruct you that if you find from the evidence that the defendant fled and concealed himself, soon*618 after the death of the deceased, such flight or concealment, if any, is not of itself, sufficient evidence of defendant’s guilt, but only a circumstance to be taken into consideration by the jury, with all the other circumstances in the case. You should consider along with all the other evidence in the case, the pressure brought to bear upon the defendant by the others, if any, the fear or fright of defendant, if any, and all the other circumstances of the case.”
It will thus be seen that the court specifically instructed the jury that flight or concealment alone was “not of itself sufficient evidence of defendant’s guilt, but only a circumstance to be taken into consideration by the jury, with all the other, circumstances in the case.”
Affirmed. Rehearing Denied.