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State v. PhelanState v. Phelan

Supreme Court of Missouri
Oct 15, 1877
Reporters:
Before:
Norton
Norton, J.

The only point for consideration in this case is the sufficiency of the indictment. The indictment charges that defendant, on &c., at &c., “ wilfully, ‍​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​​​‌​​​​‌‌‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌​​​‌‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​​‌​‍feloniously, on purpose, and of his malice aforethought, unlawfully did shoot at one Peter White, with a pistol, which said pistol was then and there a deadly weapon, and loaded and charged with gunpowder and leaden bullets, with intent then and there the said’ Peter White wilfully, feloniously, ‍​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​​​‌​​​​‌‌‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌​​​‌‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​​‌​‍on purpose and of his malice aforethought to kill and murder,” &e.

The indictment is framed under sec. 29, 1 Wag. Stat., 449, which provides “that every person who shall, on purpose and of malice aforethought, shoot at or stab another, or assault or beat back another with a ‍​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​​​‌​​​​‌‌‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌​​​‌‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​​‌​‍deadly weapon, *549or by any other means likely to produce death or great bodily harm, with intent to kill,” &c., such person “ shall be punished by imprisonment in the penitentiary not exceeding ten yeai’s.”

The only objection urged against the indictment is that it does not allege an assault. ‍​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​​​‌​​​​‌‌‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌​​​‌‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​​‌​‍We think that this objection is not well taken. The indictment follows not only the form as laid down in 2 Arch. Crim. Prac., sec. 14, but uses the language of the statute defining the offense. No exceptions were taken to the instructions, nor do we perceive any ‍​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​​​‌​​​​‌‌‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌​​​‌‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​​‌​‍error, either in them or in the record of the case. The judgment will therefore be affirmed, in which the other judges concur. Areirmed.

Case Details

Case Name: State v. Phelan
Court Name: Supreme Court of Missouri
Date Published: Oct 15, 1877
Citation: 65 Mo. 547
Court Abbreviation: Mo.
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