38 Kan. 194 | Kan. | 1888
The opinion of the court was delivered by
The next question for decision is, whether the charge of the court is properly in the transcript. There is a certificate of the clerk that the transcript embraces a true copy of the charge; but can the instructions given be brought into the record unless they are embodied in a bill of exceptions? It has already been decided that instructions asked for and refused do not become a part of the record except by means of a bill of exceptions. (The State v. McClintock, 37 Kas. 40;
It only remains to consider the questions raised against the sufficiency of the information. The defendant claims that it does not charge an intention on his part to kill and murder the deceased. In the first part of the information it is alleged that defendant feloniously, willfully, deliberately, premeditatedly, and with malice aforethought, assaulted, struck, stabbed and cut Thomas Hill with a knife, inflicting a mortal wound, from which Hill died; and then it concludes by charging that the defendant, in the manner and form aforesaid, did feloniously, willfully, deliberately, premeditatedly, and of malice aforethought, kill and murder Thomas Hill.
A final objection is made to the jurat attached to the information. The verification was by the oath of the county attorney, in the presence of the clerk of the district court, and is in the following form:
“ State op Kansas, Davis County, ss. : On this, 12th day*200 of March, 1887, personally came H. J. Humphrey, county at torney of said county, who, being duly sworn according to law, deposes and says that the facts set forth in the foregoing information are true, to the best of his knowledge, information, and belief. H. J. Humphrey.
“ Sworn to and subscribed in my presence, the day and year last above written. . J. B. Callen, Clerk of the Court .”
It will be observed that the jurat did not follow the stereotyped form of, “sworn to before me and subscribed in my presence,” as the words “before me” were omitted. The clerk does state that the county attorney took the oath in his presence; and as he certifies that H. J. Humphrey personally came and was duly sworn according to law, there is a fair implication that Humphrey not only came, but also swore to the information before the subscribing officer. There is nothing in the jurat to raise a presumption that any other officer or person administered the oath. The usual form of jurat does not in terms state that the oath is administered by the officer, but only that it is sworn to before him. Here it is certified that the oath was duly and legally taken in the presence of the officer, which does not differ greatly from a statement that it was taken before him. The certifying officer is one authorized to administer oaths, and he signs and certifies in this case as if he administered the oath; otherwise, it would not have been duly and legally done.