Case Information
*1 OFFICE OF THE ATTORNEY GENERAL OF TEXAS AUSTIN
Mr. Tom Whoat
00~emor'a orrio
Aurtln, Texas
Dmu Sir:
wo are in reoelpt
reward, toasther with your letter as
you regarding payment of the -ward. or
Artiole
prorid.
“‘ra8 -u Y
ortar to be p
00vuEor w. Loo O'Dmni.1, a or $250 .oo vor th0 aafd fu&tire within ona year from ter, two por80na, Ruddy Asker and T. R. aought a8 the au0 Powlor, Jr., l a murbermra or Robortaon, worm pprehoa&U an4 blivoro4 & the hand8 or Sheriff or Lwr ammt~ lkxu. it appear8 that Shim do- The llru~ ~88 mot hnrido the 1 Y 1 door Luur a01111tp, wo *2 Mr. Tom whoot, Pogo 2
think tho oIroum6Sanoor pamludod a 1lt;ral eamplIu~o with 0ondi01on 0r tho offor, It l p p o o r o dolIror~ or tho two ru&tIroo was 8otually m6d6 to th6 sh0rirr 0r Lamar countp- but that, by rosson Of his Ioar that mob rlolo,noo eight OO- our ii tho fugltlwio wuo returns& to Lamar County, the Sheriff took the prloonoro to Dallas County ror oorokooplng. Thor6 was in our opinion, a ubotantlnl oorpllanco with this condition.
IIt door not ppou frap tho ill0 that Aokor and ?owlor have boon oonti~tod O? th6 murder of Robutoon. YOU adrloo that both aro io. tho poaItontIar~. xt d000 not rob low, noooooaril~, that they wore Ino6rooratod pursuant to tholr oonrlotion ror the murder or Robortoon. It must ap- poor with oortalnty that they havo boon oonrlotod of that rnurdor--6166, as pointed out In our opinion MO. o-3087, the oonditlon upon which the roward IO payable has not beon mot. Ass JOur lnwotigotlom ooarIrmplar roroorotIon ot AOk6r and ?wlor in tho l urmlo o that th e -fn ponltoatlur Io pmmmt to a OOnriotIon iOr the 38twdor or Robortoon, tho quoatlon thon lo prooontod: Has the r6word beon earnod; ii 80, by whom, and In what amounts to aaoh?
At tho outset, It appoara conolusIvely that tho poroono partlolpatlng of Aoker woro not par- In tho orrest tlolpaato in tho arrest or Powlu, and rioovwom. Qoaoo- quontly nolthor sot olaImnt6, alone, 6atIofIod tho ooo- at the rowmU, Upon prinoiploo dltloao ana6tinood br author- It188 horoinaftir a oaoo 10 prooontod bo oltod,, thororore, for oqultablo apportlonmont or the total snout or the reward ofrored botwoon thooo partlolpatlng ths arrest or Aokor and thoso partloipating in tho arrest of Fowlor. :inoo thoro 18 nothing to suggest any poooIbIllty of dlopulty in tho (and we can oonoolro or value or th6 roopootlro sorvlou tho oaao appoaro an apt on6 ror the application none) oi the prlnolplo WBqualIb7 IO qultf’. Henor, in our oplnlon, reword rhould bo paid *125&O to the apprehondoro or Aoksr $125.00 to tho apprehenders or Fouler. th@ qaoatlon rho lo onti8lod to In 6otormining
the rworb ror arm8t* 8oh tugitiw, onu, ir mora tlun ono lo ntltlod te o&o In thr mnrd rer ona fu&tIn, how much should bo wardo& to mh poroon 00 entltlotl, 8 aoro problm 1s pra6ntod. difficult Rowovor, no are not without in the reported authority dooiolons rinnounofnlr, the rules by which tho problem may be ~solvod.
Y
Nr. Tam Whoat, Pa6a 3
‘., &dInarll~ ouoh oftloor8 may not bo paid rewards for oorv- loos rendered in line of duty, upon grounds or public f’roquontly beoomeo nsososory to dotor- polloy. Henoe it mlno, when ouoh ottiooro claim rewards, whothor the aoto the basis for the claim were perrornod oonotltutlng within or without the ooopo or tholr orfIolal duties. Not for this rwud was orrorbd by the Govor- 60 hors, houotor, no r Pm&or otatutorr l uthorlt~, and the proolaaatlon aid not l xoludo poaoo orrlooro noting In the dIochorgo or their dUtl fr= the olaoo Of poroono who might earn the rowad performing the required omIoo. Under the ootabliohod exception to the gsnoril rule, thmt an orricer 0t6y rO06i~o a reword otisred under legiolatlte authority, though ho by porroroko the oorrlooo roquirul In line or duty, unlooo the torMo or the oilor ho IO l xoludod rrom thm olau of
ormoM *o uj ouopt it it booaao UnoooaMry In thI* f notan. 80 dobnIao lddhu u&o ofTIouo Involwd wore l otIIlg In line a aar. (8.0 QILI: opIaIon No. o-1622 irr autherltloo than oltod--oopy of whloh lo ottaohod.)
The fOllOwIng authorltloo will be helpful in do- tormlnlng the quootlono romatning to bo dloouooodr
Whoro robborm wore bolng purouod by putloo work- Ing Indopondantlp Or l 06h 0th~ one who first saw robbers an0 la attalmptlag to offoot thofr oapturo drove them into tho hands of othoro, %t boll@ &oar that but ?or his par- suit they Would U0t h6VO beUI OaptUm ih p1000 WI manner, hold l ntltlod to ohore In reward ofllorod ior cap- ture and oonrlotlon of robboro. Cotton T. Downs, (Ark.) 271 S. w. 340.
One who rurnlohed lnrormatlon which lad to an qultobl~ capture of prloonoro lo ntltlod portion of obptore or prisonore tho reword otierod’tor though not sating otlroly in oonoort ;;Ith those who ootuaily oap- turod the prioonoro. w ouaty t. Xoteo, t al, 208 Pac. 761. Whuo the aervloom mquootod In an offor ot ro-
ward us b ohuao*u md uo mod0 under oIrsuamturooo that roqulrr or ponit tho oeoporotion ot mmorouo indl- ror the ooompliohmont vidualo or the doolrod rooult, as- rorol parsons by oonoutod otlon soy join ~perronafng
. *4 orvlooo rhoreby that r r oult lr o btained, thuo booome ntltloa to the wuu4, In whloh om tho nnrd lo to k dltldo& maon thma rooording to the relative veluo ot their eorrloeo, 34 Cyo. 1750; 23 R.C.L. 1133; IXkhorn Valley Lodge v. Iludaon, 59 Nob. 672, 81 K. -‘. 859; Jenvrln v. Tom of E:xo%o~, 48 N-H. 83, 2 An. Rep. 185; !%'ergO V. AY4AU, 43 Row. Proo. (N.Y.) 193.
“The evldenom eeteblioheo thut, with the exooption Rtoinor, the oleimento to whom the olroult oourt me&o in oonorr* in df00tiing the oaptura of Bmrt ma6 wordo aotod own. Tho l oto eaoh ,oontrlbut.od in BOIUG aprxeoloblo na- oure in brlnglng about the doolrsd reeult, end the eats oi produoed rbaul’c, rll of thea. toaether thereby entitling eaoh to partialpate in the reward.
“The olaimadt ‘teiner did ;~t sot in concert with the others who effected oaptu?w of the fugitimo. He furnlohod the purowro with the firot uthentlo lnfonrmtlon they hod obtalaotl ooaooralng tho whrrvbouto of the tugl- tlveo, but ho did not up the pursuit. Fteinor pe4rformd toko art or oonloo in tha ocrlsa at dots performed lnltlol whloh led lnmdlately to the oapturs of Fart and Own. . . . That lnionaation contributed proximetely to the oepture of Hart end Owen. ?talnor has e persuasive oleln u:xM~ those to whom ho gate the information to e portion of the rewerd, whloh in equity end good oonoolonom ohould he rooognleed.
WIOI-O ore 08808 holtllag that, where the effort8 of aevorrl ol~imanto who bid not sot in oonoorfi oontrlbutod to produce the desired result, the reward In a proper aaee equitably monr: them. 23 T;.C.L. 1133; will be apportioned Bloont1ej.d v. N&lonoy, 176 i:loh. 548, 142 3.“;. 785, Ann. COO. D662., end note4 i&u~ v. Bank, ll? ie. 537, 95 X."~. 969, 99 Am. 3. Rep. 1012. in oourt one all partlao
“The iundo ore ere before Ylthout doptlng the dootrine of the authoritleo tb oourt. laot oltrd for applloetlon in aU eeeee, WC hold thot ?trlnrr an qultsblm portion of the rewarda. is entitled Vha opportlonmnt rarde by olroult oourt takoo into oonoldorotlon the rolativm value of the asrvioeo of the reopeotlto rlrlmnts, and we think awards to eaoh the oharo to whloh he is equitably entitled.” m.
i *5 Afr. Tom Wheat, Pago
The prlnolplas upon whloh the above deolslono ara In the oese prrdloated are rooognlzed by the Texan courts. 3.T. 237, the ?an Antonio Court of ;f,TobiA T, MooComb, 156 f' 1 n Appoalrn raid: that a nuder of
*It lo mottled, s tatod above, paroono, lthor worklngg together or oepar8taly, may rondor oor~looo OS ouoh a nature, and 80 oomply with the tenno of the offor, am to entitle them aoh separately or all jointly to share in the nerd. maA the evidence showa that no one tha oloimnto fully met ths raqulrcmsnta of the offar of reward, but thafr l ffo rto oomblned fully oomplled with that lto terms, though they mm worklna separably and won wlth- out kaowlod* oi rroh other they may noelra 0 dlvioion of the romrd la pro)ortlon to their oorvlooo. What oor~looo WWQ nn4w0d and whet proportl~n or the rouara mh ohould roooln are quwtlono for the jury to determine tran the mvl- (Citing danor under l p p r o p rlate ohargao from the court. authorltlao)n.
@A@OtiOAO of faot and matters %noolvlng the exer- o? $&-At and dloontion oannot be deokdad by thin Thooa r( mrtkro aloh Dapa-t . address thamsslvoo ox- olualvoly to aho 0rii0181 ar dopartmont vo8tod with the *u- thorlty lrr dotetine them-in this inrtanoe, Governor. Henoe we oxprsoa no opinion as to the oredlbllity or wltnesaee taRtiiyiAg by affldavlt in suyport of these claims, wa do not attempt to resolve their conflloto stat0r.snt0, end we do not express nny opinion en to the relative value of rrarvloes rendered, upon which fl!)nortion- rr.ent of the rewar6 will be made.
Fran l rllenoe auhitted, it appears th* of the fu<lve Aokmr ooourred as followa: apprehenolon On the 11th or Ootokr, 1940, in Can Jaolnto TmUo,,foa 8. -a, hwlng 808~ two 111)n iyty, 8 mod8 noor him hau who he belfoved to Ee thorn A&or and Fouler, notltld, thpgh h% R. A. Wilson, nhorj:ff Eoguo of
c
. . -
Mr. Tom whoat, Pa@ 5 to load 0rri00rs
Jaolnto county, rolunt00rin(l to tha plaoo whore ho had l aon Aokor and -1.r. Sharii? Hogua oalloI the Shorti? o? Walker County ?or aaaistanaa. At a point no.ar the hl.ding plaao a? the ?ugitltaa, the rollowlng men assembloQ: Jj C. Hogus Jr., and MS deputies Dovle ;he~~;: and 0. c. ~30drurr; , T”. Norr~son Flofl Firrla, Constable: Preolnot 1, “alker County, Cog ‘$geant, yryune “tate Texas; A. F. Herrington, Prison Farm; V’ G. MbConnol Chic? Deputy Shari??, qalkor Cou&'and Joe R. Villaon. Vllaon wtis sent ror by Shorl?? Hogua to lead the eearohers to the plaoa whore he had aeon Aokar nnci Fowlsr; Farrla. was asked by Hague to jaln them in the nearoh.
By mutual agreeaant, the m+tt;ll divided. Into two groupt3, one group to work up one ban;: ot the oreek and the other the opposite bank, toward the plooe where Wllaon had dlaoorerad the ?ugl- tiraa. They fluahod Asker cmd rowlor; Powlor l aoapo4~ Aoker uma ~apturok It aaaa 080 PIPS- kr or tha poou held l gun on Aekor; another aaareho4 hlsq another put the handouffs on him; perhaps et.111 another SoraWly pleoed him under . The avldonoe as to this phase 1s oon- srroat fliotlng, but in the view wa take of matter, on this point is Waterlal. the oonfllot m vidonc# l loarl~ lndloatea Joa R. Wilson furn1ah.d lniormtion whloh 1.d dinotlJ to thr oOptun o? ‘IIS an aotira partlolpant Aokar; that ha llkatiu in the group of men by Whom the aotual apprehension was l ??eotad. The evidence likewise reilsota that, m,utuaZ agree- olearly cant, expraaa or taolt, ell the man pertlolpating as mombe~s of the poeaq ware anga II oonoerted aotlon, in a joint entgrprlse having for r to purpose the traoking down and ar- rent or Aoker and Fouler.
This being the oaee, it is lmmaterlal that one o? the group ??aotad the aotual phyaloai apprshenslon o? Aoknr. flia aot in that reapeot lo the ot of all the partlee to the aonoertad aotlon joint enterprise, an4 boos not oonfer upon him a r-t to tha rouard to the xoluaion OS the others. All arm ntltlad to nbara in the reward, and unbar the olrour- tanooa dotalloil it would seen that dl??erenoaa, ii anr, l.n
Ur. Tom Yhaat, Pago value of the @en1088 randarad all aavo
the ralatlta lVllaon era 80 alight as ba lmatarlal on tha quaatlon 0s apportionment. Wilson, hawmver, not only partlolpated a8 a member of the poaaa making the hotunl arrest, but ?ur- nlahed the original ln?ormatlon whioh proxlmatelp led to the arreet. Yhathar, by virtue o? this fsot, ~':lls~n*a.~erv- Ices wore of greater relatlve ralua, so that he Should re- oalie a larger proportion o? the reward, end, l? 80, the amount br whloh his portion should exoaed that l war4ed to the others, praront quoatlona foot whleh the bovarnor, not thla Dapartmotit, has axolualre authority to daol48.
From the etldanoa before us, it appaara that the arrest of Fouler ooourrad nubatantlally as followtir
At 2 6.~. Rmlay, Ootober 13th. 1940, Lewranoe Norakoakl of New Warerly, Walker County, Texan, while halp- lng barbaoua meat for a ohuroh plonlo, aaw a atrangar lolter- The trakuer akad him for a light ad la6lnthaah8Aowa. whllm xta@iy the r&d ot hla burning ol~tlntte for that glare 0s the aigntta, purpoma. Hovako&l noognina4, in the foe) o? the atraqpr as that 'as it appaarad of Fowlar in a ra4ant newapapar photogrwh which he had seen. Nova- kook1 sought loos1 deputy ahsri?? VJ. Ball, and told him soarohed ana did not rind Fowler; o?,aealng Fowler. Ball told him Fowlar had gone down the Mleaourl Paol?lo Norak08kl traoka toward Wlllia in his oar two tiles and took Ball wharm Bell got out walked down the traok down tnaka Ulllla tow& ticmud HOW Wave&, mat and l matd Parlor, rotunto& with him to Naw Wata'rloy, 16adod hfm into Norako&l*a oar, and Norakoakl took them to Huntsville, where Fowler was ulaoed in oounty jail to await arrivnl or the "herlff or
The foregoing 1s Norakoakl~s rornion, whloh IS sup- ported by the arrldarlt 0s Toney Gregory.
The roralon 0s 'II. Ball 18 as rollowar ml1 8aya a of boy8 oame to hfm and told him =s rOOteP hoar the ohuroh there ma a "a\upiQhUO 0 they loot saw him go id tha Usmotion of thr @II Ball oak.6 *art0 * ahowhimtha pormenand and aonr ohod an4 l ald not fl84 the p o raon~ saw mama mo ra tharro?um&; Ball want told him thaf saw a poraon walklq people and they on the *8 !.I*. Tom ':lhoat, Pago 8
railroad traoki at the roquaat of Bell one of the parties oarrio hi8 fn his oar down road t*p mllea; Ball got’out, l akad tha othara to go with him, they refused; Ball walk06 down ral~oa4 traok, arreated FoWlor, brought him to Now Warerlay; there Wobtalnaa a oar and drlveP and dellvared to await Yherl?? of Lamar Powler to Jell at Huntarllla county.
Xt thua l pprua thei thera la no dispute in the rldonaa that Ball alma l ??aoted the ph~aloal tklng or Foulor. Tho only doubt ralaod la as to Warakoakl*a ooanao- I? Nwakoakl~e tatawnt la oolc tlon with the tranraotlon. it ppaara that he reoognlaed reot, Fowlar oommunleated hla ln?ormatlon with the intent to Bill, a deputy aherlrr, to oauaa ?oWler*a arnat; that ha ?urnlshed Bell aaalat~noa br way of 'further lnfomatlon and otherwlae, but not to point of partlolpatlry in the aotual aearoh, with its attead- ant phyalaal risk. I? Novakookl*a atatomant~be true, it aaru~o~r~thla~o~U~~~o~~~d9rod-
ntaly uu804 t&a mat br Doll Isd b la wrtitlbd to aharm in the ramaH ta tha oxtont of tho proportlmmte .valua 0s the sar rloa a l ontighted by him toward tha BP rahonslon of partlolpata w th P Bsll Bowler. Novakoakl*a failure in the aotual searoh doon not de?aat his olalm to a part a? the reward, but la a ofrrumatanoe to be oonsltl@red by the Oover- to whioh he la nor in detarmlnlng the equitable proportion entltlab. On the other hand, while Bell*@ tatomont la not oontndlotory ot Novnkookl*a, it la, though general
rlatly of auoh a nature an to oaat doubt upon in its~ etatamnta, authentlolty of the atatamanta nede by I'iovakoakl. Bell does not mention Novakoakl, but a rou o? boyn; 88 oomunl- oatlng to hln, not an ldentitloatlon o 'Poulor, but a mere of the preaanoe a naunploiou~ oheraoter" suggestion st speaks Of waom mora people*--not the boya-- the ohuroh; Bell a)~ aarlalng him the tugitlre had Bone down the railroad he does not ven identify Nwakoskl as the driver or tnoka; owner of the oar whloh took him down traoka, OF hauled him and the prisoner to Ihultstlllo.
The quartion of Nwakoakl*a partlolpatlon, tha thoroor, la a pure puaatlon 0s fast, natura and extant rhlah oannot solve. To aalat the Uovemrer la thla Departnnt *9 . . - ‘b Mm . .
Mr. Tom %eat, Page
doterpining it, we rri&t 8wgo8t thet Rell be oalled upon undbz oat&# aad both ho ror a moxu dotalhd utatmont and Novakoaki be a&d to 8uwtl Noh further supporting eridenoe a8 may be available to them, from other witnoesea.
Pinally,m oall your attention to the fact that the stetute provides ior the paymeat or the rewed “upon the oertltioate of the Governor reoiting the taots whioh entitle auoh parson to reoolre It would aeon, thererore, it’. rindlag Oz the Ootrraor upon the feota, hla doolsloa ai to pportiommnt 0r the reward, ia oonolurlre. Nata v.
Dlnkiar, lflaa. 874, 27 30. 832, where, in an aotion againat the f%ate to reower a reward orferod by the Cmernor, oourt aaldr “The offering or rewards end the payment or them are matter8 l ntru6t.d aolely to the dlaoretlan of the GovemoP and hla notion “oannot be ooeroad, nor oan errect or his reiuaal ot be evaded by an applloation to the judlolal departiont or the government*.
We retura pur fllo horedth.
Yours tory tru1j Al?PROVl?D ?JOP 26, 194l ATTORN??? m3%RAL 0s TKXAS (algad) Orover 5:ellora YI.l?nT MSIWrANT (Uuod) BY
ATTORIEY dlQRAZ R. W. Felrehlld
haaiataat APPROVED OPINIQJ