281 S.W. 1049 | Tex. Crim. App. | 1926
Lead Opinion
Conviction in Criminal District Court of Travis county of transportation of intoxicating liquor; punishment fixed at one year in the penitentiary.
There is but one bill of exceptions in this record, and same complains of the refusal of the court to give a peremptory instruction of not guilty. We are not in accord with the contention thus set forth.
According to the state's testimony appellant was seen to walk out of the back door of what is known as the Dixie Cafe in Austin and from thence across the back yard of said cafe and to deposit two bottles of whiskey in a box. He then walked a little way in a different direction and handed a bottle of said liquor to one Cunningham. Testifying in his own behalf, appellant denied having any whiskey and stated that his car was parked near said cafe and that he and one Davis were walking around, and that said Cunningham asked them if they wanted a drink and that he replied that he did and went back through the cafe to the back yard, and in a short time Cunningham *630 and Davis came back there and that Cunningham took out a bottle of liquor and before he, appellant, ever took the same in his hand the officer arrested them.
In order to constitute the offense of transportation it is not necessary that the testimony show all of the distance traveled or all the way the liquor is transported. Tullos v. State, 99 Tex.Crim. Rep.. Nor is it necessary that the testimony show a completed journey. Lamb v. State,
Being unable to agree with the contention made in appellant's requested instruction, and being further of opinion that the evidence supports the jury's conclusion, the judgment will be affirmed.
Affirmed.
Addendum
In a courteous motion appellant urges that our conclusion appears based on the mistaken idea that this is a case of circumstantial evidence. We did not intend to convey such impression. Mr. McCoy swore that he saw appellant come into the back yard of the Dixie Cafe, walk across said yard and lay two bottles of whiskey "out of his hip pocket in that box;" then saw two other men come out of the cafe into the yard and saw appellant walk between these two men and hand another bottle to "this big man," who was tearing the paper off this bottle and pulling the cork out when witness took the bottle out of his hand. As to what occurred before appellant walked out into said yard, — we find in the testimony *631 of witness Loveless the statement, in substance, that he with appellant and two other men were on the sidewalk in front of said cafe; that appellant went in the restaurant and witness followed. Witness stopped at the water cooler, and when he got out in the back yard the others were under arrest. It thus appears that if appellant had the whiskey in his pocket as testified to by the officer, and that he had just come from the sidewalk in front through the restaurant, and to the place where he put the whiskey down, this was transportation. Benson v. State, 95 Tex.Crim. Rep.. It is true appellant denies having the bottle of whiskey in his pocket at all, but the jury has solved these fact issues against him.
Being unable to agree with appellant's contention, the motion for rehearing will be overruled.
Overruled.