Camp v. State

• Decision Date: 29 April 1936
• Docket Number: No. 18235.,18235.
• Citation: 93 S.W.2d 1142
• Parties: CAMP v. STATE.
• Court: Texas Court of Criminal Appeals

93 S.W.2d 1142

CAMP v. STATE.

No. 18235.

Court of Criminal Appeals of Texas.

April 29, 1936.

Commissioners' Decision.

Appeal from District Court, Kinney County; Brian Montague, Judge.

Robert Camp was convicted of murder with malice aforethought, and he appeals.

Affirmed.

Frank Lane, of Brackettville, for appellant.

Lloyd W. Davidson, State's Atty., of Austin, for the State.

KRUEGER, Judge.

The appellant was tried and convicted of the offense of murder with malice aforethought, and his punishment was assessed at confinement in the state penitentiary for a term of ninety-nine years.

The record shows that on the morning of the 12th day of August, 1935, appellant and his wife, Julia Camp, were found in bed at their home with bullet wounds at and near their temples, and a .38 caliber pistol with two empty chambers lying on the bed between them. Appellant's wife was dead, but he was still alive and was taken to a hospital for treatment where he recovered. A few days after the commission of the alleged offense, appellant made a written confession to the county attorney, in which he admitted that he shot his wife and then shot himself. When the state offered said purported confession as evidence, appellant objected to its introduction upon the following grounds: First, that it was not signed by him, that there were not two subscribing witnesses to the same; second, that at the time it was made appellant was not in a mental condition to make any sort of a statement. All of this is shown by appellant's bill of exception No. 1. The purported confession was signed by the appellant, and, therefore, under article 727, C.C.P., it was not necessary to have any subscribing witnesses. It is only necessary when the maker is unable to write his name or signs by mark. The court, in the absence of the jury, heard testimony offered by appellant relating to his mental condition at the time of making said purported confession, which the state controverted. Thereupon the court admitted said purported confession in evidence and in his charge instructed the jury relative thereto as follows: "You are therefore instructed that unless you find and believe from the evidence, beyond a reasonable doubt, that said document was signed by the defendant, and unless you further find and believe from the evidence beyond a reasonable doubt that before said written statement was made the defendant was warned by W. J. Muller, first, that he did not have to make any statement at all; and second, that any statement made by him might be used in evidence against him on the trial for the offense concerning which the confession is therein made; or if you have a reasonable doubt from all the facts and circumstances in the case either that the defendant signed said statement, or that the warning above referred to was given by the said W. J. Muller to the defendant, then you will not consider said statement for any purpose whatever and wholly disregard the same. In connection with the foregoing you are further instructed that if the preponderance of the evidence in this case on the issue of insanity established in your mind the conclusion that at the time of the making of said statement appearing in the evidence as State's exhibit number four, if the defendant, was not then and there possessed of mentality sufficient to understand fully the nature and consequences of his act, then you cannot consider said statement for any purpose whatever, and you will wholly disregard the same." It is obvious from the foregoing instruction that the court submitted the issue to the jury in accordance with the practice approved by this court in the case of Blocker v. State, 61 Tex.Cr.R. 413, 135 S.W. 130.

Bill of exception No. 2 relating to objections made to the court's charge is without merit.

By bill of exception No. 3 appellant complains of the action of the trial court in overruling his motion for a new trial based upon newly discovered testimony material to the defendant's defense. Attached to the motion is an affidavit...