State v. Burgess

Decision Date31 January 1876
Citation74 N.C. 272
CourtNorth Carolina Supreme Court
PartiesSTATE v. SAMUEL BURGESS.
OPINION TEXT STARTS HERE

Upon the trial of an indictment charging the defendant with the larceny of goods, the property of A?? proof that the defendant was guilty of the larceny of goods, the joint property of A and B?? is a fatal variance between the allegata and the probata.

It is not strictly regular to take the objection to such evidence, after verdict, upon a motion in arrest of judgment; but where this court can see from the record that there was a fatal variance between the charge and the proof, a venire de novo will be awarded.

INDICTMENT for larceny, tried before his Honor Judge Cannon, at Fall Term, 1875, of the Superior Court of CLAY county.

The defendant was charged with the larceny of a pair of shoes, the property of Joshua Brooks.

Henry Brooks, a witness for the State, testified that a pair of ladies' shoes, the property in question, were taken from the shop of William Brooks & Sons, by some person, to him unknown; that the firm of William Brooks & Sons was composed of William Brooks, Joshua Brooks and himself. On cross-examination, the witness stated that the shoes belonged to one Hagler; that Hagler had furnished the leather and William Brooks & Son had made the shoes for him; the firm had no property or claim upon them except that they were in the possession of the firm when taken, and a lien upon the shoes for making them.

The counsel for the defendant requested the court to charge the jury: That if they believed the testimony of Brooks, the shoes were the property of Hagler and the defendant must be acquitted.

The court declined to give the instruction, and charged the jury: That if they believed Henry Brooks, the property was properly laid in Joshua Brooks as a baileee.

To the refusal of his Honor to charge as requested, and to the charge of his Honor as above set forth, the defendant excepted.

The jury returned a verdict of guilty, and the defendant moved for a new trial. The motion was overruled; the defendant then moved in arrest of judgment, alleging a variance between the allegat?? and the pr??bata. Motion overruled by the court, and defendant appealed.

No counsel in this court for the defendant.Attorney General Hargrove, for the State .

READE, J.

The prob??ta does not correspond with the allegat??, and that is always fatal. If one is charged with stealing the property of A, it will not do to prove that he stole the joint property of A and B.

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11 cases
  • State v. Campbell
    • United States
    • North Carolina Court of Appeals
    • February 6, 2018
    ...Samuel and others" while the evidence showed that Lee Samuel was the sole owner of the property in question. Finally, in State v. Burgess , 74 N.C. 272, 272-73 (1876), we determined that a fatal variance existed in a case in which the indictment alleged that the property was owned by Joshua......
  • State v. Campbell
    • United States
    • North Carolina Court of Appeals
    • October 20, 2015
    ...Samuel and others" while the evidence showed that Lee Samuel was the sole owner of the property in question. Finally, in State v. Burgess, 74 N.C. 272, 272–73 (1876), we determined that a fatal variance existed in a case in which the indictment alleged that the property was owned by Joshua ......
  • State v. Greene
    • United States
    • North Carolina Supreme Court
    • April 6, 1976
    ...627 (1889); State v. Bishop, 98 N.C. 773, 4 S.E. 357 (1887); State v. Jenkins, supra; State v. Hardison, 75 N.C. 203 (1876); State v. Burgess, 74 N.C. 272 (1876). See generally 4 Strong, N.C.Index 2d Indictment and Warrant § 17; 52A C.J.S. Larceny § 13; 50 Am.Jur.2d Larceny § 167. If the pe......
  • State v. Campbell
    • United States
    • North Carolina Court of Appeals
    • July 1, 2014
    ...the stolen property is not the owner or special owner of it, there is a fatal variance entitling defendant to a nonsuit.”); State v. Burgess, 74 N.C. 272, 273 (1876) (“If one is charged with stealing the property of A, it will not do to prove that he stole the joint property of A and B.”); ......
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