State v. Dolan
Decision Date | 07 September 1897 |
Parties | STATE v. DOLAN. |
Court | Washington Supreme Court |
Appeal from superior court, King county; T. J. Humel, Judge.
Robert Dolan was convicted of assault with intent to commit murder and appeals. Reversed.
R. R. George and George E. De Steiguer, for appellant.
James F. McElroy and John B. Hart, for the State.
Appellant was tried and convicted upon an information charging him with assaulting and shooting one James M. Snyder with intent to commit murder. The information was based upon section 22 of the Penal Code, which provides that an assault with intent to commit murder, rape, the infamous crime against nature mayhem, robbery, or grand larceny shall subject the offender to imprisonment in the penitentiary for a term of not less than one year nor more than fourteen years. It appears from the bill of exceptions that at the time of, and for some days preceding, the alleged commission of the offense charged in the information, the appellant, Dolan, was employed as a waiter in the restaurant owned and conducted by the said Snyder in the city of Seattle; that upon the afternoon and evening of the day on which said offense was alleged to have been committed the said Dolan had been drinking intoxicating liquors frequently and heavily; that during the course of the evening he left said restaurant after having left therein certain orders to be filled at a neighboring lodging house; that, having remained away a considerable length of time, the said Snyder, about 10 o'clock, left said restaurant for the purpose of finding appellant, and did find him, in company with other persons, including one D. F. Phelps, in a room in a lodging house near to said restaurant, appellant then being much intoxicated; that said Snyder immediately took charge of said appellant, and proceeded to conduct him back to the restaurant heretofore mentioned; that upon entering said restaurant the said Dolan, without any talk or conversation with said Snyder immediately preceding, said to said Snyder, "If you give me any trouble, I will shoot you," and thereupon drew a revolver from his pocket, and shot said Snyder in the mouth; that there had been no previous quarrel, trouble, or altercation of any kind between said Snyder and said Dolan, and previous to said statement made by said Dolan referred to, and there was no proof of any threats made by said Dolan towards said Snyder, nor of any ill will between said Snyder and said Dolan. Said Phelps, having been called as a witness on the part of the state, testified upon cross-examination that at the time and immediately before the defendant was conducted from the room in said lodging house, as above stated, by said Snyder, the defendant "was crazy drunk," and that "there was a wild and crazy look in his eyes." Thereupon defendant, by his counsel, propounded to Phelps the following question: "State whether or not the defendant, Dolan, then appeared to be so intoxicated that he did not know what he was doing." To which question the state then and there objected on the ground that the same was irrelevant, immaterial, and incompetent, which objection was then and there sustained by the court, to which ruling of the court defendant, by his counsel, then and there excepted, and said exception was allowed by the court. It also appears from the testimony of said Phelps that within about half an hour before said defendant was conducted from said room by said Snyder as aforesaid the defendant drank the better part of two pint bottles of whisky; and one Doyle, a witness for the defendant, testified that upon the evening of the commission of the alleged offense he was tending bar in the saloon underneath the lodging house above referred to; that immediately prior to going to said lodging house the defendant came into said saloon, and ordered some bottles of liquor and glasses, and attempted to carry them from said saloon; that the defendant was then very much intoxicated, and was intoxicated to such an extent that he was unable to walk erect, and fell prostrate upon the floor with his waiter, bottles, and glasses. Defendant was also sworn in his own behalf, and stated that he had no recollection of stating to the said Snyder that he would shoot him if he gave him any trouble, or making any such statement in substance; and further stated that he did not have at any time any ill will towards said James M. Snyder, and never at any time attempted to kill him. After the conclusion of the evidence, and after the argument of counsel, the court charged the jury as follows (we number the respective paragraphs for more convenient reference):
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