State v. Goodwin

• Decision Date: 08 May 1885
• Parties: THE STATE OF KANSAS v. NAPOLEON GOODWIN
• Court: Kansas Supreme Court

6 P. 899

33 Kan. 538

THE STATE OF KANSAS v. NAPOLEON GOODWIN

Supreme Court of Kansas

May 8, 1885

Appeal from Mitchell District Court.

ON November 25, 1883, Richard Lawson filed his complaint under oath with A. B. Chaffee, a justice of the peace of Cloud county, charging that one Napoleon Goodwin, on November 24 1883, in the county of Mitchell and state of Kansas, did then and there unlawfully and feloniously take away from him his daughter, one Nannie Lawson, a female under the age of eighteen years, for the purpose of prostitution and concubinage, and brought her into the county of Cloud, in said state. A warrant was issued on said November 25, by said justice of the peace, and said Goodwin was at once arrested. A hearing was had upon the complaint before the justice of the peace on November 26, 1883, and thereupon the said Goodwin was required by the justice to enter into a recognizance in the sum of $ 2,000 for his appearance at the next term of the district court of Cloud county, to answer the complaint filed against him. In default of bail defendant, was committed to jail. On April 24, 1884, the following information (omitting court, title, and verification) was filed against said Goodwin under the provisions of § 35 of the act relating to crimes and punishments:

"I J. W. Sheafor, the undersigned, county attorney of said county, in the name, by the authority and on behalf of the state of Kansas, come now here and give the court to understand and be informed, that on the 24th day of November 1883, in the county of Mitchell and state of Kansas, one Napoleon Goodwin did, then and there being, and then and there unlawfully and feloniously take away one Nannie Lawson, a female child under the age of eighteen years, to wit, of the age of fifteen years, from her father, one Richard Lawson, he, the said Richard Lawson, then and there having the legal charge of the person of the said Nannie Lawson, and without the consent of said Richard Lawson, and with the intent and for the purpose of prostitution and concubinage; and the said Napoleon Goodwin did, on the said 24th day of November, 1883, bring the said Nannie Lawson into the said county of Cloud and state of Kansas, she, the said Nannie Lawson, being then and there a female under the age of eighteen years, and away from the said Richard Lawson, he, the said Richard Lawson, being the father and having then and there the legal charge of the person of her, the said Nannie Lawson, and without the consent of the said Richard Lawson unlawfully and feloniously, with the intent and for the purpose of prostitution and concubinage, contrary to the form of the statute in such case made and provided, and against the peace and dignity of the state of Kansas.

J. W. SHEAFOR, County Attorney."

On April 30, 1884, a change of venue was granted upon the motion of the county attorney of Cloud county, and the papers and proceedings were ordered to be certified to Mitchell county. On June 23, 1884, the case came on for hearing before the district court of Mitchell county. Thereupon the defendant moved the court to dismiss the action pending against him, on the ground that the district court of Mitchell county had not jurisdiction. The court overruled the motion, the defendant excepting. The defendant then moved the court to quash the information, for the following reasons:

"1. No information has been presented by the county attorney, as required by law.

"2. The information on file has not been verified, as required by law.

"3. The offense charged is not stated with such a degree of certainty that the court may pronounce judgment upon conviction according to the right of the case.

"4. By reason of defects in the information, substantial rights of the defendant would be prejudiced."

The court overruled the motion, to which ruling the defendant excepted. The defendant then moved the court that the prosecution be required to elect under which charge in the information the state would proceed, whether for taking away for the purpose of prostitution, or taking away for the purpose of concubinage. The court overruled the same, to which ruling the defendant excepted. The defendant was thereupon arraigned and the information read to him, and he was asked to plead thereto, but standing mute, the court directed the clerk to enter a plea to the information of "not guilty," to which ruling the defendant then and there excepted. Thereupon a jury was called, and the trial proceeded with. After the introduction of all the evidence, the arguments of counsel, and charge of the court, the jury returned a verdict finding the defendant guilty as charged. The defendant filed a motion for a new trial, which was overruled, and then filed a motion in arrest of judgment, which was also overruled. The defendant was sentenced to be confined at hard labor in the state penitentiary for the term of one year from and including June 23, 1884, and also to pay all costs of the action. The defendant appeals.

Judgment reversed and cause remanded.

L. J. Crans, for appellant.

S. B. Bradford, attorney general, for The State; Edwin A. Austin, of counsel.

HORTON, C.J. VALENTINE, J., concurring. JOHNSTON, J., not sitting in the case.

OPINION

HORTON, C. J.:

After the district, court, of...