Summers v. State

Decision Date02 November 1933
Docket NumberNo. 25823.,25823.
Citation187 N.E. 345,205 Ind. 527
PartiesSUMMERS v. STATE.
CourtIndiana Supreme Court

OPINION TEXT STARTS HERE

Appeal from Vermillion Circuit Court; Mark W. Lyday, Special Judge.

William Summers was convicted of larceny and bank robbery, and he appeals.

Affirmed.

W. Bert Conley, of Newport, for appellant.

James M. Ogden, Atty. Gen., and E. Burke Walker, Deputy Atty. Gen., for the State.

HUGHES, Judge.

This is a criminal prosecution instituted against the appellant by affidavit in two counts; the first count charging larceny, and the second charging bank robbery.

He was tried by a jury, found guilty, and sentenced to the Indiana State Prison for 15 years.

The error assigned is that the court erred in overruling appellant's motion for a new trial.

The appellant set out 44 reasons for a new trial. The first being that the verdict of the jury is not sustained by sufficient evidence; the second that the verdict is contrary to law. Reasons 3 to 40, inclusive, that the court erred in giving and in refusing to give certain instructions. The forty-first is that based upon irregularity in the selection of the jury. The forty-second reason assigned is for misconduct on the part of the jury. The forty-third is for misconduct on the part of the prosecuting attorney and the forty-fourth for the reason that the court erred in overruling the motion of defendant to withdraw the case from jury for misconduct of prosecuting attorney.

The appellant in his brief presents no propositions, points, or authorities upon any reasons assigned for a new trial, except upon the first, second, twenty-sixth, and thirtieth. The twenty-sixth reason for a new trial was for error committed in giving instruction 31 tendered by the state, and the thirtieth reason was error committed by the court in refusing to give instruction No. 11 tendered by the defendant.

Under rule 22 of this court it is provided that the brief of the appellant shall contain, under a separate heading of each error relied upon, separately numbered points, stated concisely and without argument, together with the authorities relied on in support of them. It has been frequently held that a failure to comply with this rule is a waiver of any alleged error complained of. Cleveland, C., C. & St. L. R. Co. v. Ritchey, 185 Ind. 28, 111 N. E. 913;Baker v. Stehle, 187 Ind. 468, 119 N. E. 4;Chicago & E. R. Co. v. Dinius, 180 Ind. 596, 103 N. E. 652.

Therefore, those reasons assigned as error by the appellant, where no propositions, points, and authorities are set out, are waived.

The instructions complained of are not properly in the record. The appellant attempted to bring all the instructions into the record as provided by the Code of Civil Procedure, Burns' 1926, §§ 585 and 586. The only method by which instructions in a criminal case can be brought into the record is by a bill of exceptions. This was not done in this case, and therefore none of the instructions are properly in the record. Ewbanks' Criminal Law (2d Ed.) § 627; Sharp v. State, 161 Ind. 288, 68 N. E. 286;McNaught v. State, 194 Ind. 209, 142 N. E. 418;Foreman v. State, 201 Ind. 224, 167 N. E. 125.

The only question in this case for this court to consider is whether or not the verdict of the jury is sustained by sufficient evidence.

From the evidence in the case it appears on March 11, 1929, the Perrysville Bank, Vermillion county, Ind., was held up and robbed of $1,172. The robbery occurred about 1 p. m.

Quincy A. Myers, the banker, was in the bank alone. He described the robber to be a man of medium build, with an aviator's hat on, with the ear flaps hanging over his ears, he had on eye glasses as if used in driving a car, and was wearing an overcoat. He told the witness, Myers, to “put them up,” and then pushed a gunny sack through the window and said “put it in there,” and further said “you didn't get it all.” Then, he ordered Myers to lie down on the floor and further said, “Lie down there. You are a pretty good old guy and I don't want any one hurt, and lie down and don't start anything or give any alarm until I've had time to get away.” As soon as the robber left the bank, Myers heard a car going but he didn't see it.

Myers was acquainted with the appellant on March 11, 1929, but had not seen him for two or three years. It appears that the appellant had a peculiar voice. Mrs. Summers, wife of the appellant, stated on the witness stand that, “You seldom hear a man's voice that sounds just exactly like his.” On March 13th, after the robbery, the appellant was brought into the bank; Myers said he thought he was the...

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