The State v. Wilhite

• Decision Date: 03 June 1927
• Docket Number: 27551
• Citation: 295 S.W. 82,317 Mo. 388
• Parties: The State v. William E. Wilhite, Appellant
• Court: Missouri Supreme Court

295 S.W. 82

317 Mo. 388

The State v. William E. Wilhite, Appellant

No. 27551

Supreme Court of Missouri

June 3, 1927

Appeal from Circuit Court of St. Louis County; Hon. G. A Wurdeman, Judge.

Affirmed.

Verne Lacy for appellant.

(1) The indictment is insufficient in law, and does not charge that the defendant committed any offense against the laws of the State, because it omits the charge that the Citizens Bank of Florissant was a corporation in charge of its agent, Joseph Pondrum, but charges that the property alleged to have been stolen belonged to said Joseph Pondrum, while the evidence admitted tended to show ownership in the Citizens Bank of Florissant, and there is no evidence in the record that the Citizens Bank of Florissant was a corporation at the time in question, and defendant was entitled to be informed in the indictment before trial that the State would attempt to prove the ownership of the property to be in the Citizens Bank of Florissant. State v. Jordan, 289 S.W. 540; State v. Hurt, 285 S.W. 976; State v. Woods, 285 S.W 737. (2) The court erred in refusing to sustain and give and read to the jury the demurrer to the evidence offered by the defendant at the close of the whole case. State v Lasson, 238 S.W. 101; State v. Bater, 232 S.W. 1012; State v. Woodard, 273 S.W. 1050. (3) The court erred in failing to instruct the jury on circumstantial evidence. State v. Bennett, 297 Mo. 190; State v. Lyle, 296 Mo. 439, 246 S.W. 883; State v. Miller, 292 Mo. 135, 237 S.W. 498. (4) The court erred in giving and reading to the jury Instruction 1, because said instruction assumes that the defendant stole the property described in the indictment, and leaves it to the jury to determine whether or not the property belonged to Pondrum. State v. Lee, 272 Mo. 121.

North T. Gentry, Attorney-General, and A. B. Lovan, Assistant Attorney-General, for respondent.

(1) The indictment is sufficient and is in a form approved by this court. State v. Dickens, 285 S.W. 445. (2) If the defendant was of the opinion that the court failed to give all proper and needful instructions, exceptions should have been saved. This the defendant did not do. State v. Cantlin, 118 Mo. 111. This assignment in the motion for a new trial is so indefinite that it does not indicate what error, if any, the trial court committed. It is true that this case was tried a few days before the Act of 1925, amending Section 4079, relating to motions for a new trial, went into effect, but under old Section 4079 appellant's assignment is too indefinite. State v. Stevens, 281 Mo. 648; State v. McBrien, 265 Mo. 604. (3) The motion for a new trial alleges that the court erred in failing to give an instruction on circumstantial evidence. The court did not commit error in this respect, for the reason that there was no circumstantial evidence in the case. But even if it is true that there is some circumstantial evidence, the defendant would not be entitled to an instruction on circumstantial evidence. State v. Nerzinger, 220 Mo. 47; State v. Hubbard, 223 Mo. 84. (4) The bill of exceptions shows that when instruction numbered one was given the defendant objected to it and saved his exceptions. But he failed to preserve the point in the motion for a new trial. In any event the instruction is in approved form. State v. Affronti, 292 Mo. 68; State v. Cantlin, 118 Mo. 111.

OPINION

White, J.

An indictment was returned by the grand jury of St. Louis County charging the defendant with robbery in the first degree. On a trial June 25, 1925, a jury found the defendant guilty and assessed his punishment at imprisonment in the penitentiary for a term of five years. He was sentenced accordingly, and appealed to this court.

The evidence for the State showed that between 1:30 and two P. M. December 18, 1924, armed men entered the Citizens' Bank of Florissant, in St. Louis County. Joseph Pondrom, president of the bank, was present, also Mr. Albert, the assistant cashier, and two customers, William and Elmer Ryan. One or more of the strangers were disguised by handkerchiefs over the lower part of their faces. One of them pointed his revolver at Mr. Pondrom and told him to "stick 'em up!" Pondrom then was compelled to lie down on the floor and get under a table. One of them compelled the two Ryans to face the wall with their hands raised. One of the robbers ordered Pondrom to open the safe, and took out a large sum of money and some liberty bonds.

There was more or less confusion and neither Pondrom, Albert, nor Elmer Ryan was able to identify the defendant as one of the robbers. But William Ryan identified the defendant as the man who pointed his revolver at Pondrom and took the money. His identification was clear and positive. Pondrom was spoken of as an old man, and, according to his testimony, he did not get a good look at any one of the robbers, nor did Elmer Ryan or Albert. William Ryan seems to have been the only one of them who maintained his presence of mind.

The defendant did not testify, but offered two witnesses by whom he attempted to prove an alibi.

I. Appellant challenges the sufficiency of the indictment on the ground that it does not charge that the Citizens' Bank of Florissant was a corporation, and there was no evidence that the bank was a corporation. The indictment charges that the defendant made an assault upon Joseph Pondrom and, by putting him in fear, took from him in lawful money of the United...