Wall v. State, 30500

• Decision Date: 08 April 1959
• Docket Number: No. 30500,30500
• Citation: Wall v. State, 322 S.W.2d 641, 167 Tex.Crim. 634 (Tex. Crim. App. 1959)
• Parties: James H. WALL, Appellant, v. STATE of Texas, Appellee.
• Court: Texas Court of Criminal Appeals

Page 641

322 S.W.2d 641

167 Tex.Crim. 634

James H. WALL, Appellant, v. STATE of Texas, Appellee.

No. 30500.

Court of Criminal Appeals of Texas.

April 8, 1959.

[167 TEXCRIM 634] Charles K. Ruth, Lufkin, for appellant.

Leon B. Douglas, State's Atty., Austin, for the State.

DICE, Commissioner.

The conviction is for felony theft; the punishment, 2 years.

Appellant challenges the sufficiency of the evidence which we must view in the light most favorable to the State. Walden v. State, Tex.Cr.App., 305 S.W.2d 354.

Briefly, the State's evidence shows that on the night of May 27, 1957, a new 1957 Bel Air sport coupe Chevrolet automobile of the value of $2,600 was stolen from the Cox Chevrolet Company in the City of McKinney. The stolen automobile was solid ivory in color and bore an identification serial number of VC 57s-234965 on the plate inside the front door post. Appellant lived in San Augustine County and during the summer of 1957 was seen driving a light-colored 1957 Chevrolet automobile. Sheriff Elbert Nichols testified that he saw the appellant driving the Chevrolet automobile in the County during the months of [167 TEXCRIM 635] June or July of 1957. The witness Oscar F. Roebuck, who operated a filling station near where appellant lived, testified that he observed the appellant driving a light-gray 1957 Chevrolet automobile during the summer of 1957, however, neither witness could describe the body type of the automobile which they observed him driving. It was shown that on August 3, 1957, the appellant purchased from the Tyler Wrecking Yard in the City of Tyler the salvage of a 1957 Chevrolet sport coupe wrecked automobile bearing identification No. VC 57s-215756 and license No. LS 5286, and at the time requested the seller to remove the identification number from the post on the body and give it to him. On October 25, 1957, this same automobile body was found without any identification number or license number in a National Forest in Shelby County. On December 21, 1957, appellant went to an auto salvage place of business in the City of Henderson driving a 1957 Bel Air Chevrolet hardship light-colored automobile and purchased a 1957 Chevrolet motor, but did not return to take delivery of the motor. Thereafter, on January 30, 1958, appellant was involved in a collision in the City of Houston while driving a 1957 Chevrolet hardtop light-colored automobile which bore license No. LS 5286. On February 24, 1958, appellant pointed out to Officer Johnson at the Todd Shipyards in the City of Houston as his automobile a 1957 Cheverolet Bel Air hardtop coupe light-gray automobile which bore the same identification number on the door post and appeared to have been taken off and rewelded, and the same license number as was on the salvaged Chevrolet body purchased by appellant from the Tyler wrecking firm. However, from the confidential identification number VC 57s-234965 on the body of the automobile it was shown to be the same Chevrolet automobile as was stolen from the Cox Cheverolet Company in the month of May, 1957.

As a witness in his own behalf appellant testified that he was at his home in San Augustine County on the night of May 27, 1957, and at Sheffield Steel Company in the City of Houston the following day. Appellant further testified that he had been driving the 1957 Chevrolet automobile for approximately three months and that he had purchased the same but when asked on cross examination where he bought the automobile stated 'Sir, I refuse to answer that question on the Fifth Amendment.' Appellant admitted that Sheriff Nichols could have seen him driving the Chevrolet automobile in San Augustine, but that it was not in June or July of 1957. Appellant's wife tetified in support of his defense of alibi that appellant was at Sheffield Steel [167 TEXCRIM 636] on May 27 and 28 of 1957, and that the company had a record showing that her husband was there.

Appellant's affirmative defense of alibi was submitted to the jury.

Appellant insists that the evidence is insufficient to sustain the conviction because there was no direct evidence connecting him with the taking of the automobile and that his conviction is based upon mere probability and suspicion which is insufficient to sustain a conviction upon circumstantial evidence. The State insists that proof of appellant's possession of the stolen automobile and attending circumstances is sufficient and relices upon the rule that proof of the unexplained possession of recent stolen property is sufficient to sustain a conviction for theft. Appellant insists that such rule cannot be given application in the case because his possession of the stolen property was shown to have been in December 1957, seven months after the property was stolen and therefore was too remote.

We deem the evidence sufficient to show that appellant was in possession of the stolen Chevrolet automobile during the month of June or July 1957. His possession of the automobile within two months after it was stolen was not too remote, but was sufficiently recent to warrant an inference of his guilt under the rule relied upon by the State. In Martin v. State, 131 Tex.Cr.R. 387, 98 S.W.2d 810, it was held that possession of stolen property two months after the alleged theft was within the term 'recent' and was a question of fact to be determined by the jury in the light of all the facts and circumstances. See also Allen v. State, 97 Tex.Cr.R. 467, 262 S.W. 502. Appellant's possession of the stolen automobile is not shown to have been explained when his possession was first challenged by Officer Johnson, and his explanation made at the time of trial cannot control. Banks v. State, 160 Tex.Cr.R. 418, 271 S.W.2d 661, and Walden v. State, supra. Under the record we find the evidence sufficient to sustain the conviction.

Appellant complains of the court's failure to instruct the jury on the law of circumstantial evidence. No objections to the court's charge complaining of such omission are found in the record...