Williams v. State, 37672

Decision Date13 November 1950
Docket NumberNo. 37672,37672
Citation48 So.2d 598,209 Miss. 902
PartiesWILLIAMS v. STATE.
CourtMississippi Supreme Court

John H. Culkin, Vicksburg, for appellant.

J. P. Coleman, Atty. Gen., and Geo. H. Ethridge, Asst. Atty. Gen., for appellee.

LEE, Justice.

Marie Porter, under certain aliases, was jointly indicted with another for an attempted larceny. Her motion for a severance was granted, and on the trial, she was convicted and sentenced to serve a term of three years in the State Penitentiary.

The type of larceny here under review is sometimes called 'pigeon dropping', and grows out of the following facts: Tillie Jackson had a joint deposit with her husband, Oliver Jackson, in the First National Bank in Vicksburg, Mississippi. On Saturday, May 19, 1949, she went to town to pay a note. While waiting for the bank to open, she engaged in conversation with one of the indictees, who inquired as to the best bank in town, and where Tillie and her husband kept their money. The appellant came upon the scene, nd exhibited a pocket-book with money in it. She claimed that she had found it; that it belonged to a white man; and that it had $105 in it. She further admonished Tillie and the other woman not to tell anyone, and she would divide the proceeds with them. Inquiry was made of Tillie as to whether she could get $100 out of the bank without her husband's knowledge. When the reply was in the affirmative, she bade Tillie to get the money in $1 bills so that a division could be effected whereby Tillie would receive $30 for her service and the return of her own money. A dress shop, up the street, in the same block, was designated as the place for the division. Tillie started toward the bank ostensibly to get the money, but, instead of doing so, she told the policeman that the two women were trying to pull a 'pigeon dropping' game on her. Officers accompanied her to the dress shop where she pointed out and identified the women. The appellant and her companion evidently suspected a double cross, for, when they went into the dress shop, they asked the proprietor to let them go out the back door. This request being denied, they appeared somewhat nervous as they pretended to look at certain dresses.

The assignments of error all go to the sufficiency of the evidence to sustain the charge.

It is larceny to obtain fraudulently the property of another with intent to deprive the owner of the property. Akroyd v. State, 107 Miss. 51, 64 So. 936; Hanna v. State. 168 Miss. 352, 151 So. 370; Garvin v. State, 207 Miss. 751, 43 So.2d 209, deals with the so-called 'pigeon dropping' version of larceny.

The necessary elements of an attempt are the intent to commit, and the overt act toward, its commission. Miller v. State, 130 Miss. 730, 95 So. 83; Dill v. State, 149 Miss. 167, 115 So. 203. Court ...

To continue reading

Request your trial
12 cases
  • Ishee v. State, No. 1998-CT-01123-SCT.
    • United States
    • Mississippi Supreme Court
    • October 25, 2001
    ...crime is clearly shown, slight acts done in furtherance of this design constitute an `attempt'." Id. at 203 (quoting Williams v. State, 209 Miss. 902, 48 So.2d 598 (1950)). Ishee was charged with attempted sexual battery. According to the statutory definition of this crime, the State had to......
  • Gibson v. State, 92-KA-00166-SCT
    • United States
    • Mississippi Supreme Court
    • July 20, 1995
    ...into effect." Brown v. State, 633 So.2d 1042 (Miss.1994) citing Murray v. State, 403 So.2d 149, 152 (Miss.1981); Williams v. State, 209 Miss. 902, 48 So.2d 598 (1950); Dill v. State, 149 Miss. 167, 115 So. 203 (1928); Wiggington v. State, 136 Miss. 825, 101 So. 856 (1924); Miller v. State, ......
  • People v. Camodeca
    • United States
    • California Supreme Court
    • May 12, 1959
    ...People v. Gardner, 144 N.Y. 119, 38 N.E. 1003, 28 L.R.A. 699; State v. Peterson, 109 Wash. 25, 186 P. 264, 8 A.L.R. 652; Williams v. State, 209 Miss. 902, 48 So.2d 598; State v. Phillips, 36 Mont. 112, 92 P. 299; Commonwealth v. Johnson, 312 Pa. 140, 167 A. 344, 89 A.L.R. 333), and in Engla......
  • Bucklew v. State, 44616
    • United States
    • Mississippi Supreme Court
    • January 22, 1968
    ...would be completed if the defendant were not interrupted.' See also 14 Am.Jur. Criminal Law §§ 65, 68 (1938). In Williams v. State, 209 Miss. 902, 48 So.2d 598 (1950), the defendant was convicted of attempting to commit larceny by the 'pigeon dropping' game. The Court there 'The necessary e......
  • Request a trial to view additional results

VLEX uses login cookies to provide you with a better browsing experience. If you click on 'Accept' or continue browsing this site we consider that you accept our cookie policy. ACCEPT