The Texas Criminal Reports Vol 38 PDF Download

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can usually download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1903 edition. Excerpt: ...convicted. Now, it is claimed that the citation of this case and the discussion of this matter before the jury was such misconduct as was calculated to injure appellant, and properly so, as one of the jurors admitted that it had some influence with him. While, as we understand the evidence, the ownership was properly laid in the owner of the cotton yard, in whose possession the two bales had been left by the respective owners when they were taken, and this whether or not he was responsible to the owners in case of loss, yet an issue was made before the jury as to this question of special ownership, and the court charged on it; and we are not prepared to say that the discussion of the case cited by one of the jurors as illustrative of his contention may not have had its bearing on the jury in reaching a result on this proposition. Appellant also contends that there were two separate takings of the cotton, and that the court ought to have given his requested charge on this subject; that appellant, at most, could only have been convicted of a misdemeanor in taking one bale. Referring to the statement of facts on this subject, we find that some of the facts were agreed to, and certain issues left to be determined by the testimony. Among these issues was whether the two bales of cotton, neither being worth as much as $50, were taken at the same time, and under circumstances constituting a single taking. Witness Hurt testified on this subject as follows: That he was the owner of the cotton yard, and the two bales (one belonging to Edrington and one to Turner) were taken out of his yard on the night of the 14th of June, 1901. That the two bales were not side by side when stolen. They were about thirty steps apart. The parties who stole the...