Martin v. State

Alabama Court of Appeals
Martin v. State, 93 So. 212 (1922)
18 Ala. App. 537; 1922 Ala. App. LEXIS 203
Merritt

Martin v. State

Opinion of the Court

MERRITT, J.

The appellant was tried and convicted under an indictment which charged him with the burglary of a railroad car with intent to steal.

Applying the rule laid down in the cases of B. R., L. & P. Co. v. Seaborn, 168 Ala. 658, 53 South. 241, Home Ins. Co. v. Adler, 71 Ala. 527, and Snodgrass v. Caldwell, 90 Ala. 323, 7 South. 834, to the testimony of the witness Neal, his evidence should have been excluded, on the objection and motion of the appellant. 1-Ie testified that he had no independent knowledge that his train was No. 77, nor that L. & N. ear No. 50448, the ear alleged to have been burglarized, was a part of his train; that he only knew it from a record he made. Neither did he testify that the record so made Was true and correct. The evidence being in this shape, neither the memorandum nor the testimony of the witness could go before the jury.

This testimony being excluded, there was no evidence in the case as to the burglary of this car; the other witnesses having testified as to a different car. Ther'é being no proof, therefore, of the corpus delicti, the confession of the defendant was improperly admitted over the timely objection and exception of the appellant. Ryan v. State, 100 Ala. 94, 14 South. 868; Winslow v. State, 76 Ala. 42; Colquitt v. State, 61 Ala. 48.

The written charges, that appellant contends were refused to him, cannot be considered, for the reason that they are not signed, or marked “refused,” as is required by law. Sharpley v. State (Ala. App.) 93 South. 210; 1 Wimberly v. State, 204 Ala. 629, 86 South. 900.

Eor the errors pointed out, the judgment appealed from must be reversed.

Reversed and remanded.

1

Post, p. 620.

Reference

Full Case Name
Martin v. State.
Cited By
1 case
Status
Published