Kinchien v. State
Kinchien v. State
Opinion of the Court
An indictment, consisting of two counts, was filed in the Circuit Court for Walton county against Mamie Kinchien. She was convicted under the second count and to the sentence imposed prosecuted a writ of error returnable to the current term of this court.
An attack is made on both counts but as the effect of the verdict was an acquittal as to the first we are concerned only with the second. That count charged that the accused “did then and there in the night time of said day unlawfully, wilfully and maliciously set fire to and attempt
The statute denounces “whoever wilfully and maliciously burns the dwelling house or any building adjoining such dwelling house, or wilfully and maliciously sets fire to any building, by the burning whereof such dwelling house is burned” — sec. 2426 Rev. Stat. 1892 — and the contention of the plaintiff in error is that the pleader confounded the words “set fire to” and “burn.” We need n'ot pass upon this distinction. The count does not charge the consummated crime but the attempt to commit the crime and the overt act “of setting fire” to that accompanied the attempt to “burn.” The count is needless prolix and assumed a greater burden of proof than might have been prudent, but it fully apprized the defendant of the accusation against her and the denial of the motion to quash will not be held error.
The indictment was also attacked by plea in abatement to the effect that the clerk of the court drew the names of jurors for the term owing to the fact that the judge had not drawn them at the preceding term, and that the clerk drew only thirty names. A demurrer to this plea was propérly sustained.
The duty of the clerk as to drawing the names of jurors is found in sec. 2, Chap. 4386, Laws of 1895, amending sec. 6, Chap. 4122, Laws of 1893. Chapter 4122 is a gen
During the progress of the trial one Mayo testified as follows: “Will Thomas was staying in the shanty at that time. The same house that was said to have been set on firé. On Sunday there had been trouble or a disturbance between Will Thomas and defendant. I wasn’t present right at the time. I was present when there was a fuss between the defendant and Will Thomas. It was after twelve o’clock. I heard her make threats against Will Thomas. It was right in my yard. There on the place. She said she would burn him up.” An objection was taken to the testimony as to a disturbance between the defendant and Will Thomas on the grounds that the witness was not present and that it was irrelevant. It is evident that the absence of the witness had reference to the time of the fire, not to the time of the trouble or disturbance, as to which his testimony immediately following was full
We do not feel disposed to interfere with, the verdict upon the weight ¡of the evidence and it follows that the judgment must be affirmed. The plaintiff in error being insolvent the costs will be taxed against Walton county.
Reference
- Full Case Name
- Mamie Kinchien, in Error v. The State of Florida, in Error
- Cited By
- 1 case
- Status
- Published
- Syllabus
- 1. An indictment charging that the accused in the night time did unlawfully, wilfully and maliciously set fire to and attempt to burn a certain building owned by A, and occupied by B as a dwelling house, even though it alleges more than is necessary, sufficiently sets forth an- attempt to commit arson. 2. Where a general statute as to qualifications, selection and drawing of jurors, with provisions for the drawing to be done by the clerk when the judge fails to draw, is amended by an act restricted in title and body to the drawing by the judge, the amendment makes no change in the number of names for jurors to be drawn by the clerk. 3. When the context of a witness’ testimony shows he was present at a quarrel between one accused of attempted arson and the occupant of the house burned, on the afternoon of the night of the burning, the witness may testify as to such quarrel, accompanied with threats to burn. 4. The evidence sustains the verdict.