State v. Essman
State v. Essman
Opinion of the Court
This defendant was convicted of selling intoxicating liquor to Lewis Hughes, a minor, without the written permission of said minor’s parents. The testimony tended to prove that Essman himself made the sale. The information is founded on section 3009 of the Revised Statutes of 1899, and was filed by the prosecuting attorney of Crawford county, but not verified by his oath. This is the statute:
“Every dramshop keeper, or any other person, who shall sell, give away or otherwise dispose of or suffer the same to be done about his premises, any intoxicating liquors in any quantity to any minor, without the written permission of the parent, master or guardian of such minor first had and obtained, or who shall have in his employ about his dramshop or therein to play at cards, dominos, dice, billiards, pigeon-hole, pool or any other game, without such written permission aforesaid, shall forfeit and pay to such parent, master or guardian, for every such offense, the sum of fifty dollars, to be recovered by the party entitled thereto by civil action in any court of competent jurisdiction against such dramshop keeper, by suit in such court on the bond of such d ramshop keeper, in the name of the county, to the use of the person entitled to sue: provided further that every dramshop keeper who shall violate the provisions of this section, in addition to the civil liability to the parent, master or guardian herein provided for, shall be deemed guilty of a misdemeanor, and be punished by a fine of not less than fifty or more than two hundred dollars; and every action brought by virtue of this section shall be commenced within one year from the time the right of action accrued.”
The information shows on its face that it was based
“In tbe Circuit Court, February Term, 1904.
“State of Missouri, County of Crawford, ss.
State of Missouri, Plaintiff, v. Herman Essman and William Stough, Defendants.
“Personally appeared before me tbe undersigned judge of tbe probate court within and for Crawford county, Missouri, one Nora Hughes, who being duly ■sworn by me upon oath says that Herman Essman and William Stough, then and there being licensed dram-shop keepers in Steelville, Crawford county, Missouri, at and in tbe said county and State, did on tbe 31st day of January, 1904, unlawfully and wilfully sell, give away and dispose of intoxicating liquors, to-wit: one pint of beer to Lewis Hughes, a minor, under tbe age of twenty-one years, without tbe written permission of tbe parent or guardian of said Lewi$ Hughes first bad and obtained, and against tbe peace and dignity of tbe State.
(Signed) “Nora Hughes.
“Subscribed and sworn to before me, this 17th day of February, 1904.
“Fred J. Smith,
“Judge of Probate.”
Tbe information charged that Herman Essman and William Stougb, did “unlawfully and wilfully sell, give away and otherwise dispose of or suffer tbe same to be done about their premises, certain intoxicating liquors,” etc. No point is made against tbe validity of tbe information; but tbe affidavit of Nora Hughes on which tbe information was based, is attacked as insufficient because it d'oes not state that tbe accused sold or suffered tbe beer to be sold on their premises. It will be observed that said averment is omitted from the affiidavit, but is
The information was filed in the circuit court under section 2477 of the Revised Statutes of 1899, and the affidavit was filed under the authority of section 2478 (amended in Acts of 1901, p. 139). As the information was not verified by the prosecuting attorney, but was based on the information and belief given him by the affidavit, the fact that the information sufficiently charged the offense will not support the conviction if the affidavit was defective — that is, if it contained a statement of the offense less complete than is required in an informing affidavit. State v. Hayward, 83 Mo. 299; State v. Boggess, 86 Mo. App. 632. Possibly the entire section (3009) against the sale of intoxicating liquors to minors is directed against dramshop keepers ¡’several provisions in it look that way. The last clause of the statute is undoubtedly leveled at dramshop keepers and no one else; for it reads: “Provided, therefore, that every dramshop keeper who shall violate the provisions of this section, in addition to the civil liability to the parent, master or guardian herein provided for, shall be deemed guilty of a misdemeanor and be punished by a fine of not less than $50 or more than $200.” That is the part of the section which created the criminal liability for selling liquor to a minor without permission of the parent, master or guardian. It refers to the previous provisions of the section and says a violation of them by a dramshop keeper shall constitute a misdemeanor. Therefore a dramshop keeper will be guilty of a misdemeanor, as well as civilly liable, if he either personally sells liquor to a minor or suffers it to be sold to one about Ms premises. Two distinct offenses are created by the statute, either of which a dramshop keeper may commit. I incline to the opinion that an indictment or information
But the point for decision is not what is necessary to be stated in an information, but what is necessary in an affidavit by a private person to constitute it a sufficient foundation for an information. An accused person may demand that he be not proceeded against by a
It was objected tbat secondary evidence of tbe defendant’s license as a dramshop keeper was admitted. Tbe evidence admitted was tbe record of tbe county court showing a license was ordered issued to tbe de
The judgment is affirmed.
Case-law data current through December 31, 2025. Source: CourtListener bulk data.