Breeland v. State
Breeland v. State
Opinion of the Court
delivered the opinion of the court.
By a bill of indictment duly returned into the circuit court of Pike county, it was charged that Oliver Breeland, William Breeland, and Pelder Crow, in said county, on the 26th day of August, A.D. 1901, did then and there unlawfully, willfully, and feloniously, by threats of injury to his person, and that of his family, and by shooting into the dwelling house of Tobias Brumfield, then and there occupied by his family, attempt to intimidate the said Tobias Brumfield into an abandonment and change of his home and employment, contrary and against, etc. These parties were jointly tried for said crime, and, being convicted and sentenced to the penitentiary, they appeal their ease to this court, and assign sundry errors in the action of the circuit court.
The indictment is based upon ch. 70, laws 1898, which •provides “that any person or persons who shall, by placards •or other writing, or verbally, attempt by threats, direct or implied, of injury to the person or property of another, to intimidate such other person into an abandonment or change of home or employment, shall, upon conviction, be fined not exceeding $500, or imprisoned in the county jail not exceeding six months, or in the penitentiary not exceeding five years.” The statute above quoted makes it a felony for any person, by
We think it unnecessary that the indictment, under this act, should state whether the threats were verbal or in writing— whether direct or implied — as these matters relate merely to the proof. In this case the threat is implied, arising from the declaration, “Hey, negroes! We come to give you fair warning. No more working for the Banner Lumber Company,” accompanied by the shots fired into the house where the employees of the Banner Lumber Company were; and the threat implied was, “Quit the employment of the Banner Lumber Company, or take the contents of our firearms.” We think it essential, under this act, that the indictment should define in some general terms the nature of the business conducted by the Banner Lumber Company, and should allege that the persons attempted to he intimidated were in the employment of the Banner Lum-
Reversed and remanded.
Reference
- Full Case Name
- Oliver Breeland v. State of Mississippi
- Cited By
- 1 case
- Status
- Published
- Syllabus
- 1. Cbimihal Law. Laws 1898, oh. 70, p. 87. White-capping. Intimidation. Indictment. Single count.' Duplicity. The act of 1898 (Laws 1898, p. 87) making' it a felony for a person, by threats of injury, to intimidate another into changing or abandoning his home or employment, creates two distinct offenses, and it is not permissible to charge them both in the same count of an indictment. 2. Same. Necessary averments. An indictment under the statute for intimidating another into a change or abandonment of his home must aver 'in direct and positive terms that the injured party had a home; and if the indictment be for intimidating another into a change or abandonment of his employment, it must aver in the same manner that the injured party had an employment. 3. Same. It is necessary under the statute, if the charge be for intimidating another into a change or abandonment of his employment, that the indictment should define, in general terms at least, the nature of the business in which the person intimidated was employed, and to show that the employer was a natural person, copartnership or corporation, as the case may be. 4. Same. Unnecessary amerments. It is unnecessary under the statute that an indictment for either of the offenses should show whether the threats were verbal or written, direct or implied.