Jenkins v. State
Jenkins v. State
Opinion of the Court
delivered the opinion of the court.
The indictment is drawn under the concluding clause of code, sec. 1594. That whole section is in these words:
“Sec. 1594. If any person, whether having license to retail liquors or not, shall sell any vinous, alcoholic, malt, intoxicating or spirituous liquor, or intoxicating bitters or other drink which if drunk to excess will produce intoxication, in any quantity to any person in the habit of becoming intoxicated, to any Indian, or to any minor, or, not being a parent, guardian, or in loco parentis to the, minor, shall procure such liquor, bitters or drink for a minor, or shall procure the same for an Indian, or for a person in the habit of becoming intoxicated, he shall, on conviction, be fined not less than one hundred dollars nor more than one thousand'dollars, or imprisoned in the county jail not exceeding six months, or both.” (Italics ours.)
■It is true that the indictment reads: “Did unlawfully procure vinous and spirituous liquor for W. S. Brown, knowing the said Brown to be in the habit of becoming intoxicated, not then and there being the parent and guardian of said Brown, nor in loco parentis to said Brown, etc.” The word “knowing”
Neither do we subscribe to the contention that the offense is not completed if the liquor is not actually delivered to the drunkard. One of the definitions given by Webster of the word “procure” is “to acquire or provide for one’s self or for another.” Jenkins was provided by the inebriate with money to buy in Alabama, just across the line, and bring to him the. liquor. Jenkins accordingly bought it in Alabama, and brought it to Mississippi for delivery to Brown, when he was arrested. It is idle to say he did not bring it to Mississippi. True, he gave it, for some purpose of his own, easily to be surmised, to á boy on the train for notice and safe-keeping. But he came with it on that same train, and was the real custodian. The boy was his mere instrument.
Affirmed.
Reference
- Full Case Name
- George Jenkins v. State of Mississippi
- Cited By
- 2 cases
- Status
- Published
- Syllabus
- 1. Intoxicating Liquobs. Procuring for inebriate. Knowledge. Code 1892, $1594. Knowledge is* not of the essence of the offense- created by Code 1892, § 1594, making it unlawful to procure intoxicants for one in the ha-bit of becoming intoxicated. 2. Same’. Indictment. Surplusage. If it be charged in an indictment for such offense that the accused knew that the person for whom the intoxicants were procured was in the habit of becoming intoxicated, and that the accused was not his parent or guardian and did not stand in loco pao'entis to- such person, the averments are surplusage and need not be proved. 3. Same. Actual delivery. It is unnecessary to prove in such case that the defendant actually delivered the intoxicants to the inebriate for whom they were procured, since one can procure an article for another without making the actual delivery.