Caldwell v. State
Caldwell v. State
Opinion of the Court
Frank Caldwell, hereinafter designated defendant, was convicted of an assault "with an intent to inflict great bodily injury, and sentenced to serve a. term in the penitentiary of from one to five years. He has brought the record of his conviction to this court for review. . .
Without attempting a full analysis of the testimony, the evidence on behalf of the state tended to prove the following state of facts: On January 10, 1922, the defendant went to the home of Albert Spitler for the purpose of getting a wagon belonging to the defendant’s brother, George. As defendant was about to drive away with the wagon, Spitler requested him to take the sideboards off, as they belonged to him. Defendant refused to do this 'and hurriedly drove off, followed by Spitler, the latter attempting to get in the wagon. Defendant struck at Spitler a number of times with a pitchfork handle, and prevented him from getting in the wagonSpitler says at this time defendant did not hit him, but merely struck at him. Defendant’s version of this part of the controversy is that he hit Spitler several times with the pitchfork handle. The defendant took the wagon to the home of his brother, George, some 20 rods distant from the house in which Spitler lived. Spitler followed the defendant to the house of George Caldwell, both arriving there about the same time. As Spitler approached the house, defendant seized a baseball bat and went toward Spitler, warning him to keep off the place. As defendant approached Spitler, the latter picked up-a 2 by 4 of convenient length, and the two men engaged in a fencing match, which, according to the testimony of the witnesses, would have done credit to the knights of olden times. Neither party succeeded in striking the
The defendant also urged that the county attorney and his assistant should not have been permitted to prosecute the case because they were attorneys for Spitler in a civil action for damages growing out of the. same state of facts- We. cannot pass upon the merits- of the point thus sought to be raised, because .there is no .proper showing in the record to support the, contention. , There was a motion for a new trial filed, some- six months after the verdict and judgment, supported..by a,.showing of newly discovered evidence, in which a pleading is. also filed in regard to the civil case; but this.showing comes entirely too late to affect the ruling- of the trial court upon the objection to the attorneys for. the state trying the case. - - , -
It. is also . urged that the court erred in. overruling the motion for a new trial based-upon the ground of newly discovered evidence. As to this, objection, it is enough to say that the showing was not sufficient. The affidavit in support of the motion simply states that a brother of Spitler had stated that Spitler had been kicked by a horse. at. one time, and. that he frequently had a •bleeding of the ear from that injury. It is plain-that the party to Avhom the brother is supposed to have made the statement could not testify to. that fact, -because it would be hearsay testimony. No claim, is made that the brother -would testify to these .facts if a new trial were granted. Besides this, the defendant has not sought to raise the question by petition,, as contemplated by
Complaint is also made of the instructions of the court. The instructions as a whole clearly state the law applicable to the record.
While, the testimony tends to show that Spitler was manifesting a rather belligerent attitude, still the assault made upon him by the defendant was without justification or excuse.
Under the record the jury were justified in finding that the assault was made with intent to inflict great-bodily injury.
No prejudicial error' appearing in the record, the judgment is
Affirmed.
Reference
- Full Case Name
- Frank Caldwell v. State of Nebraska
- Status
- Published