Schleisinger v. State
Schleisinger v. State
Opinion of the Court
The first inquiry presented by the record and; the assignment of errors, is as to the sufficiency of the indict
The statute under which the indictment is drawn is, as we have seen, one of extensive import; and it may be difficult in certain cases to draw the line of distinction between cases to which the statute extends, and those characterized by similar fraudulent pretenses and false representations, but not embraced in the statute. Each particular case, as it arises, is to be contemplated with reference to the facts as stated and proved, in order to determine whether the case does, or does not, fall within the statute. We can neither extend the actual provisions of the statute, nor withhold their just and fair application, to meet any particular case.
What, then, are the acts expressed by the statute, constituting an offense under it ? The language is, “ if any person, by any false pretense or pretenses, shall obtain from any other person, any money, goods, merchandise or effects whatsoever, with intent to cheat and defraud such person.”
The mahing a false pretense, does not constitute a case within the statute; but money, or goods, or merchandise, or effects must have been thereby obtained from -another person ; nor is all this sufficient to bring a case within the express provision of the statute; these acts are required by the statute to have been done “ with intent to cheat and defraud such person,” from whom so obtained, in order to constitute an offense within the statute.
The false representations of Schleisinger, independent of those in the nature of promises, and relating to the future, and so inadmissible, are numerous, and certainly sufficient, as-charged in the indictment, if well stated. There is, however, no colloquium set" forth in the indictment, showing a negotia tion between the parties, and that the representations and pretenses were made with the intent to thereby obtain from said Woods & Pew any goods of any kind whatsoever, but
But, however averse the facts show Schleisinger to have been to varying the proverb, “ It is nought, it is nought, saith the buyer," by letting the seller say it, where fair dealing required it; and however far the same facts show Woods & Pew to have been from taking in the stranger in this transaction, as shown by the proof on the trial, we can here only look to the indictment, and the charges set forth, as therein expressed, to judge of its sufficiency.
The offense must be charged with reasonable certainty in ■the indictment, and the accused can not be held to answer to any other offense than that so charged.
Upon a motion to quash an indictment, where the language expressing the offense is susceptible of more than one reason
Hoes the indictment, then, in this case, charge the accused' with obtaining either of the kinds of property named in the-statute? They are, as we have seen, “money,” “goods,” “merchandise,” and “effects.” Only one of these classes is named in the indictment, to-wit, goods. But it is always necessary for the pleader to specify the items of the class, in order to charge the offense with reasonable certainty. And this he-has attempted to do, in this indictment, in the following language : “ Certain bank notes, of the goods and chattels of said-Woods & Pew.” But bank notes have never.been recognized as goods, nor included within that term, under the criminal laws-of this State. For nearly fifty years, there has been a special and distinct statute, in this state, for the offense of stealing bank notes, which is inconsistent with the idea that bank notes are-embraced in the word “ goods,” used in the former and general statute against larceny. And the same distinction is expressed by the statutes of Massachusetts, New York, Connecticut, and other States. Nor would the term “ goods,”' even in a civil action, be held, only under exceptions to the general use of the word, to embrace promissory notes. No-lawyer, I apprehend, would have ventured a right of action to-recover for bank notes, upon a common count for “goods sold, and delivered,” under our former practice. Nor would they be regarded as subject to attachment and levy, like goods and'chattels. Bank notes are, strictly speaking, evidences of debt — mere money securities; but of so high a nature and. common use, as to be treated, in commerce, as money, and are often so regarded in law.
It is unnecessary to express any opinion, whether the use of the words “ money ” and “ effects,” in place of the words-“goods and chattels,” in the indictment, would have been regarded sufficient. If charged with obtaining money, the-price of the pens agreed upon was forty-five dollars, and the sum was paid, in part, in bank notes, as a currency of that value, and so accepted by Schleisinger as money; or if the; bank bills had been denominated the effects of said Woods &:
It is also unnecessary to here express any opinion upon the other objections taken by counsel for plaintiff in error, to the holding of the court of common pleas. Indeed, the record •does not show that counsel, on the trial, insisted upon proof ■being made that both Woods and Pew were imposed upon by •the false representations, and insisted that Pew as well as Woods should be shown to have been induced to part with ■.the bank notes by means of the false pretenses so made. The bill of exceptions does not present this question.
But it is sufficient to say, that an indictment, to charge the offense of obtaining property by false pretense or pretenses, within the statute, must clearly state and charge the following essential facts against the accused: 1. The making •of some false pretense. 2. The obtaining thereby, from another person, some item of money, goods, merchandise, or effects. 8. That the same was so obtained with the intent to ■cheat and defraud the person from whom so obtained of the .same.
This indictment does not, as we have seen, so charge any ■offense, within the language and meaning of the statute.
The judgment of the court of common pleas must, therefore, be reversed.
Judgment accordingly.
Case-law data current through December 31, 2025. Source: CourtListener bulk data.