Arrison v. State
Arrison v. State
Opinion of the Court
Plaintiff in error, G. B. Allison, was tried in the district court of Comanche county on a charge of assault upon the person of J. H. Stuart, with a deadly and dangerous weapon, with intent to kill, and was convicted of assault with intent to do bodily harm. He was sentenced to serve one year in the county jail.
The prosecuting witness testified as follows:
“I now reside at Newkirk, Okla.; have resided there ever since the 1st of February. Prior to that time, resided in Comanche county, up near Sterling. Am a married man. My occupation in Comanche county was a farmer. I think I resided there a little over three years. Owned my own farm; still own it. Know defendant. My house was a half a mile northeast of Mr. Allison’s house. Rived about four and one-half or fice miles southeast of Sterling. Known Mr. Allison almost four years. Rived up in that neighborhoow until last February. Saw Mr. Allison on November 30th of last year a mile and a half, probably two miles, southeast of Sterling. It was about noon. I was traveling in any open buggy, a road wagon, driving a single horse,
Dr. -Cannon, on behalf of the state, testified:
“I am a physician and reside at Sterling. Am acquainted with J. H. Stuart. Was called to see him on or about the 30th day of November, 1908. Saw him at bis home. It was about noon. Made an examination of his body for wounds; found a shot wound in the left shoulder. The shot was just about where you have a suspender in the back of the shoulder. I extracted the shot; it was imbedded against the bone, the shoulder blade. Know the size of shot used in shotguns. The shot was about No. 6 or 8; have that shot with me.” (Witness produced the shot; offered in evidence.)
J. E. Sims, on behalf of the state, testified:
“I live in Comanche' county, Brown township. Know defendant; know J. H. Stuart. I was constable in Comanche county about the 10th of November, 1908. Lived something like a quarter of a mile from Allison. Lived three-quarters of a mile from Stuart. The time when it is alleged that Allison shot Stuart was about eleven o’clock. I recollect the time. Saw defendant the day before the shooting. Saw him on Sunday; he was at my place. Had a conversation with defendant in regard to Stuart. He came to my house on that Sunday morning. It must have been nine or ten o’clock. He came up and asked if I had a law book, and I told him, ‘No.’ I says, ‘Why?’ He says: ‘Stuart got my shoats again, and I came up to see if you had a book with the law governing stock.’ And I says: ‘No; I haven’t got any on the place.’ He says: ‘He taken them up a while ago, run them in, and sent me a note by the boy- He taken them up a while ago, and sent me a note by his son, and said he had the hogs up, and come down and pay the damage, and he
The accused, in his own behalf, testified:
“I am 53 years old. Lived in Brown township, Comanche county, on November 30, 1908. At this time, am living in Law-ton; have lived here since last Wednesday week. Am the defendant. Acquainted with Mr. Stuart. Saw Mr. Stuart on November 30, 1908. Saw him between my place and Sterling. I was going from my house to Sterling. I lived five miles and a half southeast of Sterling, and my nephew and myself was in the buggy, and we met Mr. Stuart. My nephew’s name is Marvin Allison. Mr. Stuart was coming east in this direction, and, I was going west. He passed me on the right of me, and myself on the right of him, and Mr. Stuart stopped just, not exactly to my left, but a little in front of me like, and his buggy dropped down in that rut, one wheel of it; but I don’t remember whether I spoke to him or him — He says, ‘Hello,’ and I says: ‘Mr. Stuart, 30 minutes after you run my hogs in yesterday, I wrote you a note that I would pay you if they damaged you.’ And when I said that he just raised his hands. Now, I hate to repeat the words, gentlemen; a man that has any respect for womanhood
J. A. Sims, on behalf of the accused, testified:
“I live five miles southeast of Sterling. Lived there five years, about three-quarters of a mile, or hardly that far, from Mr. Allison’s residence; a little over three-quarters from Stuart’s place. Besides farming, ,1 have been working for a purchase house in Chicago four years. In October or November of last year, I was engaged in canvassing for my books; had been over the different roads. It is my impression the roads were dry in November, 1908. I told Mr. Allison, I said: T want to put you on your guard, and you be particular.’ He says, ‘Why so ?’ I says: ‘Just as sure as you go to tackling three different men, giving their names, that when you do, they will be ready for you.’ That was before the shooting. Mr. Stuart was one of the men I had reference to. Mr. Seymour and Bob Williams were the others.”'
John Hickey, on behalf of the accused, testified:
“I live up close to Sterling, six miles between Marlow and Sterling, six and one-half from Sterling southeast. Acquainted with Mr. Allison. • About November 30, 1908, I was hauling hay and corn from above where Mr. Allison lived up by
J. P. Ratliff, on behalf of the accused, testified:
“I live two miles from Sterling. Rive on the farm and keep post office at Sterling. Rived there eight years. Was in and around that vicinity of Sterling on or about November 30, 1908. 1 came from Elgin on the 3,0th. The roads wasn’t muddy between there and Elgin. Everybody was gathering corn. The roads was good.”
Emmett Allison, for the accused, testified:
“I put the gun in the buggy. My father did not direct me to. G. B. Allison is my father. Did it on my own motion.”
Marvin Allison, for the accused, testified:
“I am nineteen years of age. Rive in Covington, Ga. Been here since Thursday a week ago. Acquainted with Mr. Allison; he is my Uncle. Was out here the 28th of last March a year ago. Was farming after I came with Mr. Allison. Came out here for my health more for that than anything else. Rived with my uncle out near Sterling. Know J. H. Stuart. Saw J. H. Stuart on or about November 30, 1908, about two miles southeast of Sterling; also saw my uncle there. Went over there in a buggy, driving two mules. Mr. Stuart was going east. I ivas going west towards Sterling. Met him in the road. My uncle said: ‘Mr. Stuart, in thirty minutes after you drove my hogs in, I sent a note by my little boy, and offered to pay you for it.’ And when he said that Mr. Stuart said: ‘You God damn lying son of a bitch, I will kill you.’ He moved his arm that way. Seemed as he was going for his hind pocket. At the time he said that, my uncle jumped out of the side of the buggy. I held the mules. The mules jumped as he jumped out of the buggy. I had been driving. As he jumped out, he took a shotgun. Pie shot at Mr. Stuart; did not see him when he shot. I looked back as quick as I could stop the mules. The-mules were young, and they were afraid when the. gun fired. I looked as'quick as I could. They hadn’t gone very •far when I stopped them, about ten feet, I reckon, When I looked -back, my uncle was behind my buggy. Stuart’s buggy was going up the road at that time. Couldn’t say how far it had gone, about 30 or 40 feet, 50 -feet, something like that. Plis horse was
Cross-examination:
“Had been over to Mr. Stuart’s house that morning before I started to Sterling. Emmett and I had been over there an hour or so before we started, I suppose. I know Mr. Stuart had gone to Sterling; think I did. Came and reported that fact to my uncle. Then he and I got in the buggy and started to town. I had gone over to Mr. Stuart’s that morning in the buggy. I took the gun over to Mr. Stuart’s. We had it laying under the seat of the buggy; been hunting birds that morning. Mr. Allison went to town after the mail. I did the driving. He carried the gun on to Sterling.”
J. H. Stuart, in rebuttal for the state, testified:
“On November 30th of last year, when the assault was made upon me, I did not have a pistol on that occasion. Did not have a pistol that day. Did not have a pistol or gun of any kind about my person or- buggy that day. Did not own a pistol; had not borrowed a pistol. Did not draw, or attempt to draw, a pistol at any time. Did not throw my hand to my hip pocket before Mr. Allison jumped out of the buggy, nor at any time. Did not throw my hand to the back part of my body at any time after I met Mr. Allison in the road. I had hold of the lines. Did not raise my hand and shake it in Mr. Allison’s face and say to him: 'You are a God damn son'of a bitch, I will kill you.’ I use no profane language. Did not call him any name or language, except that of a liar. When I called him a liar, I did not throw my hand to my hip pocket, or any place about my person. As soon as I seen the gun coming up, I started the horse up and drove off; drove to Mr. Stice’s house. Mr. and Mrs. Stice, Wilson Brooks, and a young man they called Tom Key were there. Did not attempt to move the horse until I started to drive off. Did not attempt' to move the horse until I struck him with the lines. Never owned
A. G. Lovett, in rebuttal for the state, testified:
“Know defendant; know Stuart. Live in the same neighborhood. Was one of the neighbors who testified against Mr. Allison in the case tried last March in the district court. Think Allison made a statement, or something like this, to me that he had no neighbors; but they were all damnable sons of bitches. Do not remember since that trial that defendant made any threat as to what he would do to the men that testified against him at that time. To the.best of my knowledge, he said that he calculated to go onto all of us.”
I. K. Bailey, in rebuttal for the state, testified:
“Am acquainted with G. B. Allison and Stuart. Live about a quarter of a mile, or a little over, from Mr. Stuart, about a half a mile from Mr. Allison. Know about the time when Mr. Stuart was shot. Went over to Stuart’s on Sunday morning before the difficulty between him and Allison after a hog. Drove a hog home from Stuart’s that morning; drove it right west of him across over the pasture. Was in my pasture driving the hog that morning. From where I was driving the hog in my pasture, could have been seen by persons sitting on Mr. Allison’s gallery. I think so; I know I can see the house from about the place where I was. It was somewhat early; I should judge about 8 or 9 o’clock. After the shooting, I had a conversation with defendant about it. I was up on the south part of the place at work doing something, and got to talking about it. He told me that he got out of the buggy and shot at him, and talked like he shot to hurt him. He spoke about getting out of the buggy, and something about he stepped in a ditch or something, and his foot slipped and made the remark if his foot hadn’t slipped he would have got him.”
William Stice, for the state, testified:
“Know defendant and know Stuart. Live at Fletcher, Okla. Know the time of the difficulty between defendant and Mr. Stuart. I was living then out near Sterling, southeast, about a.mile and a-half across the fields, but the way they got to go around the roads, probably two miles and a half. The road from Mr. Stuart’s to Sterling passed my house. I know the day of the shooting. About 12 o’clock that day, I was at home. Saw Mr. Stuart that
John Donald, for the state, testified:
“Live in Lawton. Work in a bank. Have had experience in shooting shotguns. Have had experience in shooting at game and at targets. Have had experience in the use of shotguns for the last seventeen or eighteen year; hunt a great deal. From my experience with a shotgun, would say a shotgun fired in the hands of one sitting, say, where I am now sitting, at a buggy, and the man sitting where this man is sitting on the jury, with a blue shirt, I believe all the shot would hit him For a person to be shot with only one shot, they would have to be scattered. So that only one shot would hit on his shoulder blade, he would have to be about eighty yards.”
Mrs. J. H. Stuart, for the state, testified:
“My name is Mandy Stuart. I am the wife of J. H. Stuart. Was living in this county on the 30th day of November last year. Remember the occasion of Mr. Stuart being shot on that day. Mr. Stuart never owned a'pistol at that time; never did. Have not seen a pistol around my house and premises since I have been married to Mr. Stuart. To my knowledge, he- did not have a pistol on November 30th. AVhen he left there on.the morning of November 3t0h, he had no gun whatever of any kind. Did not
We have carefully gone over the assignments of error; and, while the instructions of the court are subject to some criticism, we find no error sufficiently prejudicial to the substantial rights of the plaintiff in error to justify a reversal of this cause.
The judgment of the trial court-is therefore affirmed.
Case-law data current through December 31, 2025. Source: CourtListener bulk data.