Adkinson v. State
Adkinson v. State
Opinion of the Court
delivered the opinion of the court.
This is an indictment; charging that defendant unlawfully, feloniously and burglariously did break and enter the mansion house of Margaret Mallon, in the night time, with the unlawful and felonious intent, then and therein, her, the said Margaret Mallon, unlawfully, forcibly, feloniously, and against her will, to ravish and have carnal knowledge of, against the peace and dignity of the State, etc.
The jury found defendant guilty as charged, and affixed punishment in the penitentiary for twelve years and six months.
The facts shown are substantially as follows:
Mrs. Mallon, a widow lady, kept a grocery store
It is clear from the testimony that defendant went into the house at an open door, and secreted himself
Burglary is defined by the Code, sec. 4672, to breaking and entering into a mansion house by night with intent to commit a felony. This is substantially the common law definition. By sec. 4674 it is provided that any person who, after having entered any. •of the premises mentioned in first section of the article with intent to commit a felony, break any such premises, he shall be punished in the same way as if he had broken into the premises in the first instance. 'This last section can only refer to a case where the party has entered without breaking actually or technically, and then, in furtherance of' his felonious design, does break after entrance; as when a party enters a house without breaking, and then, in pursuance of his felonious design, break open a wardrobe, show case, or ■an inner . door, in order to effectuate his purpose. "We do not think it can apply to the case of a party who, to enable himself to escape by flight from the ■house, opens a door as in this case.
The question then recurs, was there such a breaking in this case as makes the offense of burglary? According to Blackstone, as well as other authorities, there must be a breaking as well as an entry in order to make the offense. This may either be by force, or by opening a door, raising the larch for the purpose, picking a lock or opening it with a key, or unloosing any fastening which the owner has provided,
This authority, with authorities cited in notes to the above, seems to be conclusive. We have seen nothing contrary to this, and think the principles cited are sound law. It is insisted, however, by the Attorney General that unlocking ’ the door for flight makes the breaking required in this offense, under sec. 4674 of the Code, which is; “ Any person who, after having entered any of the premises mentioned in the first section of this article with intent to commit a felony, break such premises, he shall be punished in the same way as if he had broken into the premises in the first instance.” This, however, is nothing more than the principle of the common law, that breaking in furtherance of the design, that is felonious purpose, after entry, makes out the offense. It cannot mean that breaking after abandonment of the purpose, and for a different purpose than the commission of a felony, shall be referred arbitrarily to the felonious design. If this should be held, a party who, by trespass, enters a house with design to steal, who changes his mind and abandons that purpose, but in .going out of
Judgment will be reversed and the cause remanded.
Reference
- Full Case Name
- Peter Adkinson, alias Lewis White v. State of Tennessee
- Cited By
- 8 cases
- Status
- Published