State v. Mathis
State v. Mathis
Opinion of the Court
We think the indictment is defective. The exception taken on the motion is well founded. The statute (Paschal’s Dig., Art. 5070, p. 849) directs that “the overseers shall measure such parts of roads as fall within their respective precincts or districts, in continuation, and to set up posts at the end of each mile leading from the court-house, or some noted place or town, and to mark the said posts in large legible figures the distance in miles to said court-house or other noted place.” The penalty-annexed is for failure to put up such posts thus marked within six months after their appointment. The indictment simply charges, that the defendant, as overseer of precinct Ro. 5 of a public road, leading from the town of Dallas, in the county of Dallas, to the county line of said Dallas county, in the direction of the town of Alton. This charge may all be true, and yet the defendant may not be guilty of any omission of duty. Suppose there should be some noted place, or town, at some intermediate point on the public road mentioned, between the town of Dallas and the county line indicated in describing the public road, and the overseer had put up such mile-post, marking the distance from such town or noted place, this would certainly be a compliance with the law, exonerating him from the penalty of the act, while it might be^rue he had not done ■what was charged in the indictment. This fact ought to have been negatived by some allegation or charge in the indictment. We would further say, in passing, in reference to one of the exceptions of the appellee, that the penalty does not attach to the failure or neglect to meas
Affirmed.
Reference
- Full Case Name
- State v. James Mathis
- Status
- Published
- Syllabus
- The 19th section of the road law provides, that it shall be the duty of all overseers of public roads to measure such parts of roads as fall within their respective precincts or districts, in continuation, and to set up posts at the end of each mile leading from the court-house or some noted place or town, and to mark on said posts, in large legible figures, the distance in miles to said court-house or other noted places; and on failure to put up milepo&ts, as aforesaid, or index-boards, within six months after their appointment, the overseer of such road, for such failure or neglect, shall be liable to indictment, &c. _ (Paschal’s Dig., Art. 5070, Bote 1111.) The penalty is for failure to put up such posts, thus marked, within six months after the appointment, not for a failure to measure the miles. It is not enough to charge that he was overseer of a public -road leading from D to the county line of said county, in the direction of the town of Alton.