De Gaultie v. State
De Gaultie v. State
Opinion of the Court
—Adolph DeGaultie was indicted, tried, and convicted, in the criminal court of Harris county, upon a charge of stealing $460, in Hnited States currency, from the person of one M. Brady. The proof shows that the money was placed by said Brady in the possession of the wife of DeGaultie, in his presence, and with his assent, in the city of Hew Orleans, to be brought to Houston, Texas, and there delivered to a Mr. Kaumheimer. The money was never delivered to Mr. Kaumheimer, and when DeGaultie was called upon by Kaumheimer for the money he admitted he had spent it.
By the common law this would be nothing but a breach of trust, for which the party would only be liable in a civil action. But by our criminal statutes such conduct is declared to be something more than a civil injury. It is made a felony. The facts proved upon the trial establish beyond all reasonable doubt, by testimony perfectly legal and competent, that the accused was guilty of a violation of the criminal laws of the country, and he is amenable to the penalties of those laws. The proof shows that, in the acts done by him, he violated article 2423 of the Criminal Code, (Paschal’s Dig., p. 468,) for which he is justly obnoxious to the penalty denounced against the offense therein described. But a question is presented in this case which must be determined by the court according to the law. The common law made no distinctions in larceny, except by its classification into petit and grand, and simple and mixed, or compound larceny. This classification has the advantage of simplicity, and certainly facilitates the administration of criminal
Reversed and remanded.
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- Article 772 of the Penal Code reads as follows: “ If any carrier, to whom money, goods, or other property shall have been delivered, to be carried by him;, or if any other person, who shall be intrusted with such property, shall embezzle or fraudulently convert to his own use any such money, goods, or property, either in the mass, as the same were delivered, or otherwise, he shall be deemed guilty of theft, and shall be punished as prescribed by articles 756 or 757, according to the amount of the value so embezzled or misapplied.” (Paschal’s Dig., Art., 2423.) Held, that where money ¡was delivered to the wife of the accused, to be carried to a third party, which money the husband converted to his own use and failed to pay on' demand he was guilty of theft within the meaning of this article. But the indictment having charged that De G. stole the money from the “person” of B., proof that the money was delivered to the wife in New Orleans to hand to H. in Houston does not sustain the charge of theft from the person. The facts only constituted a breach of trust at common law; being a purely statutory offense, the allegata and probata should agree.