Youmans v. United States
Opinion of the Court
Each of the two counts of the indictment in this case charged that the plaintiff in error (herein called the defendant), on a date stated, being then and there a postmaster of the United States at Nunez, Emanuel county, Ga., unlawfully, knowingly, willfully, and feloniously converted to his own use and thereby embezzled stated sums of money, the property of the United States, the same being then and there a part of the money order funds of the United States belonging to the Post Office Department of the United States, and alleged to have come into the hands of the defendant, and under his control, in the execution and under color of his office and employment as such postmaster.
“Auditor’s Certificate, J. W. S. 1, Treasury Department, Office of the Auditor of tlie Post Office Department, Washington, D. O. Stamped Chief Inspector P. O. Dept., Dec. 16th, 1916.
“I, Chas. A. Kram, Auditor for the Post Office Department, certify the annexed to be true and correct transcripts of the postal and money order account of Sewell A. Youmans, postmaster at Nunez, Georgia.”
“That the certificate does not show that it is a true copy of the account books of the auditor of the Post Office Department.”
The objection was overruled, and the document admitted. That ruling was duly excepted to.
Section 225 of the Criminal Code (Comp. St. § 10395), which defines the offense charged, provides that—
“Upon the trial of any indictment against any person for such embezzlement, it shall be prima facie evidence * * * against him to produce a transcript from the account books of the Auditor for the Post Office Department.”
Nothing in the certificate or in the transcript certified to shows or indicatés that the original of the account appears on or is a part of any account book of the Auditor for the Post Office Department. Nothing disclosed is inconsistent with the conclusion that the original of that which purports to be copied has never formed a part of the account books of the Auditor of the Post Office Department. For anything that appears, the original which was copied may never have been entered in any book. The statute does not purport to make anything prima facie evidence of a balance against one charged as the defendant was, except a transcript from the account books mentioned. Such evidence as that authorized by the above-quoted provision1 is not admissible, in the absence of a statute making it admissible. United States v. Pinson, 102 U. S. 548, 26 L. Ed. 226. We think that the evidence in question was subject to objection on the above-stated ground, and that the court erred in admitting it over that objection.
As the record shows prejudicial error, the judgment is reversed.
Reference
- Full Case Name
- YOUMANS v. UNITED STATES
- Status
- Published