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14 Tex. Ct. App. 518

Lutton v. State

Court of Appeals of Texas

Decided June 27, 1883

Court of Appeals of Texas · decided 1883-06-27

Tried below before, the Hon. G. H. Noonan. The defendant was indicted at the March term, 1883, of the District Court of Bexar county, charged with the offense of swindling, in that on the thirtieth day of December, 1882, he gave a draft to Baker & Burroughs, on the San Antonio National bank, for one hundred and ninety-two dollars, and on that draft obtained two twenty-dollar currency bills of the value of twenty dollars each, and of the aggregate value of f orty dollars, and…

Decided 1883-06-27

White, Presiding Judge.

¶1We are of opinion that the motion to quash the indictment should have been sustained, because it is nowhere alleged in the indictment that the check or draft was delivered to or accepted by Baker & Burroughs as the consideration upon which they loaned the money to the appellant. From the manner in which the offense is attempted to be set forth in the indictment, this additional allegation is necessary to make it complete. (See White v. The State, 3 Texas Ct. App., 605; Johnson v. The State, 11 Ind., 481; The State v. Orvis, 13 Ind., 569.)

¶2The indictment should allege all the material .facts necessary to be proved to procure a conviction. In The State v. PMlbrick, 31 Maine, 401, an indictment was held insufficient which, whilst it averred that there was a proposed exchange of horses, failed to contain an averment that such exchange was made. (Commonwealth v. Straim, 10 Metcalf, 521; Commonwealth v. Lan*524nan, 1 Allen, 590.) In The Commonwealth v. Coe, 115 Massachusetts, it was said, “upon procuring the loan the delivery of the certificate completes the security.” (See Whart. Crim. Law, 8 ed., 2 vol., sec. 1215.)

¶3It is unnecessary to discuss the other errors complained of, further than to say that it was manifest error, under the circumstances shown by the bill of exceptions, for the court to refuse a postponement until the witness could bring into court the Recount, to produce which he had been served with a subpoena duces tecum, and which, under misapprehension or by instruction of other parties, he failed to bring with him. It was competent for defendant to show the course of dealing between the parties both before and after the date of the alleged crime, as reflecting upon the intent of defendant or throwing light upon the question whether the creditor was using the criminal law to ■enforce the collection of a debt. (The State v. Rivers, 58 Iowa, 102.)

¶4Because the indictment is wholly insufficient to charge the proposed offense, the judgment must be reversed and the prosecution dismissed.

¶5Reversed and dismissed.

¶6Opinion delivered June 27, 1883.

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