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38 Mo. 367

State v. Hays

Supreme Court of Missouri

Decided July 15, 1866

Supreme Court of Missouri · decided 1866-07-15

Appeal f rom Creene Circuit Court. The indictment is sufficient — Sess. Acts 1860-1, p. 93, § 4. It is not necessary that the indictment should follow the language of the statute ; a substantial description of the offence charged to have been committed, is all that the law requires, and that the pleader did in this instance.

Cited by 1 later decisions — most recently December 1889

1 state decisions

Good law ✅— No negative treatment on recordhow we know

Decided 1866-07-15

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Holmes, Judge,

¶1delivered the opinion of the court.

¶2This was an indictment under the act to prevent the adulteration of spirituous liquors, (Laws 1860-1, p. 93, § 4,) which prohibited any and all persons, whether licensed or not, from selling spirituous or alcoholic liquors, until they shall have given a bond and taken an oath as therein required not to violate the provisions of the act. This act is not confined to dram-shop keepers, or merchants, but applies to all persons, irrespective of the quantity sold. It was enough, therefore, for the indictment to allege that the defendant “ did then *368and there unlawfully sell spirituous liquor, to wit, one pint of whiskey and one pint of brandy, for the sum of one dollar, to one John Mcllhaney, without then and there having taken and subscribed an oath and given a bond,as required by law of all persons before selling or offering to sell such liquor.” This averment contains substantially every essential requisite to constitute the offence under the act. The defendant’s motion to quash the indictment was erroneously sustained. Our attention has not been called to any particular defect.

¶3Judgment is i*eversed and the cause remanded.

Judge Wagner concurs; Judge Lovelace absent.
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