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87 Miss. 183

State v. Ray

Mississippi Supreme Court

Decided November 15, 1905

Mississippi Supreme Court · decided 1905-11-15

From the circuit court of Pearl River county. Hon. William T. McDonald, Judge. Cffisar Ray and Charles Gaines, the appellees, were indicted and tried for willfully throwing a missile into a moving railroad train, in violation of Laws 1900, ch. 103, p. 141. It appeared upon the trial that when they threw the missile one of the defendants was riding upon the platform of the coach into- which' they threw and'the other one upon the steps of the platform.

Decided 1905-11-15

Calhoon, J.,

¶1delivered the opinion of the court.

¶2There was a peremptory instruction to find the defendants not guilty, which the verdict, of course, did. The state appeals, under Code 1892, § 39. Under clause 2 of that section we neither reverse nor affirm, but simply pronounce the law.

¶3One of these appellants was on the platform of a moving passenger train; the other was on the steps of the same coach, below him. The one below handed to the other a half of a brick, which the one on the platform threw into the coach, where many passengers were, through the glass dóor. The statute (Laws 1900, p. 141, ch. 103) is this: “Be it enacted by the legislature of the state of Mississippi, That if any person shall willfully shoot any firearms or hurl any missile at, or into, any moving train within the state of Mississippi, such person shall, upon conviction, be punished,” etc. Must one throw the missile while he is on the outside of the train in order to be guilty? We think not. He can throw into a moving train from a platform of it, as well as from the ground outside. If he throws into a car moving with and as part of a moving train, he throws into the train. This view comports with the purpose to correct a great evil, dangerous to passengers and destructive of property.

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