Source: https://www.legalcrystal.com/case/79387/united-states-vs-turner
Timestamp: 2017-04-30 03:24:12
Document Index: 344148644

Matched Legal Cases: ['§ 1', '§ 1', '§ 38', '§ 7', '§ 43', '§ 1']

United States Vs Turner - Citation 79387 - Court Judgment | LegalCrystal
Save as PDF Add a Tag Add a Note Semantics Visualize United States Vs. Turner - Court Judgment	LegalCrystal Citationlegalcrystal.com/79387CourtUS Supreme CourtDecided On1833Case Number32 U.S. 132AppellantUnited StatesRespondentTurnerExcerpt:
united states v. turner - 32 u.s. 132 (1833)
united states v. turner, 32 u.s. 7 pet. 132 132 (1833)
32 u.s. (7 pet.) 132
indictment in the circuit court of north carolina for the forgery of and an attempt to pass, &c.;, a certain paper of writing in imitation of, and purporting to be a bill or note issued by the president, directors, and company of the bank of the united states. the note was signed with the name of john huske, who had not been at any time president of the bank of the united states, but who, at the time of the date of the counterfeit, was the president of the..... Judgment:
Indictment in the Circuit Court of North Carolina for the forgery of and an attempt to pass, &c.;, a certain paper of writing in imitation of, and purporting to be a bill or note issued by the president, directors, and company of the Bank of the United States. The note was signed with the name of John Huske, who had not been at any time president of the Bank of the United States, but who, at the time of the date of the counterfeit, was the president of the office of discount at Fayetteville, and was countersigned by the name of John W. Sanford, who at no time was cashier of the mother bank, but was at the said date cashier of the said office of discount and deposit.
that this was an offense within the provisions of the law.
"The president, directors, and company of the Bank of the United States promise to pay twenty dollars, on demand, at their office of discount and
Page 32 U. S. 133
deposit, in Fayetteville, to the order of D. Anderson, cashier thereof. Philadelphia, 4 July, 1827. John W. Sandford cashier, John Huske, president,"
with intent to defraud the president, directors, and company of the Bank of the United States, against the form of the act of Congress, &c.;
Upon the trial of the cause, it occurred as a question whether the attempt to pass the counterfeit bill, in the indictment mentioned knowing the same to be counterfeit, the said bill signed with the name of John Huske, who had not at any time been president of the Bank of the United States, but at the time of the date of the said counterfeit bill was the president of the office of discount and deposit of the Bank of the United States at Fayetteville, and countersigned with the name of John W. Sandford, who at no time was cashier of the Bank of the United States, but was at the date aforesaid cashier of the said office of discount and deposit, was an offense within the provisions of the act entitled an act to incorporate the subscribers to the Bank of the United States, upon which question the judges, being divided in opinion, ordered that the same should be certified to the Supreme Court of the United States for the opinion of that Court.
Page 32 U. S. 134
This cause comes before the Court upon a certificate of division of opinion of the judges of the Circuit Court for the District of North Carolina. The defendant, Abel Turner, was indicted for the forgery of and an attempt to pass, &c.;, a certain paper writing in imitation of and purporting to be a bill or note issued by the president, directors, and company of the Bank of the United States. The indictment contained several counts, all founded upon the 18th section of the Act of 10 April, 1816, ch. 44, establishing the Bank of the United States. Upon the trial of the cause, it occurred as a question whether the attempt to pass the counterfeit bill in the indictment mentioned, knowing the same to be counterfeit, the said bill being signed with the name of John Huske, who had not at any time been president of the Bank of the United States, but at the time of the date of the said counterfeit bill, was the president of the office of discount and deposit of the Bank of the United States at Fayetteville, and countersigned by the name of John W. Sandford who at no time was cashier of the Bank of the United States, but was, at the date aforesaid, cashier of the said office of discount and deposit was an offense within the provisions of the act. Upon this question, the court, being divided in opinion, ordered the same to be certified to this Court.
Page 32 U. S. 135
The bill or note itself is not set forth
except in the count on which the question arose and which charges that the defendant, with force and arms, &c.;,
"feloniously did attempt to pass to one S.E. as and for a true and good bill or note, a certain false, forged, and counterfeit paper writing, the tenor of which, &c.;, is as follows: 'The president, directors, and company of the Bank of the United States promise to pay twenty dollars on demand at their office of discount and deposit in Fayetteville to the order of D. Anderson, cashier thereof, Philadelphia, 4 July, 1827 -- John W. Sandford cashier, John Huske, president' -- with intent to defraud the president, directors, and company of the Bank of the United States."
"If any person shall falsely make, &c.;, or cause or procure to be falsely made, &c.;, or willingly aid or assist in falsely making, &c.;, any bill or note in imitation of, or purporting to be, a bill or note issued by order of the president, directors, and company of the said bank, &c.;, or shall pass, utter or publish, or attempt to pass, utter, or publish, as true, any false, &c.;, bill or note, purporting to be a bill or note issued by the order of the president, directors and company of the said bank, &c.;, knowing the same to be falsely forged or counterfeited, &c.;, every such person, &c.;"
The case therefore falls directly within the terms of the act. It is an attempt to pass a false
Page 32 U. S. 136
bill or note, as true, purporting to be a bill or note issued by the order of the president, directors and company, for the word "purport" imports what appears on the face of the instrument.
Jones' Case,
2 Doug. 802; 2 Russell on Crimes, b. 4, ch. 32, § 1, 345-6, 2d edition;
363-367. The preceding clause of the section very clearly shows this to be the sense of the word in this connection. It is there said if any person shall falsely make, &c.;, any bill, "in imitation of, or purporting to be, a bill," &c.;, where the words "in imitation of" properly refer to counterfeiting a genuine bill, made by the proper authorized officers of the bank, and the words "or purporting to be," properly refer to a counterfeit bill, which on its face appears to be signed by the proper officers. In the view of the act, then, it is wholly immaterial whether the bill attempted to be passed be signed in the name of real or fictitious persons or whether it would, if genuine, be binding on the bank or not.
Upon examining the English authorities upon the subject of forgery and the utterance of counterfeit paper, they appear to us fully to justify and support a similar doctrine. It is, for instance, clearly settled that the making of a false instrument, which is the subject of forgery, with a fraudulent intent, although in the name of a nonexisting person, is as much a forgery as if it had been made in the name of a person known to exist, and to whom credit was due. 2 Russell on Crimes,
Page 32 U. S. 137
b. 4, ch. 32, § 1 (2d edition), 327-333, and the cases there cited;
470, 474; 2 East P.C. ch. 19, § 38, 940. Nor it is material whether a forged instrument be made in such a manner as that if, in truth, it were such as it is counterfeited for, it would be of validity or not. This was decided as long ago as
Deakins' Case,
1 Sid. 142; 1 Hawk. P.C. ch. 70, § 7; 2 East P.C. ch. 19, § 43, 948. Nor is it any answer to the charge of forgery, that the instrument is not available, by reason of some collateral objection not appearing upon the face of it. 2 Russell on Crimes, b. 4, ch. 32, § 1 (2d edition), 337-341;
470-74.