Case Name: Alex Jones v. The State
Court: Texas Court of Criminal Appeals
Jurisdiction: Texas
Decision Date: 1924-11-24
Citations: 99 Tex. Crim. 50
Docket Number: No. 8516
Parties: Alex Jones v. The State.
Judges: 
Reporter: Texas Criminal Reports
Volume: 99
Pages: 50–53

Head Matter:
Alex Jones v. The State.
No. 8516.
Delivered Nov. 24, 1924.
Rehearing granted, Jan. 14, 1925.
1. —Assault to Murder — Recognizance—Not in Record,
We find no recognizance in the record. There is an appeal bond which is approved by the sheriff, but not by the District Judge. The law requires the approval of both. The appeal is therefore dismissed.
ON MOTION FOE EKBCEAEING.
A sufficient appeal bond having been filed, the appeal is reinstated.
2. —Same—Charge of the Court — Provoking a Difficulty — Not Warranted.
The court charged the jury on the law of provoking a difficulty. Appellant by proper exceptions questioned the propriety of submitting this issue, and that the instructions given were not accurate. If we understand the record, Butts, the assaulted party, fired two shots before appellant fired any, and at the time appellant fired, Butts was armed with his pistol, and was firing at appellant or was endeavoring to do so. When the first and second shots were fired by Butts, appellant was unarmed. The shots fired by the appellant were after he had been assaulted, and when his adversary was wounded, appellant fired no more. The charge on provoking the difficulty, under the facts was error.
Appeal from the District Court of Gregg County. Tried below before the Hon. P. O. Beard, Judge.
Appeal from a conviction for assault to murder; penalty, three years 3n the penitentiary.
W. C. Shoultz, of Longview, for appellant.
Tom Garrard, State’s Attorney, and Grover C. Morris, Assistant State’s Attorney, for the State.

Opinion:
MORROW, Presiding Judge.
The offense is assault to murder; punishment fixed at confinement in the penitentiary for a period of three years.
We. find no recognizance in the record. There is an appeal bond, which is approved by the sheriff but not by the district judge. The law requires the approval of both. See Art. 904, C. C. P.; Brown v. State, 88 Texas Crim. Rep., 55; Wells v. State, 150 S. W. Rep., 1163; Chumley v. State, 83 Texas Crim. Rep., 54; King v. State, 83 Texas Crim. Rep., 304; Johnson v. State, 83 Texas Crim. Rep., 376; Gray v. State, 88 Texas Crim. Rep., 1; Hunt v. State, 82 Texas Crim. Rep., 471.
In the absence of a recognizance or an appeal bond approved as the law requires, this court is without jurisdiction to pass on the merits of the case. The appeal is therefore dismissed.
Dismissed.