Case Name: State vs. Jesse K. Jones
Court: Delaware Court of General Sessions
Jurisdiction: Delaware
Decision Date: 1902-09-22
Citations: 4 Penne. 109
Docket Number: No. 33
Parties: State vs. Jesse K. Jones.
Judges: 
Reporter: Delaware Reports
Volume: 20
Pages: 109–117

Head Matter:
State vs. Jesse K. Jones.
Oriminal Law—Abortion —Indictment; Sufficiency of—Intent— Reputation—Evidence.
1. In an indictment for abortion it was alleged that the prisoner “ unlawfully and feloniously, with intent to procure the miscarriage of A. B., she the said A. B. then and there being a pregnant woman, then and there supposed by the (prisoner) to be pregnant, did administer to her the said A. B. certain medicine (the same'not being necessary to preserve the life of her the said A. B.).” Held, that the negativé clause, viz: “ the same not being necessary to preserve the life of her the said A. B.,” negatived the miscarriage as w<$Jl as the giving of the medicine, and was sufficient.
2. In a prosecution for abortion, it is proper to ask a witness “ What is the defendant’s general reputation for morality and decency in the community in which he lives.”
3. In the indictment it was alleged that the prisoner “ did counsel her the said A. B., so intending to procure a miscarriage of her the said A. B. (the same not being necessary to preserve the life of her the said A. B.).” Held sufficient.
4. In a charge of abortion the gravamen of the offense is the intent, and the jury must decide whether the defendant administered, prescribed or counseled, whatever was done, for the purpose and with the intent of procuring a miscarriage. “ Administering” may mean “ giving” medicine.
5. General reputation, defined, and how the same shall be considered by the jury, stated.
(September 22, 1902.)
Lobe, C. J., and Spbuance and Boyce, J. J., sitting.
Herbert H. Ward, Attorney-General, and Robert H. Richards, Deputy Attorney-General, for the State.
Sylvester D. Townsend, Jr., for the defendant.
Court of General Sessions, New Castle County,
September Term, 1902.
Indictment for Abortion
(No. 33,
same term.)
The indictment contained four counts, the first three of which were relied upon by the State, and were as follows:
“ September Term, 1902.
“ New Castle County, ss.
“ The Gband Inquest fob the State of Delaware, and the body of New Castle County, on their oath and affirmation, respectively, Do Present :
“That Jesse K. Jones late of Brandywine Hundred, in the nounty aforesaid, on the seventh day of March in the year of our Lord one thousand nine hundred and two, with force and arms, at the hundred aforesaid, in the county aforesaid, unlawfully, feloni ously, and with the intent to procure the miscarriage of one Sarah Clancey, she the said Sarah Clancey then and there being a pregnant woman, then and there supposed by the said Jesse K. Jones to be pregnant, did administer to her the said Sarah Clancey certain medicine, (the same not being necessary to preserve the life of her, the said Sarah Clancey), against the form of an Act of the General Assembly, in such case made and provided, and against the peace and dignity of the State.
“ And the Jurors aforesaid, on their oath and affirmation, respectively, aforesaid, Do Further Present, That Jesse K. Jones, late of Brandywine Hundred, in the county aforesaid, on the seventh day of March in the year of our Lord one thousand nine hundred and two, with force and arms, at the hundred aforesaid, in the county aforesaid, unlawfully, feloniously and with the the intent to procure the miscarriage of one Sarah Clancey, she the said Sarah Clancey then and there being a pregnant woman, then and there supposed by the said Jesse K. Jones to be pregnant, did prescribe for her the said Sarah Clancey certain medicine, (the same not being necessary to preserve the life of her the said Sarah Clancey) against the form of an Act of the General Assembly in snch case made and provided and against the peace and dignity of the State.
“ And the jurors aforesaid, on their oath and affirmation, respectively, aforesaid, Do Further Present, That Jesse K. Jones? late of Brandywine Hundred, in the county aforesaid, on the seventh day of March in the year of our Lord one thousand nine hundred and two, with force and arms, at the hundred aforesaid, in the county aforesaid, unlawfully, feloniously and with the intent to procure the miscarriage of one Sarah Clancey, she the said Sarah Clancey then and there being a pregnant woman, then and there supposed by the said Jesse K. Jones to be pregnant, did counsel her, the said Sarah Clancey, so intending to procure a miscarriage of her, the said Sarah Clancey, (the same not being necessary to preserve the life of her, the said Sarah Clancey), against the form of an Act of the General Assembly, in such case made and provided, and against the peace and dignity of the State.
“ Herbert H. Ward,
“ Attorney-General.
“ Robert H. Richards,
“ Deputy Attorney- General
Defendant’s counsel moved to strike out the first two counts of the indictment on the ground that they did not aver, as required by the statute (Rev. Code, 13, See. 3), that the miscarriage was not necessary to preserve the life of the said Sarah Clancey, but merely alleged that the medicine was not so necessary.
Bassett vs. State, 41 Ind., 303; Willey vs. State, 46 Ind., 363.

Opinion:
Lore, C. J.:
—The majority of the Court hold that the first two counts of this indictment are sufficient. The second section of the statute (Rev. Code 930), under which this indictment is framed, is as follows:
" Section 2. Every person who, with the intent to procure the miscarriage of any pregnant women or women supposed by such person to be pregnant, unless the same be necessary to preserve her life, shall administer to her, advise, or prescribe for her, or cause to be taken by her any poison, drug, medicine, or other noxious thing, or shall use any instrument or other, means whatsoever, or shall aid, assist, or counsel any person so intending to procure a miscarriage, whether said miscarriage be accomplished or not, shall be guilty of a felony," etc.
The statute includes the cause and the effect. The giving of the medicine, or the use of the instrument is the cause; the miscarriage is the effect. In the indictment, the giving of the medicine, and the miscarriage are united in one clause, in the following words: That the prisoner " unlawfully and feloniously with intent to procure miscarriage of one Sarah Clancey, she the said Sarah Clancey, then and there being a pregnant woman, then and there supposed by the said Jesse K. Jones to be pregnant, did administer to her the said Sarah Clancey certain medicine (the same not being necessary to preserve the life of her, the said Sarah Clancey)."
This clause is indivisible, includes and joins together the miscarriage as well as the giving of the medicine, and the negative clause, viz: " the same not being necessary to preserve the life of her the said Sarah Clancey," negatives the miscarriage in that clause, as clearly as it does the giving of the medicine. We think under any proper rules of construction the two are incapable of separation.
We therefore are of opinion that the first and second counts of the indictment sufficiently negative miscarriage.
Boyce, J., concurred.