Case Name: ELLIS v. STATE
Court: Texas Court of Criminal Appeals
Jurisdiction: Texas
Decision Date: 1918-11-06
Citations: 213 S.W. 264
Docket Number: No. 5169
Parties: ELLIS v. STATE.
Judges: 
Reporter: South Western Reporter
Volume: 213
Pages: 264–266

Head Matter:
(85 Tex. Cr. R. 529)
ELLIS v. STATE.
(No. 5169.)
(Court of Criminal Appeals of Texas.
Nov. 6, 1918.
On the Merits, April 2, 1919.
On Motion for Rehearing, May 28, 1919.
On Further Motion for Rehearing, June 25, 1919.)
1. Criminal Law <&wkey;1077 — Appeal—Record —Mandamus to Compel Reporter to Furnish Report oe Testimony.
Where a petition for mandamus shows that appellant in a murder prosecution at the proper time and in the proper way moved to have the judge of the trial 'court command the reporter to make out a proper report of the testimony, which the court refused, and to which defendant excepted, the petition will be granted.
On the 'Merits.
2. Criminal Law <&wkey;1099(ll) — Appeal — ■ Statement oe Facts — Authentication.
In a murder case, a statement of facts on appeal, signed by counsel and district attorney and certified by a judge other than the trial judge, will not be considered; it being necessary that the statement of facts be approved by the judge before whom the case was tried.
3. Indictment and Ineormation &wkey;>100— Abandonment oe Counts — Formal Portions oe Indictment.
When an indictment in a murder ease contains more than one count, and the first count is abandoned, the formal parts thereof will be applied to the second count as against the objection that such count is defective, in lacking the formal headings and the other necessary matter to make it legal.
On Motion for Rehearing.
4. Criminal Law <&wkey;814(17) — Abstract Instructions — Circumstantial Evidence.
In a murder case, a charge which is merely an abstract statement of the law of circumstantial evidence, without any application or attempted application to the facts, is properly refused.
5. Criminal Law <&wkey;784(l) — Instruction-Circumstantial Evidence.
In a prosecution for murder, facts held not to require submission of instruction on circumstantial evidence.
Appeal from District Court, Potter County; Hugh L. Umphres, Judge.
Ike Ellis was convicted of murder, and appeals.
Affirmed.
M. Cammack, of Amarillo, for appellant.
E. B. Hendricks, Asst. Atty. Gen., for the State.

Opinion:
-PRENDERGAST, J.
This appeal is from a,conviction for the offense of murder, with 15 years in the penitentiary assessed as a punishment.
There is no statement of facts. with the record. However, there is with the papers an application for a mandamus, timely filed, asking this court to compel the official court reporter, J. E. McGinnis, who was the stenographic reporter and as such took down the testimony upon the trial, to make out a statement of all evidence introduced as required by the statute. In addition to the petition for the mandamus itself, the record clearly shows that appellant in the pi-oper time and in the proper way made his motion before the district court, seeking to have the judge to command- the reporter to make out the proper report of the testimony of the case, which the court refused, and to which he excepted at the time.
The petition before the district judge, as well as the petition for mandamus to this court and the proof, is strictly and completely in accordance with the statute, and with the opinion of "this court in Ex parte Fread, 204 S. W. 113. In. accordance with the opinion of this court in that case, the clerk of this court will enter an order directing and requiring that said Mr. McGinnis prepare a transcript of his notes of 'all the testimony introduced on the trial, and to file the samo with the clerk of the district court where the case was tried within 15 days from the date of the service of this order upon him.
Further consideration of the case on its merits will be postponed for a reasonable length of time, to await the filing in the court below of a statement of facts.
Mandamus granted, requiring the stenographer to prepare and file a transcript of all testimony heard on the trial of this cause.
other cases see same topic and KEY-NUMBER in all Key-Numbered Digests and Indexes