Case Name: GEORGE v. STATE
Court: Texas Court of Criminal Appeals
Jurisdiction: Texas
Decision Date: 1912-01-31
Citations: 143 S.W. 621
Docket Number: 
Parties: GEORGE v. STATE.
Judges: 
Reporter: South Western Reporter
Volume: 143
Pages: 621–621

Head Matter:
GEORGE v. STATE.
(Court of Criminal Appeals of Texas.
Jan. 31, 1912.)
Indictment and Information (§ 111*)— SUFFICIENCY OF ACCUSATION — BETTING AT Cards.
An indictment charging a person with “unlawfully betting at a game played with, cards” is insufficient, where it does not. negative the fact that the betting occurred at a private residence occupied by a family.
[Ed. Note. — For other cases, see Indictment and Information, Cent. Dig. §§ 296-298; Dec. Dig. § 111.*]
Appeal from Hood County Court; J. P. Mahan, Judge.
Norman George was convicted for unlawfully betting “at a game played with cards,” and appeals.
Reversed and dismissed.
C. E. Lane, Asst. Atty. Gen., for the State.

Opinion:
PRENDERGAST, J.
The appellant was indicted, charging "that he did unlawfully bet at a game played with cards," fixing the time and venue.
It is unnecessary to pass upon any of the questions attempted to be raised, except by appellant's motion in arrest of judgment on the ground that the indictment did not charge that the betting on a game of cards did not occur at a private residence occupied by a family. It is unnecessary to discuss this question. Such an indictment has recently been passed upon by this court in Chapman v. State, 140 S. W. 441, and such an indictment held fatally defective. The officers and grand jury seem to be misled by the decisions of this court in Purvis v. State, 52 Tex. Cr. R. 343, 107 S. W. 55, and Singleton v. State, 53 Tex. Cr. R. 625, 111 S. W. 736. These cases were modified or overruled by this court in an opinion by Presiding Judge Davidson in Purvis v. State, 137 S. W. 701.
Under the authority of the Chapman Case, supra, and the Purvis Case, 137 S. W. 701, the judgment in this case must be reversed, and the cause ordered dismissed.