Case Name: RUSSELL v. STATE
Court: Texas Court of Criminal Appeals
Jurisdiction: Texas
Decision Date: 1920-02-04
Citations: 219 S.W. 835
Docket Number: No. 5620
Parties: RUSSELL v. STATE.
Judges: 
Reporter: South Western Reporter
Volume: 219
Pages: 835–837

Head Matter:
RUSSELL v. STATE.
(No. 5620.)
(Court of Criminal Appeals of Texas.
Feb. 4, 1920.
On Motion for Rehearing, March 10, 1920.)
1. Burglary <&wkey;46(3) — Charge on entry by FORCE HELD PROPER.
Where the closed door of the building was forcibly opened to gain entry, force was applied to the building, so that a charge authorizing conviction if defendant entered by force was proper.
2. Criminal law <&wkey;823(l) — Omission covered BY GIVEN REQUEST IS NOT REVERSIBLE ERROR. '
An exception to the charge because it failed to limit certain testimony to proof of intent cannot be sustained where the court gave a special requested charge restricting the effect of the testimony more than defendant was entitled to ask.
3. Criminal law <&wkey;1172(7) — Charge on GUILT OF ANOTHER HELD FAVORABLE.
In a prosecution for burglary, where the burglar was tracked to defendant’s house and stolen property found therein, an instruction to acquit if the jury had a reasonable doubt whether the offense was committed by a relative living in defendant’s house was favorable to defendant, since they might have acted jointly.
On Motion for Rehearing.
4. Burglary <&wkey;41(6) — Evidence held insufficient.
Evidence that the burglar was tracked to defendant’s house, and that property stolen in previous burglaries was found therein, held insufficient to sustain a conviction of burglary where it appeared that a relative of defendant’s wife also lived in the same house.
5. Burglary <&wkey;42(2) — -Unexplained possession MUST BE EXCLUSIVE IN ACCUSED OR ACCOMPLICE.
The unexplained possession of recently stolen property which will authorize a conviction must be exclusive possession by the accused or by an accomplice or coconspirator.
Appeal from Criminal District Court, Travis County; James R. Hamilton, Judge.
John Russell was convicted of night burglary, and he appeals.
Reversed and remanded.
Monroe <& Patterson, of Austin, for appellant.
Alvin M. Owsley, Asst. Atty. Gen., for the State. >

Opinion:
DAVIDSON, P. J.
Appellant was convicted of night burglary and allotted five years in the penitentiary.
The evidence shows that the door through which the burglar entered was forcibly opened by him. It was securely shut or closed, and in the early morning just before day some one entered by forcing open this door. Mrs. Hopkins, owner of the house, called her son and notified him of the fact that some one was in the house, and whoever it was disappeared without taking anything so far as was discoverable. Search was instituted and tracks were traced of a peculiar kind to the house of appellant. These tracks show that whoever entered the house wore a pair of socks used by soldiers. A description was given. Such pair of sock's was found at appellant's residence. There was also a soldier stopping at appellant's residence who was a relative of appellant's wife. He was wearing the uniform of the' army at the time. There was a pair of shoes left in the burglarized house. These were shown by circumstances to belong to the wife of appellant, or at least they had a tag from a shoe repairer in one of them showing that they so belonged. Appellant's house was examined and a lot of stolen goods found, some of which had been taken from this same house on one or more previous occasions. Among others, there was a pair of pants belonging to Mrs. Hopkins' son and a fountain pen.
The court in the general definitions, among other things, stated that a burglari-. ous entry must be by actual breaking. In applying the law he instructed the jury that, if appellant entered the house by force, etc., they should convict him. We are of opinion there was no reversible error as contended by appellant in giving this general definition under this record, and in fact in this case the facts may be sufficient to show there was an actual breaking. The door was closed and forcibly opened. This was force applied to the building. There may be cases, and sometimes we find there are cases, in which this charge should not be given, but it is not error where in fact actual force was applied to the building in securing entrance. Some of the cases in which it might not be proper to give this charge are instanced where the entry is at an unusual place, as in Painter v. State, 26 Tex. App. 454, 9 S. W. 774, or climbing through an open window, as in Alexander v. State, 31 Tex. Cr. R. 359, 20 S. W. 756. But that condition does not arise here, and the charge, we think, was not erroneous under the facts as shown.
Exception was also reserved to the charge because it failed to limit the testimony in regard to the property found at appellant's house and previously taken from Mrs. Hopkins' residence by burglarious entries; his contention being that the court should have limited it to one purpose only, to wit, the intent in breaking the house. So far as this phase of the case is concerned, it is sufficient answer to state that appellant asked a special charge coveting this sup posed defect in tlie court's charge, which, was given by the court. This charge requested by appellant limited the effect of this testimony to the intent of the party burglarizing the house. While this charge was rather narrow and restricted, because this properly would have been admissible for other purposes, still appellant does not complain of that, and the court gave a charge to cover what he supposed was a defect in the court's charge.
The circumstances indicate that the soldier who lived at appellant's house may have been the burglar or connected with the burglary. The court with reference to this charged the jury at the request of appellant that, if they believed Ered Yell, the soldier, committed the burglary, or there was a reasonable doubt of that fact, they would acquit defendant. This was a favorable charge to appellant, and given at his request. Yell and appellant may have been jointly interested in the burglary of the house and both present. If appellant and Yell together entered the house, or acted jointly in getting into the house for burglarious and fraudulent purposes, they would both be guilty; but the charge as given at his request was favorable to him.
Appellant contends the evidence is not sufficient. We are of opinion, however, that he is in error. Quite a lot of stolen property from burglaries was found in his house. Their presence there is unaccounted for. This was sufficiently in his possession, we think, to call on him for an account why this property was in his house. There is no evidence to the effect that Yell claimed possession and ownership in the property to the exclusion of appellant. While the case is one of circumstantial evidence, yet we think there is enough evidence to show that appellant was connected with this burglary; at least the evidence is sufficient to constitute a prima facie case to justify the verdict in the absence of any explanation on his part as to how the property came to his house and undér his control. He introduced no evidence except that of his wife, who testified that her relative Yell was living with them at the time. Yell was arrested and subsequently discharged from custody. As the record is presented, we are of opinion that the verdict of the jury was warranted.
The judgment therefore will be affirmed.
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