Court Opinion

ID: 9825456
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-09-01 13:02:19.540234+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T07:40:50.417644
License: Public Domain

BRICKEN, P. J.
Prom a judgment of conviction for the offense of manufacturing spirituous liquors, this defendant appeals.
The only exception reserved to the ruling of the court upon the testimony is without merit.
While no brief has been filed in behalf of appellant, it is clear from the record that the paramount and in fact the only material question raised by this appeal is the sufficiency of the evidence to support the verdict of guilt returned by the jury. On the theory that the evidence was insufficient to suppoit the verdict, the defendant requested the affirmative charge which the court refused.
Witnesses Robbins, Crowe, and Young, for the state, each testified that they went together to the house of the defendant on or about the 12th day of February, 1919, in search of a still; that the defendant was not at home, and as a result of the search they found in defendant’s house some whisky jugs, and in his crib one keg.' The jugs and keg all smelled like whisky, and the latter appeared as if it had just been emptied. They also found in the side room of defendant’s house a funnel and measuring pot each of which contained a strong odor of whisky, and witness Crowe testified that there was a small quantity of whisky in the jugs. In searching the premises they found a wagon and mules tracks leading through and from defendant’s lot down to a ditch, some 300 yards from defendant’s house, where they found a place where fire had been built a considerable time, broken up boards, a lot of sticks, and much evidence of tracks and treading around this place. They also found a stone furnace there, described by them as being a great long stone furnace big enough for a still. They also found a still furnace, with thumper and condenser, and all indications were that a still had been operated at this place for a considerable length of time, and even within the last two days. But there was no still at this particular place at the time they reached there. The wagon and mules tracks, however, continued on by this place, and the officers above named followed these tracks still further for about 300 yards more, and there found the still all sat up with about 125 gallons of beer in it, and each of these witnesses testified that this beer contained alcohol, one of them having so ascertained by tasting or drinking some of it. At the still they found several thumpers, flake, shovel, and a hoe or two, and a furnace dug out in the dirt. These witnesses testified as to their experience and knowledge concerning matters of this kind, and stated that the beer and the other mentioned articles were all to be used in the manufacture of whisky and were suitable for that purpose. Witness Orowe testified there was alcohol in the still. This and other testimony of a similar nature was given in detail by 'the state’s witnesses. After destroying the still, beer, and other appliances, they followed the wagon and mules tracks back to the house of the defendant, and the tracks of the mules were shown to be of medium size and shod all around. It was shown also that the two mules of defendant which were in the lot at that time were shod all around, and that their feet were of medium size. These witnesses further testify that later on that same day they saw the defendant, White, in conversation with a Mr. Meadows, and as they (officers) approached the defendant, and when he saw who it was, he ran away. He ran down through the trees, and two of them ran after him for a half mile or more trying to catch him, but failed to do so. There was no uncertainty whatever in the testimony of these witnesses in identifying the man who ran as being the defendant. ,
The above-stated facts and others of similar import were testified to by each of the witnesses for the state. The defendant denied all knowledge of or ownership in the still and appliances found and destroyed by the officers. He denied also that he ran away when the officers approached him, and said:
“I didn’t run from the officers. I didn’t run from anything. I weren’t running. I didn’t know that it was Mr. Young and Mr. Orowe and Mr. Robbins that came when I was talking to Mr. Meadows. I stopped there and talked to Mr. Meadows. I went across the woods there where I was putting in some turpentine boxes. I was cutting across walking. I wasn’t running. I left the road; yes, sir; went across the woods.”
There was no testimony offered and no attempt made by the defendant to explain about the whisky jugs, whisky keg, the funnel, and measuring pot found in his house, all smelling strongly of whisky, nor did he undertake to deny the existence of the small amount of Vhisky found in the jugs in his' house, or explain where it came from or how it happened to be there.
It can thus be seen that the evidence was in sharp conflict, and was in our opinion sufficient to submit to the jury for its consideration in determining therefrom whether or not the defendant was guilty of the charge contained in the indictment. Summing it up, the testimony shows that in the defendant’s house and crib were found evidence of contraband or spirituous liquor, in fact, whisky itself; tracks of the mules and wagon leading from defendant’s lot to the old still place *277and from thence on to the still itself; the return of those same tracks back to defendant’s lot and the similarity of the mule tracks when compared with actual feet of the mules; the flight of the defendant upon the approach of the officers. These and other facts of like nature shown by this record preclude any sort of doubt as to the correctness of the ruling of the court in submitting this ease to the jury.
The action of the court in refusing to grant a new trial is not presented in a manner authorizing a review of the ruling of the court on this question. Acts 1915, p. 722; Crawley v. State, 16 Ala. App. 545, 79 South. 804, and eases cited.
No error appearing in the record, the judgment of the circuit court is affirmed.
Affirmed.