Court Opinion

ID: 7810989
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2022-09-07 17:12:48.69261+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T16:30:28.284827
License: Public Domain

McCulloch, C. J. Appellant was indicted for killing her husband, Wheeler Cochrell, and on the trial of the case was convicted of murder in the second degree. Appellant and her husband were living in a rooming house in Pine Bluff owned by appellant, and early in the morning of July 6,1920, other persons living in the house heard pistol shots in the room occupied by appellant and her husband. There were three shots fired, according to the testimony introduced. One of the witnesses occupying a room across the hall testified that immediately after she heard the shots appellant came out into the hall and exclaimed that she had “hurt her boy.” Other persons, hearing the noise, ran into the room and found Wheeler Cochrell lying on the floor groaning. A police officer, who had been telephoned for, soon came while Cochrell was still lying on the floor, and Cochrell stated in the presence of appellant that “she,” pointing to appellant, “shot me full of holes for nothing.” Appellant made no reply, though asked by the officer if she had anything to say. They laid Cochrell on the bed, and he expired in a few minutes thereafter. The witnesses found two pistols lying on the bed — one a 38-calibre and the other a 32-calibre. The larger pistol was full loaded and the smaller one had two unexploded cartridges in it, two exploded cartridges and one chamber was empty. Four bullet holes were found in Cockrell’s body. A physician who examined the body after Cochrell’s death gave his opinion that the wounds were inflicted with a 32-calibre pistol. Appellant testified in the case and admitted that she shot her husband two or three times, but claimed that she fired the shots in self-defense. She testified that her husband had been mistreating her for a considerable length of time, that he had endeavored to force her to make a will in his favor and to take out life insurance payable to him, and threatened to kill her if she continued to refuse to do so. She stated that on the morning of the killing he renewed his efforts to induce or force her to execute the will and take out insurance and again threatened to kill her and came into the room where she was and with a drawn pistol declared he would kill her, when she fired the shots. Appellant was permitted to relate all of the details of her troubles with her husband and his cruel treatment and threats from the beginning. The first assignment of error urged here for reversal of the judgment relates to the court’s refusal to permit a Mrs. McFall to testify concerning an alleged difficulty or quarrel between appellant and her husband. The record shows that appellant’s counsel asked the witness to state whether or not she had, on “an occasion some time prior to the killing,” witnessed a difficulty “at night or in the morning” between appellant and her husband. The prosecuting attorney objected to the question, and the court stated to counsel that the testimony would be admitted if it could be connected with the killing or shown that it led up to the killing. The witness then stated that she could relate such an occurrence which took place “several months before the killing,” and the court excluded the statement. This circumstance was too remote from the killing to be admissible as throwing any light on the tragedy, and the ruling of the court in excluding it was correct. The next assignment of error relates to the action of the court in propounding a question to appellant on cross-examination concerning her alleged disposition of her husband’s belt and trousers which he wore when shot. No exceptions were made to the ruling, and this assignment can not be considered. These are all of the assignments urged for reversal. The evidence is sufficient to sustain the verdict, and we find no error in the proceedings. Affirmed.