Court Opinion

ID: 9812561
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-31 22:41:45.397476+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T15:25:15.487527
License: Public Domain

Clare, O. J.,
dissenting. The entire evidence, except that of the prisoner himself, is that of Stroud, who testified that he “saw the prisoner standing in the path, the deceased standing by the side of a pine, the prisoner asked the deceased why he went to his house last night, and the deceased said he did not go, the prisoner said ‘you are a damned liar, you did,’ I am going to kill you, throw up your right hand. The prisoner then shot him, he was in about ten or eleven steps from the deceased, shot once. When he shot, the witness ran off; the deceased ran to him and said ‘I am shot.’ lie died in a short time.” The Court read the above testimony to the jury and told them, “If you find those facts to be true, beyond a reasonable doubt, the prisoner is guilty of murder in the first degree, because they show premeditation and deliberation upon the part of the prisoner.” In this there could be no error, for if, under those circumstances the prisoner said, “I am going to hill you, throw up your right hand,” and then shot and killed, there was premeditation and deliberation. There was the declaration of the intention to kill, the ordering the deceased to throw up his hands, and then the aiming, firing and killing. That the *680deliberate purpose is formed, for however brief a period before tbe killing, is sufficient under all our authorities. State v. Dowden, 118 N. C., 1145; State v. Foster, 130 N. C., 666, 89 Am. St. Rep., 816, and many others. Here, if the evidence is believed, the purpose was not only formed but announced by the prisoner. When premeditation is an inference to be drawn from other facts, it is for the jury. But when the jury find that the prisoner announced his intention to shoot and ordered the deceased to hold up his hands, and that then, without provocation, the prisoner did fire and kill, there is no inference to be drawn. The jury find the fact of premeditation when they find that the prisoner announced his intention already formed to kill and then without provocation does kill. Authorities can be cited, but no ruling of any Court could add force to this simple statement of the facts which the jury found to be true.