acte r of decedent were not strictly within the record, where they were made in reply to equally improper statements by defendant's counsel, imputing a violent character to decedent, the court's failure to exclude the statements was not preju- dicial error. Idem.... .256 25. Same-Trial-Statments of Counsel-Action of Court.-In a homicide case, where the court excluded statements of coun- sel in argument that certain witnesses testified before the coroner's jury and would have been contradicted by mem- bers of that jury had their testimony differed on trial, and instructed the jury not to consider it, such statements can- not be considered prejudicial. Idem..... ..256
Same Reception of Evidence-Rebuttal.—In a homicide case, testimony as to the location of the body of decedent im- mediately after the killing, location of blood spots, and that no arms were found on decedent, much of which might have been introduced in chief, but which differed in many respects from the other testimony in chief, was proper in rebuttal, where its admission in rebuttal was made necessary by the testimony of accused, which brought out new particulars as to these matters. Idem...... .....257 27. Evidence-Identity of Accused-Admissibility. In a prosecu- tion for embezzling money collected by defendant under an assumed name as sales agent for a brewery, where defendant denied that he had collected the money and attempted to show that it was collected by another, evidence that defendant sold liquor under an assumed name, as agent for the brewery, and collected a part of the price, and of other transactions in which defendant had assumed the same or a similar name, as well as evidence identifying him as the person who cashed the checks received for the liquor, was admissible to show defendant's identity. Morse v. Commonwealth............294 28. Same-Other Offenses-Purpose-Identity of Accused.-Evi- dence that defendant had been previously indicted under the alleged assumed name, for another crime, was also admissible to show his identity and as tending to show that he had collected the money under the alleged assumed name. Idem ....294 29. Same-Trial-Reception of Evidence-Grounds Assigned by Trial Court-Erroneous Grounds-Effect. In a prosecution for embezzlement, evidence that accused had collected money under an assumed name, and of other transactions in which he had assumed the same name, being admissible to establish his identity, the fact that it was admitted by the trial court to show a criminal intent was immaterial, where the errone-
ous ground of admission assigned did not prejudice accused. Idem ...294 30. Same-Reception of Evidence-Restriction to Special Purpose -Identity of Accused-Sufficiency of Instructions.-While, in a prosecution for a crime committed under an assumed name, the defense being that the crime was committed by another, the state's evidence may take a wide range and show that he committed the offense charged as well as other offenses under the same name, to establish his identity, the jury's consideration of such evidence should be limited to that purpose, and in a prosecution for embezzling money under an assumed name, an instruction that evidence that defend- ant had also received money from others under the same name, and had committed another offense under the same name, could not be considered as evidence of guilt of the embezzlement charged, was equivalent to instructing that it could only be considered to establish the identity of accused. Idem .294 31. Embezzlement-Elements-Intent-Necessity of Proving.- Under an indictment under Ky. St. 1903, section 1202, pro- viding that any agent, etc., of any corporation who shall em- bezzle or fraudulently convert to his own use, or the use of another, money belonging to such corporation andi n his possession as such agent, etc., shall be confined in the peni- tentiary, etc., the Commonwealth must show that accused was the agent of a corporation and in the course of his employ- ment received money or property belonging to it, and that he embezzled or fraudulently converted to his own use the money, etc., and, in an embezzlement prosecution, if accused, an agent for a distilling company, a corporation, in the course of his employment, received money and failed to pay it over, the crime of embezzlement was complete, and it was unneces- sary to introduce evidence showing the criminal intent, since that would be presumed from the other facts shown. Idem
32. Evidence Other Offenses-Admissibility.-Under
cumstances, evidence of other and distinct embezzlements and other offenses committed by accused was not admissible for the purpose of showing a criminal intent. Idem...........295 33. Elements-Intent-Necessity of Proving. It is not essential that the Commonwealth introduce evidence to show a guilty intent to secure a conviction for embezzlement, as an evil intent is necessarily involved in the commission of embezzle- ment, as well as most felonies, and the law will imply the
intent from the acts of accused when they are sufficient to establish his guilt, on the ground that every person is re- sponsible for the consequence of his acts. Idem.........295 34. Evidence Other Offenses-Admissibility-General Rule.-As a general rule, in criminal cases the Commonwealth cannot show that accused has committed other distinct crimes than the one charged. Idem...... .....295
35. Same-Connected Acts-Admissibility.-If
criminal acts committed by accused are so connected in time, locality, etc., that they form an inseparable transaction, and the offense charged cannot be fully shown without giving the particulars of the offenses, evidence of any or all of the con- nected acts is admissible to prove the general plan. Idem.296 36. Same-Intent and Knowledge.-Where a crime charged is admitted by accused, who seeks to avoid responsibility by showing a lack of intent or guilty knowledge, evidence that he has committed similar independent offenses before or after that charged, which no apparent connection therewith, is admissible to prove such intent and knowledge. Idem..296 37. Same-Auxiliary Offenses.-If the circumstances tend to show that accused has committed an independent, dissimilar crime to enable him to commit or conceal the offense charged, evidence of the independent crime is admissible, when the intent to commit or conceal the independent offense was the motive of the offense charged. Idem.... .296 38. Same-Acts Showing System or Habit. Where a crime is committed by the use of novel means, or in a particular manner, evidence that accused has committed similar offenses in the same manner is admissible to prove the identity of persons from the similarity of the means adopted in com- mitting the crimes. Idem.... ......296 39. Same Guilty Knowledge.-In an embezzlement prosecution, where the defense is want of intent, or that the criminal act was the result of an accident, mistake, or oversight, evidence of other embezzlements is admissible to show guty knowledge in we commission of the act charged. Idem...296 40. Same-Order of Proof.-In criminal prosecutions, evidence of the commission of offenses other than those charged, when admissible, may be introduced whenever the nature of the defense is disclosed that will permit it, and if in the opening it appears that accused will rely on lack of intent or of guilty knowledge, the Commonwealth may introduce such evi- dence in chief; but if the nature of the defense is not dis- closed until the evidence of accused is offered, such evidence
may be in rebuttal, which is the better practice. Idem...296 41. Evidence-Identity of Accused-Admissibility.-In a prosecu- tion for embezzling money wrongfully collected from Staggen- burg, while acting as the agent of a corporation, the fact might be proved by other witnesses than Staggenburg that he had represented himself to them as its agent. Idem.....296 42. Same Embezzlement from Corporation-Corporate Exist- ence Manner of Proving. In a prosecution under Ky. St. 1903, section 1202, providing that if any agent, etc., of a corporation shall embezzle money belonging to such corpóra- tion, etc., which is in his possession as such agent, he shall be guilty of a felony, sufficient evidence of the fact of incor- poration is essential; but this may be shown by parol evi- dence and general reputation that the concern is a corpora- tion de facto, doing business as such. Idem...... ...297 43. Same-Necessity.-Under Ky. St. 1903, section 1202, making it a felony for any officer, agent, etc., of any bank or cor- poration to embezzle money in his possession belonging to such bank or corporation, in a prosecution for embezzling money or property of a bank, insurance company, or railroad doing business in this state, it is unnecessary to show the fact of incorporation, since, by statute, these concerns cannot do business without being incorporated; but in prosecutions for embezzlement from concerns that may do business either as corporations, individuals, etc., the fact of incorporation must be shown. Idem..... .....297 44. Evidence Opinion Evidence-Comparison of Handwriting- Standard of Comparison.-In an embezzlement prosecution, where accused endeavored to show that money was collected by another, evidence that the handwriting of a letter claimed to have been written by such other was similar to that of receipts shown to have been given by accused was properly refused, where the genuineness of the alleged handwriting of such other person was not admitted or established, as re- quired by the statutes following Civil Code Prac., section 604, relating to proving a writing by witnesses. Idem.......297 45. Ownership of Property.-In an embezzlement prosecution, where accused was employed to sell liquor and collect only a certain percentage of the purchase price as his salary, but was not authorized to collect the remainder, the fact that accused had a right to collect a part of the amount retained by him did not prevent the collection and retention of more than he had a right to collect from constituting embezzle- ment. Idem.... .297.
46. Same Capacity in Which Property is Received.-Where accused was employed to sell liquor and collect only a part of the purchase price as his salary, in a prosecution for embezzlement for collecting more than he was authorized to collect the fact that accused had no authority as agent to collect the money embezzled did not prevent his collection thereof from being an embezzlement, as he was enabled to collect the additional money by representing himself as agent, and he cannot set up as a defense that he was not authorized to collect it. Idem.... ....297 47. Samé-Indictment-Value of Property-Proof and Variance. -Though an indictment for embezzlement charged the taking of a certain sum, a conviction may be had on proof of the embezzlement of a less sum. Idem... ....298 48. Public Officers-Statutes-Construction.-Under Ky. St. 1903, section 1205, providing that, when a person having custody of any money belonging to the State or county shall willfully misappropriate the same, he shall be punished, etc., and sec- tion 4067, prohibiting a sheriff from receiving any tax until a copy of the assessor's books has been delivered to him by the county clerk, etc., and section 4241, defining the duties of the sheriff as to property omitted by the assessor from taxation, a sheriff embezzling money collected from taxpayers on property not assessed for taxation does not violate section 1205, which assumes that the officer is legally in possession of the money for the State or county, and then misappro- priates it. Commonwealth v. Alexander..... .429 49. Larceny-Evidence-Sufficiency.-Evidence held to sustain a conviction for horse stealing. Smith v. Commonwealth...433 50. Same-Question for Jury.-In a trial for horse stealing, held a question for the jury whether accused's hiring of the horses was a pretense for the fraudulent purpose of converting them to his own use, or a hiring in good faith, with intent to return them to the owner. Idem... .433
51. Same-Facts Constituting Larceny-"Horse
accused acquired possession of horses under a false and fraudulent pretense of hiring them, and with a felonious intent to convert them to his own use and to deprive the owner permanently of them, he was guilty of horse stealing within Ky. St. 1903, section 1195, without proof of a subsequent sale or other wrongful disposition by accused; but, if he hired the horses in good faith and was prevented from return- ing them by the owner's act in having him arrested, he was not guilty. Idem..... .433
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