People v. Westwood

STURTEVANT, J.

-The district attorney filed an against the defendant charging him with the of the crime of burglary. The defendant pleaded not guilty and a trial was had before the trial court sitting with a jury. The jury returned a verdict of guilty. The defendant made a motion for a new trial, also a motion in arrest of judgment. The motions were denied and the has appealed from the judgment and from the order denying him a new trial.

The defendant presents the point that the absolutely failed in its endeavor to prove that the entered the premises with the intent to commit larceny. A consideration of the point involves at least the following facts:

Coffin-Redington Company conducts a wholesale and drug business at 401 Mission Street, in the city and county of San Francisco. Between the hours of 12 and 1 o’clock the employees of this company go to lunch and a sign “Closed between 12 and 1” is hung on the front door and the shades are drawn. There is a back door which at the time the defendant entered the premises was closed but unlocked. During the lunch hour on July 13, 1927, William Mahoney, a salesman in the employ of the company, was in the store and seated at a place in the salesroom at a spot from which he could not readily be seen. While seated there he heard a person coming down the floor from the which is in the back part of the premises. Later he saw the defendant put a comb and brush into his pocket. The defendant commenced going through more goods. When the defendant saw Mahoney seated in the room near by

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defendant asked him if he had awakened him. The defendant then stated that he had come into the store to buy some adrenalin. He was told that he could make no purchases during the noon hour. He said that he would come back at 1 o'clock and started out. At first he turned toward the back door and then toward the front door. At the front door he was arrested by Mahoney. Later the police officer came and upon taking the defendant into custody he was searched and the comb and brush, the property of the company, were taken from the defendant’s inside pocket. The police officer testified that the defendant asked him what he was going to charge him with and upon being informed that the charge would be burglary the defendant said, “Charge me with petit larceny.” At the same time the defendant gave him the name of Charles Wilson. He admitted that he had not bought the articles taken from his pocket.