People v. McCabe

PRESTON, J.

Information filed by the district attorney of Los Angeles County charged defendant in the first count with the crime of murder and in the second count with the crime of attempted robbery. Defendant admitted prior conviction of a felony, to wit, robbery, for which he had been imprisoned and less than six months previously released on parole. After due proceedings, this cause came to trial and the jury thereafter returned two verdicts, one finding the defendant guilty of murder in the first degree and the other finding him guilty of attempted robbery. Judgments of conviction followed, imposing the death penalty, and from said judgments and the order denying his motion for a new trial, defendant now prosecutes this appeal.

[71]

The record leaves not the slightest doubt concerning the guilt of appellant. It appears that Plenry P. Miller, for many years night clerk at the University club of Los Angeles, came on duty about 11 o’clock P. M. of June 15, 1930. At about 12:35 A. M., the following morning, appellant, armed with a loaded revolver, entered the lobby for the purpose of committing a robbery. Said clerk was seated in his office facing the lobby. Appellant approached and handed him a note reading in substance: “You are stuck up. Don’t put your hands up or dare make a sign. If you try to make signs to anyone you will die. Put all cash from drawer into bag and pass it to me. Then get in the closet for fivé minutes. Slam door shut.” The night watchman, making his regular rounds, passed the office, observed the man he later identified as appellant talking to said clerk, heard nothing of what was being said, and passed through a door into the club garage. The clerk, however, was evidently resisting the demands of appellant; at any rate, a scuffle followed, during which appellant fired two shots in quick succession, inflicting fatal wounds from which said clerk died the following day. These shots were heard by said watchman and by the elevator man; thus police and surgeon arrived at the scene within a short time.

During the affray the clerk, with his penknife stabbed appellant in the face, causing it to bleed profusely. Appellant fled through the lobby and club garage and through the byways to his room, leaving a trail of blood spots to guide the police to him. They soon apprehended him while in his bathroom endeavoring to cleanse the blood from his face. Here they also found his blood-stained clothing. Along the route taken by appellant to his took and, where east near the sewer drain, was found the revolver from which said shots were fired, with cylinders missing, but with three loaded shells of the same caliber near by.