American Brake Shoe & Foundry Co. v. Jankus

121 Ill. App. 267, 1905 Ill. App. LEXIS 376
CourtAppellate Court of Illinois
DecidedJune 20, 1905
DocketGen. No. 11,866
StatusPublished
Cited by4 cases

This text of 121 Ill. App. 267 (American Brake Shoe & Foundry Co. v. Jankus) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Appellate Court of Illinois primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
American Brake Shoe & Foundry Co. v. Jankus, 121 Ill. App. 267, 1905 Ill. App. LEXIS 376 (Ill. Ct. App. 1905).

Opinion

Me. Justice Smith

delivered the opinion of the court.

It is urged by appellant as a ground of reversal that the trial court erred in permitting Leon Waikewicz to act as an interpreter in the trial of the case.

It appeared from the testimony of Waikewicz touching his competency to act as an interpreter that the plaintiff was living in Waikewicz’ house; that he had talked with the plaintiff about this law suit and that he had loaned plaintiff $11, which was unpaid, and that he had acted' as interpreter between the plaintiff and his attorney all through the preparation of the case for trial. It further appears from the record that Waikewicz was a poor interpreter, having very little knowledge of the English language. It does not appear, however, that he acted unfairly in any particular or that appellant suffered in any way from any bias in favor of appellee in his interpretation of the testimony of the witnesses. Attorneys for appellant do not point out to the court any instance of unfair conduct on his part during the trial, and we must conclude that appellant suffered no particular injury from erroneous or inaccurate interpretations of the testimony. We think it must be shown that some injustice has been done by the selection of an interpreter before we would be justified in interfering with the discretion of the trial judge in the selection of an interpreter. We find in this record no abuse of discretion in the selection made.

On the trial the plaintiff was allowed to exhibit his injuries to the jury. Having removed for that purpose his coat, vest and shirt and a part of his undershirt, the plaintiff left the witness stand and while he was standing before the jury he was asked by his attorney to lift up his arm and show it. The plaintiff replied: “I cannot lift it up any -more; the arm is sore.” Thereupon one of the jurors arose from his seat and stepping forward took hold of plaintiff’s arm and moved it slowly up and down, and bent it at the elbow, and felt of it between the elbow and shoulder. To all of this the defendant objected and excepted and now assigns it for error. The point is made that to permit one- of the jurors to take hold of, move, and bend the arm of the plaintiff in order to ascertain for himself whether or not the arm was stiff or otherwise permanently injured is quite a different matter from permitting all of the jurors to view the injuries together. Counsel for appellant cite in support of their contention Stampofski v. Steffens, 79 Ill., 303; Doud v. Guthrie, 13 Ill. App., 653, and Consolidated Ice M. Co. v. Trenton Hygeian Ice Co., 57 Fed. Rep., 898. All these cases, however, pass upon personal examinations or inspections made by jurors out of court during recesses of the court, and not in the presence of the court, or an officer of the court. There are many obvious reasons for not allowing jurors to supplement the knowledge of the subject-matter of investigation obtained in court from the evidence produced, by pursuing personal and private investigation out of the presence of the court, during the trial. It is impossible for the court or counsel to know just how far the juror has gone with his inquiry, or by what means he has pursued it, or to make a record of it, without turning aside from the regular trial of the cause and investigating the acts of the juror and the results thereof. This would not only be irregular, but it would necessarily result in permitting the inquiry by jurors to go beyond the control of the court and beyond the established rules of evidence, and into irrelevant and immaterial matters. As said in Clark v. Brooklyn Heights R. R. Co., 177 N. Y. Appeals, 359: “The object of all evidence is to inform the trial tribunal of the material facts which are relevant as bearing upon the issue, in order that the truth may be elicited and that a just determination of the controversy may be reached. It is not objectionable, in these cases, that the evidence may go beyond the oral narrative and may be addressed to the senses; provided that it be kept within reasonable limits by the exercise of a fair judicial discretion. It should be only of a nature to assist the jurors to an understanding of a situation, or of an act, or to comprehend objective symptoms resulting from an injury. Examples of this class of evidence are frequent; in the viewing of the place of an occurrence, in the production of some article relevant to the issue, or in the exhibition of the person and of the marks, or obvious evidences of injuries sustained. Personal injuries may be simulated and deception may be practiced in such exhibitions, but that can no more be prevented than can perjury in testimony.” In the above case the plaintiff was seeking to recover damages for personal injuries sustained in a collision, and the court permitted him to leave the witness stand, at the request of his counsel, to exhibit himself to the jury in the act of writing his name, and of taking a drink of water. The record represents him as taking a glass of water with both hands and as spilling the water, through the trembling of his hands, and as using his handkerchief in the same manner. This exhibition was to illustrate or to emphasize his testimony that he could use his hands with difficulty. The court thought that this spectacular illustration of his symptoms was calculated to prejudice the minds of the jurors. The proceedings in that case, however, were very different from the matters here complained of. We do not think it was reversible error to allow the juror to take hold of the plaintiff’s arm and move it as indicated.

We think the evidence tends to show that the injury to the plaintiff complained of was caused by the defects described in the declaration. The fáct that the corner was broken off some months prior to the accident and that the rattler had been used during that time without accident, does not necessarily disprove the theory of the plaintiff’s case. There is ample evidence in the record to support the verdict of the jury.

Appellant contends that the court erred in giving the fifth instruction asked by the plaintiff. That instruction is as follows:

“The court instructs the jury that if the evidence shows, and you believe from the evidence, that the plaintiff, while in the discharge of his duty, was confronted with sudden danger, the obligation resting upon him to exercise due care for his own safety, does not require him to act with the same deliberation and foresight which might be required of him under ordinary circumstances.”

It is urged that there was no evidence upon which the instruction can be based.

It appears in the evidence that one corner of the cover was broken and that a bolt used to fasten on the cover was so worn or defective as to cause the plaintiff and his fellow-servants to be apprehensive as to the safety of the rattler. Plaintiff after calling the attention of his foreman to the condition of these parts was directed to start up the machine. When he saw the dust and castings escaping from the rattler he was confronted suddenly with danger. Under such circumstances to have run away would have been a wiser course for him to take, and yet to an ordinarily loyal employe the proper and natural act would seem to be to stop the rattler and thereby save the property of'his employer and promote the safety of his fellow-servants. Indeed it was the duty of appellee to try to save the property and to seek to prevent the injury that might result if the rattler was allowed to run in its then condition. Pullman Palace Car Co. v. Laack, 41 Ill. App., 37.

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
121 Ill. App. 267, 1905 Ill. App. LEXIS 376, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/american-brake-shoe-foundry-co-v-jankus-illappct-1905.