Cincinnati, Lawrenceburg & Aurora Electric Street Railroad v. Stahle

76 N.E. 551, 37 Ind. App. 539, 1905 Ind. App. LEXIS 273
CourtIndiana Court of Appeals
DecidedDecember 14, 1905
DocketNo. 5,399
StatusPublished
Cited by7 cases

This text of 76 N.E. 551 (Cincinnati, Lawrenceburg & Aurora Electric Street Railroad v. Stahle) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Indiana Court of Appeals primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Cincinnati, Lawrenceburg & Aurora Electric Street Railroad v. Stahle, 76 N.E. 551, 37 Ind. App. 539, 1905 Ind. App. LEXIS 273 (Ind. Ct. App. 1905).

Opinions

Roby, C. J.

Action to recover damages on account of personal injuries alleged to have been sustained by appellee through the negligence of appellant. The amended complaint was in one paragraph, to which a demurrer for want of facts was overruled. The cause was submitted to a jury and a verdict for appellee returned, accompanied by answers to a series of eighty-five interrogatories. Appellant’s motion for judgment, notwithstanding the general verdict was overruled, as was its motion for a new trial, such rulings being the basis of the assigned error. Judgment for $2,500 was rendered upon the verdict.

It is averred in the amended complaint that Walnut and Third streets, in the city of Lawrenceburg, cross each other at right angles; that the appellant operated an electric street railroad in said city, its track being laid in Third street and turning at the intersection aforesaid into Walnut street; that it used said streets and operated its railroad by virtue of an ordinance of said city enacted in February, 1899, and extended in May, 1900, by the terms of which it was provided that no car should be run upon any street between crossings at a higher rate of speed than six miles an hour, nor over crossings at a higher rate than four miles an hour, and that a gong or other proper signal should be sounded constantly for 100 feet by cars approaching crossings. It is averred that the view of Third street from Walnut street is obstructed by buildings in the angle formed by said streets; that appellant’s track curved at said crossing, one rail thereof coming within five feet of the sidewalk, and that it was impossible for a team to be driven from Walnut street upon Third street without crossing appellant’s track; that appellee was riding in a wagon drawn by two horses, driven by his co-employe, along Wal[542]*542nut street and toward Third street, and while in the exercise of due care was injured by one of appellant’s • cars, which approached along Third street, and turned into Walnut street, colliding with said wagon. The negligence averred consists in the alleged operation of said car at an excessive rate of speed, in disregard of the ordinance aforesaid. It is averred that said car was run at a high and dangerous rate of speed, without signal, along said Third street and around said curve into Walnut street, injuring appellee as set out in detail, to his damage, etc.

1. The complaint is attacked in argument, upon the ground that it proceeds alone upon the theory that appellant’s negligence consisted in the violation of said ordinance, and that it is unreasonable and beyond the power of the common council and void. The averment is that the streets of said city are used and occupied under and by virtue of the ordinance named. The acceptance of the privileges conferred thereby carried with it the acceptance of the burdens imposed. One who takes the benefits secured to him by contract, can not refuse to comply with the obligations imposed upon him thereby. The street car company which -seeks a franchise may accept the one granted or not, as it chooses, but, accepting it, takes subject to the conditions imposed. Chouquette v. Southern Electric R. Co. (1899), 152 Mo. 257, 265, 53 S. W. 897; Bly v. Nashua St. Railway (1893), 67 N. H. 474, 476, 32 Atl. 764, 30 L. R. A. 303, 68 Am. St. 681.

2. The reasonableness of a city ordinance, aside from contract relation to it, depends upon varying conditions, and, inasmuch as the primary duty of society is to protect the individual who has, by becoming a party to the social compact, deprived himself of the right of self-protection by the strong arm, an ordinance enacted in the discharge of such duty, so imposed, by municipalities whose officers are familiar with the conditions existing, will not be interfered with by the courts, except for good cause [543]*543shown, and a limitation pnt upon the speed of heavy cars run over city streets, such as is contained in the contract ordinance pleaded, is very far from being unreasonable upon its face, or void.

3. The complaint was sufficient in its averments of negligence, aside from the obligations imposed by said ordinance, so that there could have been no error in overruling the demurrer.

4. Preliminarily to a consideration of the questions argued in support of the assignment that the court erred in overruling appellant’s motion for a new trial, it is necessary to determine whether the evidence is in the record, appellee contending that it is not. A plat, the examination of the plaintiff, and a deposition appear, from the longhand report, to have been introduced, the stenographer inserting parenthetically the statement that such plat, examination and deposition are marked “exhibits A, B and 0, hereto attached and made a part hereof.” The hill of exceptions contains the statement that “this was all the evidence given in said cause,” following which is (1) the examination of the plaintiff marked exhibit B; (2) the deposition marked exhibit C; (3) a certificate of the reporter that the foregoing typewritten manuscript is a full and complete copy of the shorthand report of the evidence given in the cause; (4) the signature and certificate of the judge authenticating; (5) exhibit A; (6) a precipe for a full and complete transcript of all the proceedings; and (7) a certificate of the clerk signed and sealed. The exhibits, if made part of the record by the reference, are, in. effect, incorporated therein, at the place where such reference is made. The examination and deposition are both included in the bill and must be regarded as authenticated by the signature of the judge thereto, as fully as though bodily incorporated therein at a different place. Zeis v. Passwater (1895), 142 Ind. 375, 382; Indiana, etc., R. Co. v. Quick (1887), 109 Ind. 295.

[544]*5445. The plat marked exhibit A is not included in the bill. If it were once properly made a part of the record, it might be made a part of the bill by reference. Henry v. Thomas (1889), 118 Ind. 23, 26. When a paper has not been made a part of the record, it can not be thus incorporated. Pittsburgh, etc., R. Co. v. Martin (1901), 151 Ind. 216; Gussman v. Gussman (1895), 140 Ind. 433. The act of 1903 (Acts 1903, p. 338) has narrowed the scope of the cases last cited very greatly, but they are applicable to the plat named, which can not be held to be incorporated by reference, there being nothing whatever to authenticate it as the plat introduced.

6. The extent that questions presented can be considered, in the absence of any particular part of the evidence, is determinable from the facts of each case, and questions presented which can be so determined are considered. Indiana Clay Co. v. Baltimore, etc., R. Co. (1903), 31 Ind. App. 258; Harrah v. State, ex rel. (1906), 38 Ind. App. —. The plat introduced was designed to illustrate the testimony of the witness, descriptive of the place where the accident occurred. It was not essential to an understanding of the situation or surroundings, and its absence will not prevent the consideration of the questions presented in the connection named.

7. Certain instructions in writing were filed and requested by appellant, and the court of its motion gave thirty-seven written instructions, which were filed with the clerk.

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Bluebook (online)
76 N.E. 551, 37 Ind. App. 539, 1905 Ind. App. LEXIS 273, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/cincinnati-lawrenceburg-aurora-electric-street-railroad-v-stahle-indctapp-1905.