Clark v. State ex rel. Weir

24 N.E. 744, 125 Ind. 1, 1890 Ind. LEXIS 381
CourtIndiana Supreme Court
DecidedJune 3, 1890
DocketNo. 15,209
StatusPublished
Cited by19 cases

This text of 24 N.E. 744 (Clark v. State ex rel. Weir) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Indiana Supreme Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Clark v. State ex rel. Weir, 24 N.E. 744, 125 Ind. 1, 1890 Ind. LEXIS 381 (Ind. 1890).

Opinion

Berkshire, C. J.

— This action rests upon a bond executed by the appellants in accordance with section 981, R. S. 1881.

In addition to the main action there is an ancillary proceeding in attachment.

[3]*3The questions which are presented for our consideration arise out of the principal action.

There was a demurrer to the complaint, which was overruled by the court, and an exception reserved.

Paragraphs of answer, from one to six inclusive, were filed. The first paragraph of answer is a general denial. Demurrers were addressed to the 4th, 5th and 6th paragraphs, which were sustained to the 4th and 6th, and overruled as to the 5th, and exceptions reserved. The appellee filed a general denial in reply.

The cause was submitted to the court for trial, and at the request of the appellants a special finding was returned.

A motion was made to make the special finding more specific, which the court overruled, and the appellants excepted; they then excepted to the conclusions of law, and filed a motion for a new trial.

The court overruled the motion for a new trial, and they excepted, and judgment was rendered for the appellee.

The errors assigned are : (1) That the complaint does not state facts sufficient to constitute a cause of action; (2) that the court erred in overruling the demurrer to the complaint; (3) that the court erred in sustaining the demurrers to the 4th and 6th paragraphs of answer; (4) that the court erred in overruling defendant’s motion to make the special finding of facts more specific; (5) that the court erred in overruling the exceptions to the conclusions of law ; (6) that the court ex’red in overruling the motion for a new trial.

The complaint alleges that on the-day of-, 1888, there was pending before a certain justice of the peace of Vigo county, Indiana, a certain suit wherein the State of 'Indiana ex rel. Elizabeth Weir was plaintiff, and the appellant ■ Frank Clark, the defendant; that on the 24th day of October, in said year, said justice required said defendant to enter into a bond, in the penal sum of $400, conditioned that he would be and appear before the Vigo Circuit Court at the November term thereof, 1888, to answer to the com[4]*4plaint in said action, which was for bastardy, and not depart without leave, and abide the judgment and orders of the court; and failing so to do would pay such sums of money over to such persons as might be adjudged by such court; that the appellants executed their bond, and the Same was taken and approved by the said justice on the 29th day of October, 1888; that default has been made in the conditions of said bond, in this : that on the-day of-, 1888, such proceedings were had that judgment was rendered in said suit in favor of the plaintiff and against said defendant, for the sum of five hundred dollars, and costs taxed at $25.65, and that the said defendant pay or replevy said judgment, and failing therein that he be committed to jail; that said defendant did not appear and abide the orders and judgment of the court, but absconded and left the State of Indiana, and has failed and refused to pay or replevy said judgment. A copy of the bond is filed as a part of the complaint. It recites the title of the cause. The penalty is four hundred dollars.

The conditions of the bond are that the defendant, Frank Clark, will appear before the Vigo Circuit Court at its November term, 1888, to answer the complaint of the State of Indiana, ex rel. Elizabeth Weir, for bastardy, and not depart without leave, and abide the judgment and orders of the court; or, failing therein, that he will pay such sums of money, and to such persons as may be adjudged by such court. The objections to the complaint are:

First. It fails to aver that in the action for bastardy the court adjudged the payment of any sum of money to the relatrix.

Second. It fails to allege a demand of performance of the conditions of the bond anterior to the bringing of the action.

We think neither of these objections is well grounded. Section 978, R. S. 1881, provides for the institution of the proceeding as follows : When any woman who has been [5]*5delivered of or is pregnant with a bastard child shall make complaint thereof in writing, under oath, before any justice of the peace, charging any person with being the father of such child, such justice shall, by his warrant, cause such person to be arrested and brought before him.”

Section 980, E. S. 1881, provides that The prosecution shall be in the name of the State of Indiana, on the relation of the prosecuting witness.”

Section 983, E. S. 1881, provides that the trial and continuance of the prosecution, except as otherwise specially provided, shall be governed in all things by the law regulating civil suits.

Section 991, E. S. 1881, provides, if the jury find the defendant to be the father of the child, that he be adjudged its father, and charged with its maintenance and education.

Section 992, E. S. 1881, provides that upon such verdict and judgment the court shall make such order for the education and maintenance of the child by annual payment to the mother (or if she be dead, or an improper person to receive the same, to such other person as the court may direct) of such sums of money as may be adjudged proper, and shall render judgment for the same, specifying the terms of payment ; and in the absence of payment it is made the duty of the court, if the defendant be in custody, to require him to replevy such judgment by good freehold security, or in default thereof to commit him to jail.

In view of these various provisions of the statute we are compelled to presume that the relatrix, in the present action, is the mother of the bastard child whose maintenance and education were involved in the bastardy proceeding.

As the statute provides that the stated payments shall, in all cases, be made to the mother, if living, with the one exception stated above, we must presume that the court so ordered in the proceeding here in question, there being [6]*6nothing in the record to indicate that the case came within the exception named.

The complaint may not be sufficiently specific in its averments as to the conditions of the judgment and orders of the court in the bastardy proceedings, but' such an objection could not be regarded by the trial court except a motion had been made to require the complaint to be made more specific.

As bastardy proceedings are quasi civil actions, and governed by the rules of procedure belonging to such actions, where not otherwise provided, the same liberality must be allowed in the trial of bastardy proceedings as in civil actions.

We do not think that a demand was necessary as a condition precedent to the maintenance of this action.

The conditions of the bond were that the defendant would appear at the following term of the circuit court and answer the complaint, not depart without leave, and abide the judgment and orders of the court; or, failing therein, that he would pay such sums of money, and to such persons, as might be adjudged by such court.

The said defendant having absconded, and failed to pay or replevy the judgment which was rendered against him, there was a breach of the bond, and a right of action at once accrued.

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Bluebook (online)
24 N.E. 744, 125 Ind. 1, 1890 Ind. LEXIS 381, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/clark-v-state-ex-rel-weir-ind-1890.