Graham v. Evening Press Co.

97 N.W. 697, 135 Mich. 298, 1903 Mich. LEXIS 770
CourtMichigan Supreme Court
DecidedDecember 22, 1903
DocketDocket No. 160
StatusPublished
Cited by14 cases

This text of 97 N.W. 697 (Graham v. Evening Press Co.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Michigan Supreme Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Graham v. Evening Press Co., 97 N.W. 697, 135 Mich. 298, 1903 Mich. LEXIS 770 (Mich. 1903).

Opinion

Montgomery, J.

This is an action for negligent injury.' The plaintiff, a woman 74 years old, attempted to cross diagonally from the southeast corner to the northwest corner of Ionia and Pearl streets, in the city of Grand Rapids, about 6 o’clock p. m. of the 17th of October, 1901. While in the act of crossing, she was struck by a horse owned by defendant and driven by its employé, one Harry C. Stewart. Plaintiff sustained substantial injuries, and on the trial recovered a verdict of |250. Defendant brings error.

[299]*299It is contended that there was no evidence of negligence on the part of the driver. The driver was made a witness for the plaintiff, and possibly, although we do not so decide, if his testimony as a whole be taken as an accurate statement of the incident, there was no negligence on his part. Butthe plaintiff adduced other testimony. She herself testified that, before she stepped off the sidewalk into the paved portion of the street, she looked in either direction, and saw no teams approaching in either direction sufficiently near to arrest her attention or cause concern for her safety. The driver testified that, at the time plaintiff left the curb, he was about a rod away; that the collision occurred when she had traveled about 30 feet from the curb; and that he was jogging along at a fair rate of speed. He further testified as follows:

“ Q. You said just a minute ago you were within 3 feet of the curb ?
“A. Yes, sir.
Q. Prom the same curb she stepped off of ?
“A. Yes, sir.
Q. Now, did you immediately turn your horse west?
“A. Not at once; no, sir.
Q. Why didn’t you ?
“A. Why, because I thought probably, if she continued on, I could go behind her.
Q. Well, she did keep on, didn’t she ?
“A. Yes.
“ Q. You could have stopped your horse, if you had tried, when you first saw her ?
“A. No, sir.
Q. Why could you not ?
“A. Too heavy.
Q. Too heavy ?
“A. Yes, you could not stop so quick.
Q. When did you first try to stop ?
' “ A. As soon as I saw her, I commenced to pull up.
Q. If you had turned to the west, you would not have struck her, would you ?
A. You could not turn a horse as quick as that.
“ Q. You say, in your judgment, she was 30 feet out into the street. How wide is your rig ?
“A. I don’t know.
[300]*300“ Q. About 5 feet, isn’t it ?
“A. All of that.
Q. You had space between her and 20 feet to get through, didn’t you ?
“A. No, sir.
Q. Why?
“A. Because I was at the same point she was at the end of that 20 feet.
Q. But if you had gone the other way, if you ha^d started in behind her, in fact had gone either side, you would have escaped her, wouldn’t you ?
“A. Yes, of course.
Q. You had a chance to have done either ?
“ A. No, sir.
“ Q. Explain to the jury why you didn’t have a chance to go either side ?
“A. Why, there wasn’t time; neither time nor room.
Q. There wasn’t time ?
, “A. No, sir.
“ Q. There would have been if you had started to turn your horse as soon as you saw her, wouldn’t there ? How about that ?
“A. There might have been, yes.
‘ ‘ Mr. Lombard: That is all.
“A. But I doubt it.”

Edgar Rice, a witness for plaintiff, testified as follows:

“When I first saw her, she was on the southeast corner ; on the corner, standing there looking up and down the street. And one particular thing that called my attention to it at the time, she seemed to me like a lady that didn’t really know where she was going, or else looking to see if there was anything coming down the street either way. At the time I noticed her, I saw a team down the street, I should think three or four rods to the south of her. It was the Evening Press wagon. , While I was looking, she was looking up and down the street in different directions, and then started directly across the street, or diagonally across toward the Y. M. C. A. building.
Q. At the time she started across she street, you may state if you observed how far up the street this team was.
“A. I should think the team was between three and four rods from the corner.
Q. What did you next observe?
[301]*301“A. The next that I observed was — the next I saw was — when the wagon was practically upon this lady. It was not over six feet the second time I noticed it.
Q. I will ask you whether you continued to observe that all the time, from the time you first saw that or not ?
“A. No, sir; I just noticed her when she was leaving the walk, and I did not think any more of it until I looked up and saw the wagon upon her. * * *
Q. Now, will you describe to the jury just what you saw then ?
“A. Do you mean at the second time I looked up ?
‘ ‘ Q. The second time you saw it.
“A. The second time I looked up I saw the horse, as I should judge, about five or six feet from this lady, and I saw immediately what was going to happen, but at the same time was not in any way to prevent it.
By Mr. O’Brien: Suppose you state just what you saw, without any reasons.
Mr. Campbell: That remark ought to be stricken out, his impression at the time. I move to strike out the first statement, — what he saw and what he thought.
‘ ‘ The Court: What he thought may be stricken out; the statement of what he saw may remain.
“A.

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Bluebook (online)
97 N.W. 697, 135 Mich. 298, 1903 Mich. LEXIS 770, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/graham-v-evening-press-co-mich-1903.