Heucke v. Milwaukee City Railway

34 N.W. 243, 69 Wis. 401, 1887 Wisc. LEXIS 206
CourtWisconsin Supreme Court
DecidedOctober 11, 1887
StatusPublished
Cited by13 cases

This text of 34 N.W. 243 (Heucke v. Milwaukee City Railway) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Wisconsin Supreme Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Heucke v. Milwaukee City Railway, 34 N.W. 243, 69 Wis. 401, 1887 Wisc. LEXIS 206 (Wis. 1887).

Opinion

Cole, C. J.

The first error assigned for a reversal of the j udgment is the refusal of the trial court to sustain the defendant’s challenge of the juror Damon. This juror was examined touching liis qualifications, and as to whether he was sensible of any bias or prejudice against the defendant. It appeared on the examination that the juror had had some business difficulty with Mr. McGeoch, the president, and one of the principal stockholders, of the defendant corporation, and did not feel friendly towards him. Notwithstanding this feeling, the juror thought he could render an impartial verdict in the case. The action was against the corporation, not against Mr. McGeoch, and the fact that the juror had some unfriendly words with the latter, which had left an unpleasant feeling, did not, we think, disqualify him from sitting as a juror. He might be perfectly indifferent as to the parties to the suit, though he might have had some business trouble with a stockholder. It is obvious that the action did not involve the acts of Mr. McGeoch. The challenge was one for favor, not for principal cause (Schoeffler v. State, 3 Wis. 823), and was tried by the court, which, in effect, held that the juror was competent. The defendant then challenged the juror peremptorily, and he was set aside. But assuming, for the purposes of the case, that the court erred in not excluding the juror on the challenge for favor,’ still, as he did not sit in the cause, the only possible injury the defendant sustained by the alleged error was that it was compelled to use one of its peremptory challenges to set aside the juror. It is true, the defendant afterwards peremptorily challenged two jurors in the box, when, its peremptory challenges being exhausted, no further challenges were made. But we cannot assume, upon the record, that the defendant was prejudiced in any way be[405]*405cause it bad used one of its peremptory challenges to exclude the juror Damon. Non constat but the jury which tried the cause stood perfectly indifferent between the parties, and was unobjectionable every way.

After verdict, the defendant moved for a new trial on several grounds, one of which was that no list of jurymen was made out and certified, as prescribed by secs. 2526, 2527, R. S. This objection was in the nature of a challenge to the array, and, if well founded, came too late. Sec. 2881 provides that “ no irregularity in any writ of venire facias, or in the drawing, summoning, returning, or impaneling of petit jurors, shall be sufficient to set aside a verdict, unless the party making the objection was injured by the irregularity, or unless the objection was made before the returning of the verdict.” No fact or circumstance is shown which warrants the assumption that the cause was not tried by a fair and impartial jury; so, if there was any irregularity in the method of selecting the panel, it does not appear that the defendant was injured by it. Under the old practice, a challenge to the array was not entertained after verdict, and it cannot be now, under the statute, unless it is made to appear by the party objecting that he was injured by the irregularity. See Co. Litt. 158a; 2 Tidd, Pr. 851; 1 Burrill, Pr. 454; 3 Wait, Pr. 721. The fact that neither the officers nor counsel of the defendant knew qf the irregularity as to the listing of the jurors until after the verdict, cannot change the rule. By diligence it could have been ascertained from the public records that the statute had not been complied with in that regard, if such was the case.

This action was brought to recover damages for injuries sustained by the plaintiff while riding on the defendant’s road. The car in which she was riding was going west, on State street, in Milwaukee, and came in collision with a hook and ladder truck of the fire department, while cross[406]*406ing Fourth street. The streets cross each other at right angles. The truck was going south, on Fourth street, and it was claimed that the driver of the street car was guilty of negligence, which caused the injury. The learned counsel for the defendant insists that, as a matter of law, the evidence conclusively shows no negligence on the part of the driver, but that he used every reasonable precaution to avoid danger. This position of counsel is wholly unsupported by the evidence as we understand it. The learned circuit court submitted to the jury the question whether the driver of the street car was exercising a proper degree of care and attention in the management of his car when the collision occurred. The jury found he was not, and that if he had used proper care he would have avoided the collision. There is ample evidence to sustain this finding. One cir-' cumstance alone is sufficient to show that the driver of the street car was not giving proper attention to his duties; and that is, he failed to look north as he came to the east line of Fourth street, to see if there was any vehicle approaching. If he had looked in that direction, he would have seen the approaching truck, and taken precautions to avoid a collision with it. There can be no doubt but that the court correctly submitted the question of the driver’s negligence to the jury on the evidence.

A number of exceptions were taken to the ruling of the court on the trial, in sustaining or overruling objections to questions asked witnesses. We have examined these various exceptions, and do not think there is any material error in such rulings. It is said that the reckless management of the truck, as it came down Fourth street, was the principal, if not the only, cause of the collision. The defendant proposed to show that a brake was put upon this, and other city trucks, directly after the accident. The object of the evidence was to show that there was a defect in the truck, so that it could not be readily stopped. The materiality of [407]*407tbis testimony is not obvious. The court held, in effect, that whether the truck was driven with care or not, was only significant as bearing upon the question whether the accident was unavoidable; that it was no excuse for negligence on the part of the driver of the street car that those in charge of the truck were also negligent, or driving at a rapid rate. The principle is familiar that all persons who act together in committing a tort are jointly and severalty liable therefor. So, even if the collision was caused by the joint negligence of the driver of the street car and those in charge of the truck, still the defendant is responsible for the injury.

Exceptions were taken to the refusal of the court to give certain instructions asked on the part of the defendant, also to instructions given on behalf of the plaintiff, as well as to' the general charge of the court. Without noticing these various exceptions in detail, they all resolve themselves into the objection that the court held the defendant to a too strict rule of diligence in respect to its passengers. Upon this point, the court instructed the jury that it was the duty of the driver of a street car to exercise the highest degree of care, to avoid any collision or accident; that his first and highest duty was to secure the safety of his passengers, and, to do that, he should exercise all the care that prudence might suggest in looking about and listening, so as to assure himself that his track was clear and safe; that this duty was greater at a street crossing than at other ordinary places. We do not think that this was holding the defendant to a stricter responsibility in its business than the law imposes.

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
34 N.W. 243, 69 Wis. 401, 1887 Wisc. LEXIS 206, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/heucke-v-milwaukee-city-railway-wis-1887.