Lawlor v. State ex rel. Shatto

99 N.E. 487, 53 Ind. App. 24, 1912 Ind. App. LEXIS 284
CourtIndiana Court of Appeals
DecidedOctober 18, 1912
DocketNo. 7,657
StatusPublished
Cited by5 cases

This text of 99 N.E. 487 (Lawlor v. State ex rel. Shatto) 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
Lawlor v. State ex rel. Shatto, 99 N.E. 487, 53 Ind. App. 24, 1912 Ind. App. LEXIS 284 (Ind. Ct. App. 1912).

Opinion

Lairy, J.

— This action was brought in the Marion Circuit Court on a retail liquor license bond, executed by appellant Thomas Lawlor, as principal, and appellants Terre Haute Brewing Company and Maurice Donnelly, as sureties. The suit was instituted by the widow and minor children of Jesse Shatto, deceased, to recover damages for the loss of their means of support. It was alleged that decedent was killed by a switch engine while he was intoxicated, and that such intoxication was produced by liquor illegally sold to him by Lawlor or his agents.

The complaint was in one paragraph, and appellants answered in general denial. On motion for a change of venue the cause was transferred to the Hancock Circuit Court, where a trial was had before a jury, a verdict returned, and judgment rendered in favor of appellees in the sum of $1,500.

Appellants’ motion for a new trial was overruled by the trial court, and this ruling is the only error assigned on appeal.

[27]*271. Appellants first contend that there is no evidence from which the jury was justified in finding that the death of Jesse Shatto resulted from the unlawful sales of intoxicating liquors made in the saloon described in the complaint. To this contention we cannot agree. The evidence shows that Jesse Shatto, in company with a man named Curtis, went to a saloon on the northwest corner of Martindale Avenue and Nineteenth Street about 4.30 o’clock on the afternoon on which he was killed. According to the testimony of Curtis, they both had been drinking intoxicants before they went to this saloon, and, from the conduct of Shatto as described by this witness, the jury may have properly found that he was somewhat intoxicated at that time. They remained there, as shown by the evidence, playing cards and drinking at intervals, until about 8:30 o ’clock, when the wife of Curtis came to the saloon and took her husband away. She and her daughter who was with her testified that both Shatto and Curtis were so drunk at that time that they staggered and fell to the ground after they were put out of the saloon, and that the last they saw of Shatto, he was walking or staggering west on Nineteenth Street toward the railroad. About 9:30 o ’clock his dead body was found on the tracks of the Lake Erie and Western Railway Company near his home, by the crew of a switch engine. The yardmaster who was with this crew testified that Shatto’s skull was fractured, and that he found blood and brains on the rear footboard of the engine. From this evidence the jury was justified in finding that the death of Shatto resulted as a consequence of his intoxication. There is a conflict in the testimony, but there is ample evidence to sustain the verdict on this point.

2. The death of Shatto occurred on December 13, 1907. It is not disputed that the Board of Commissioners of the County of Marion at its January term, 1907, granted to Thomas Lawlor a retail liquor license to conduct a saloon for the period of one year at the southwest [28]*28corner of Martindale Avenue and Nineteenth. Street, and that he filed a bond with his eoappellants as sureties thereon; but appellants claim that the undisputed evidence shows that Lawlor ivas not conducting a saloon at that place- on December 13, of that year, and that the place.was being conducted at that time by Prank Glenn, to whom Lawlor had sold the stock and fixtures on July 17, 1907.

It is asserted by appellants that the burden rested on appellees to prove that the unlawful sale of liquor, which caused or contributed to the intoxication of Shatto, Avas made by the agent or servant of Thomas Lawlor, and that there is no evidence tending to prove such fact. To make a prima facie case on this point, it is sufficient to show that a license was granted to him to conduct a saloon at the place Avhere the liquor was sold, and that a saloon was opened and conducted at that place, and that the sale was made by a person in charge Avithin the term covered by the license. The evidence tended to prove these facts and justified the inference that the place was being conducted under the license granted to LaAA-lor, and that the person in charge was his agent or employe.

3. To rebut the prima facie ease thus' made, the appellants called Prank Glenn as a Avitness who testified that on July 17, 1907, he purchased the stock and fixtures of the saloon in question from Thomas Lawlor, for $650 in cash, and that he took charge at that time and continued thereafter so to conduct it as the sole proprietor, and that he was so conducting it on December 13, 1907. ITe further testified that at the time Lawlor sold out to him a bill of sale was executed, Avhich he identified and AAdiick was introduced in evidence. This bill of-sale bears date of July 17, 1907, and this witness testified that it was signed and delivered on that date, and that it had been in his possession ever since. -He also testified that when the sale was made, Lawlor took his license and left the place and had not been there since, and there was other eAddence tending [29]*29to prove that Lawlor left the State. This evidence tended to rebut the prima, facie case made by appellees, and to show that the sales in question were not made by Lawlor or by his agents or servants; but the testimony of Glenn was discredited by the testimony of T. J. Carter, who testified that he worked for William B. Burford, and that the form of the bill of sale was printed by that firm. He further testified that the form was not printed until August, 1908, as shown by letters at its head.

4. The jury may have believed that Glenn wilfully testified to a falsehood in reference to the date of the execution and delivery of the bill of sale. If the jury so believed, it had a right to disregard the entire testimony of this witness. Lemmon v. Moore (1884), 94 Ind. 40; Mercer v. Wright (1854), 3 Wis. *645; Stoffer v. State (1864), 15 Ohio St. 47, 86 Am. Dec. 470.

3. It was for the jury to say whether the evidenee introduced by the defendant was sufficient to rebut the prima facie case made by plaintiffs; it was the exclusive judge of the credibility of the witnesses and of the weight to be given to the testimony.

5. Under the evidence the jury may have found that the sale concerning which Glenn testified was a sham, and that no Iona fide sale of the stock and fixtures had actually been made, and that the evidence of such sale had been manufactured as a defense to this action.

6. This court will not set aside a verdict for want of evidence on any point on which the evidence is conflicting. Wolcott v. Hayes (1909), 43 Ind. App. 578, 88 N. E. 111; Cleveland, etc., R. Co. v. Gossett (1909), 172 Ind. 525, 87 N. E. 723.

7. The owner of a saloon may lawfully sell the stock and fixtures and quit the business. Pierce v. Pierce (1897), 17 Ind. App. 107, 46 N. E. 480.

8. Prior to the act of 1911 (Acts 1911 p. 244), the statutes of our State provided no means by which the holder of a license to conduct a saloon could transfer [30]*30that license to another. Godfrey v. State (1839), 5 Blackf. 151; Pickens v. State (1863), 20 Ind. 116.

9.

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Bluebook (online)
99 N.E. 487, 53 Ind. App. 24, 1912 Ind. App. LEXIS 284, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/lawlor-v-state-ex-rel-shatto-indctapp-1912.