Peck v. Springfield Traction Co.

110 S.W. 659, 131 Mo. App. 134, 1908 Mo. App. LEXIS 413
CourtMissouri Court of Appeals
DecidedMay 4, 1908
StatusPublished
Cited by6 cases

This text of 110 S.W. 659 (Peck v. Springfield Traction Co.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Missouri Court of Appeals primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Peck v. Springfield Traction Co., 110 S.W. 659, 131 Mo. App. 134, 1908 Mo. App. LEXIS 413 (Mo. Ct. App. 1908).

Opinion

ELLISON, J.

The plaintiff received personal injuries while a passenger on one of defendant’s street cars in Springfield, which she charged to defendant’s negligence, and brought this action for damages. The cause was taken to Polk county by change of venue, where plaintiff had judgment. It appears that there were two cars, the rear one called a trailer. The evidence in behalf of the plaintiff, which, as the verdict was in her favor, we must accept as true, tended to show that plaintiff boarded the rear car safely and that upon approaching where she desired to alight she gave a signal to stop and that the car was stopped. But before she had reasonable time to get off, and while on the step of the car in the act of alighting, the car was suddenly started with a violent jerk, throwing her onto the street and inflicting the severe injuries of which'she complains.

The judgment is attacked not directly on the ground that there is no evidence to sustain it, but that it is so excessive as to show prejudice and a lack of due consideration of defendant’s rights on the part of the jury. We have gone over the record in connection with the arguments of defendant’s counsel and while we can' well see how the several reasons assigned for discrediting [140]*140plaintiff’s case could have influenced the jury to return either a verdict for defendant outright or a much less amount for the plaintiff, yet they did not have that influence and we find ourselves without authority to interfere. Certain it is, that if the evidence in plaintiff’s behalf was believed, a case was made for her. Whether such evidence should be credited is a question beyond our province and we leave it, as the law requires we should, with the jury.

The instructions offered by defendant were all refused. We have just disposed of those which amounted to a demurrer to the evidence. The others it seems were not satisfactory to the court and of its own motion several were given which fully and fairly presented every phase of defense open to the defendant on the record. Instruction numbered 4, as offered by defendant directed the jury that even if it was believed that plaintiff gave the signal to stop and that the motorman heard it, and began to stop the car, yet if it was further believed that before the car came to a full stop plaintiff attempted to alight and by reason of such attempt was injured, she could not recover, even though without coming to a stop its speed was increased suddenly. The court added to this the qualification “unless the conductor knew she was attempting to alight and signalled the motorman to start and the start was made with a jerk which caused plaintiff to fall.” It seems to be clear that although a passenger may be improperly engaged in the act of alighting from a street car before it has come to a stop, yet it is culpable negligence in the conductor, knowing what the passenger was doing, to cause the car to be suddenly started forward with such suddenness and force as to throw him to the ground.

When plaintiff fell to the street the car was soon stopped and the conductor went back to her assistance. Plaintiff was permitted to testify, over defendant’s pro[141]*141test, that he stated to her in answer to her question “Why did you start the ear up?” that “that frisky motorman is so frisky he won’t stand still long enough.” This was admitted on the ground of being a part of the res gestae, and plaintiff insists now that it was proper. But w'e need not go into that question for the reason that the court concluded it was an error to admit it and gave an instruction withdrawing it from the consideration of the jury. The defendant insists that that did not cure the error, but we must hold it did. It has been frequently so ruled in the Supreme Court, the St. Louis Court of Appeals and this court. [Harrison v. Electric Light Co., 195 Mo. 635; Anderson v. Railway, 161 Mo. 420; Stavinow v. Insurance Co., 43 Mo. App. 517; Buckman v. Railway, 100 Mo. App. 30.]

Where the improper evidence is of such character as to make it reasonably probable that its effect would survive a warning not to consider it, a withdrawal in such case not being a cure in fact, will not be considered a cure in law. This is especially true in criminal cases where the accused’s defense could be greatly affected by improper evidence tending to create a prejudice in the mind of the jury. And in a civil case, the discovery of design in the opposite party to influence the mind of the jury by getting in improper evidence of such character as would prejudice the jury, should, on appeal, cause his victory to be short lived. But where, as in this case, there is nothing in the evidence improperly admitted to suggest that its effect could not be removed by the written admonition of the court, the question falls within the reason of the cases above cited and judgment should not be reversed for an error thus corrected.

Besides the written instruction it seems that the court gave oral emphasis to it which was excepted to by defendant on the ground of being oral. The court [142]*142said: “Instruction numbered 8 is given because I permitted some evidence to go in as to conversation between the conductor and the plaintiff at the time lie went back to 'where she was. I have come to the conclusion that evidence is not competent and have given you this instruction for that reason. You will be careful to exclude that evidence from your consideration-all of the evidence as to a conversation between the plaintiff and the conductor at the time he went back to her — in making’ up your verdict in this case.” Communications from the court to the jury by way of instructions, or explaining instructions, or as to the effect or non-effect, propriety or impropriety, of parts of the evidence, should be in writing. In this Ariew the last clause or sentence of the foregoing remarks of the court, Avas irregular. But it Avas uttered in defendant’s behalf and in solicitude that no possible injury should result to it by reason of the error. In such circumstances it could not have been prejudicial to defendant and is no cause for complaint by it.

It appears that Bolivar, Polk county, Avhere the case was tried, is more than forty miles from Springfield, A?'here one of defendant’s witnesses lived. It further appears that at such distance a witness cannot be compelled to attend. Defendant advanced a part of what would be the fee of that witness and mileage. The AVitness Avas questioned about this by plaintiff on cross-examination. No exception Avas taken and AAre cannot notice the point noAV. But, in this connection, objection is taken to the remarks of counsel in argument to the jury. It appears that defendant, in disparaging-plaintiff’s case, asked why certain of her doctors had not been called by her. Her counsel referred to this and stated that the evidence showed plaintiff to have been engaged in work at a laundry before her injury at one dollar per day; that for eleven months she had not been able to Avorlc; that the witnesses lived more [143]*143than forty miles distant; that “Yon cannot compel a witness to go over forty miles without advancing him his fees. Counsel tells you that he paid Mr. Petree himself; that he had to pay Mr. Petree himself; that he had to pay him his fee to secure his attendance. I would like to know how a woman working for -a dollar a day prior to that time could get her witnesses here.” This line of argument was objected to and the court asked to reprimand counsel.

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Bluebook (online)
110 S.W. 659, 131 Mo. App. 134, 1908 Mo. App. LEXIS 413, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/peck-v-springfield-traction-co-moctapp-1908.