People v. Schwartz

183 N.W. 723, 215 Mich. 197, 1921 Mich. LEXIS 746
CourtMichigan Supreme Court
DecidedJuly 19, 1921
DocketDocket No. 100
StatusPublished
Cited by11 cases

This text of 183 N.W. 723 (People v. Schwartz) 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
People v. Schwartz, 183 N.W. 723, 215 Mich. 197, 1921 Mich. LEXIS 746 (Mich. 1921).

Opinion

Stone, J.

This case is here upon writ of error to review the trial, conviction and sentence of the defendant upon an informiation in the recorder’s court of the city of Detroit, charging him with the crime of involuntary manslaughter in the killing and slaying of one John Janosz, an infant of the age of 3 years and 8 months, at the city of Detroit, on July 11, 1919, the information charging that the defendant, at the time and place named, did wilfully, unlawfully, feloniously, wantonly, negligently and recklessly run, drive, propel and operate a certain motor vehicle, to wit, an automobile of great weight, size and power, in and upon and along a certain road and public highway in the city of Detroit, to wit, Carbon avenue, at about the hour of 5 o’clock in the afternoon of the said day, at a great, unusual, reckless and dangerous rate of speed, to wit, at the rate of 30 miles per hour, or thereabouts, and in a manner likely to endanger the lives of persons passing in, on, across or about said street and highway; and so did then and there and thereby, as aforesaid, in the commission of said unlawful' act, unlawfully and • feloniously run, drive and propel said motor vehicle against, upon and over one John Janosz, and so did then and there and [200]*200thereby, as aforesaid, unlawfully and feloniously inflict and cause to be inflicted upon said John Janosz, divers and mortal wounds and injuries, of which mortal wounds and injuries so inflicted as aforesaid, he the said' John Janosz, at the said city of Detroit, in the county aforesaid, on the 11th day of July, A. D. 1919, did die.

There are 42 assignments of error. We shall not attempt to consider each one separately, but shall endeavor to follow, the statement of errors relied upon in appellant’s original brief. Unfortunately appellant’s counsel has failed to make a statement of the case in compliance with the rules of this court, in that such statement is argumentative, speculative and supposititious.

Upon the trial, which occurred in June, 1920, there was direct and positive evidence in the testimony of Joe Gibrys, corroborated by other circumstances, connecting the defendant with the death of the child. As this testimony is very much criticized by appellant’s counsel we deem it best to set forth the substance of it. He was a foreigner — a native of Poland —who spoke our language brokenly. After giving his name, and stating that he had lived in Detroit for over 14 years the following occurred:

“Q. Now, Mr. Gibrys, just look at that blackboard there. Now, does that substantially represent the location where you live?
“A. Yes,, sir. * * *
“Q. What is the character of that neighborhood, is that a residence district or a business district?
“A. That is a residence district. I was living there on the 11th of July, 1919, and I was home, on the 11th of July, 1919. I knew John Janosz. I knew him from when he was born. He was a boy 3 years and 8 months old. On the 11th of July, 1919, he lived in the same house that I lived. I saw him alive on the 11th of July, 1919. I saw him dead on that same day, July 11, 1919. I picked him up dead. I saw an automobile [201]*201accident there shortly after 6 o’clock in the evening, 5 after 6 or 9 after 6, in the evening of that same day. It was light, same like now.
“Q. Where were you at the time the accident occurred?
“A. Well, I come from work and sit down on the porch, wash up first and sit down on the porch and take a rest. Then that kid was in the yard. I ride a bicycle and I had a bicycle at the end of the lot. That boy come to the bicycle and monkey around with my bicycle. So I says, ‘Get away from the bicycle,’ and that kid go out of the yard and go on the sidewalk, goes straight down there, takes my boy’s wagon, and goes straight down to Carbon. * * *
“Q. Now, who was on the other side of the street?
“A. My two boys and his two brothers and that third one that got killed. He leave the wagon here on the sidewalk and goes on past here, and I see the automobile is coming from/ here from the Carbon Works — it was just that — go fast — the motor make noise.
“Mr. Kelly: I ask that be stricken out,.if your honor please.
“The Court: ‘Go fast’ will be stricken out.
“Prosecutor: Just a minute, leave that out.
“The Court: Never mind that.
“Q. Go ahead.
“A. Yes, go fast, and I look at the automobile and at my boys, so I think it was going to be something. I see them boys go past here. So I looked at the boy get hurt with the automobile. I ran from here. I was standing here on the empty lot when I seen that, and goes out my yard from the gate and goes in here for the boy to pick him up.
“The Court: What hit him, anything?
“A. Automobile with the mud guards hit him. I thought he was not dead.
“Q. Now, taking that as representative of the width of the street, about where was the boy in the street when he was struck?
“A. Well, he was about — goes over a third, about over a third of the street.
“Q. Well, was he over on this side?
“A. On this side. Them boys was playing in here, [202]*202and I seen the automobile. So they didn’t blow their horn or nothing.
“Q. Now, after the automobile struck the boy, what, if anything, did it do? Just talk to the jury, will you, please?
“The Court: What did the automobile do?
“A. He goes right away, he runs same speed what he was, runs right away to Dearborn avenue, so_ fast he was that he was from here where that accident was, about 190 feet where the accident was, where I was—
“The Court: Dearborn road?
“A. Yes, the Dearborn road, where I was I guess only two lots, one is 40 and the other is 35, well, about 80 feet altogether.
“Q. Did you notice what kind of a car it was?
“A. I seen the car and everything; I seen the fellow that was driving and everything.
“Q. Who was driving the car?
“A. Well, that fellow right there, Mr. Schwartz.
“Q. Was anybody riding with him?
“A. Well, there was another fellow, but I did not pay any attention to him because I was too nervous.
“Q. What did he say about the horn?
“A. Yes. He never blowed a horn on the kids or nothing, just run away.
“Q. Now, have you lived there ever since?
“A. Yes. * * *

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
183 N.W. 723, 215 Mich. 197, 1921 Mich. LEXIS 746, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/people-v-schwartz-mich-1921.