Pichon v. Martin

73 N.E. 1009, 35 Ind. App. 167, 1905 Ind. App. LEXIS 70
CourtIndiana Court of Appeals
DecidedMarch 29, 1905
DocketNo. 5,000
StatusPublished
Cited by8 cases

This text of 73 N.E. 1009 (Pichon v. Martin) 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
Pichon v. Martin, 73 N.E. 1009, 35 Ind. App. 167, 1905 Ind. App. LEXIS 70 (Ind. Ct. App. 1905).

Opinion

Myers, J.

Appellees filed a petition before the board of commissioners of Allen county, Indiana, to lay out and establish a public highway. Viewers were appointed, who made a favorable report. Appellants and others filed a remonstrance on the ground that the highway would not be of public utility. John B. Mason filed a separate remonstrance, claiming damages on account of the location of the road across his farm. Joseph J. Pichón and others, owneys of certain land as tenants in common, filed a remonstrance, claiming damage by reason of- the location of said highway through their land. Reviewers were appointed, who reported in favor of the location of the highway across the land^ of Mason and Pichón and others, and that the highway would be of public utility; also, assessing damages in favor of Mason in the sum of $65, and in favor of Joseph [169]*169J. Pichón and others in the sum of $25, and in favor of Alpheus Swift in the sum of $25. The report of the reviewers was in all things approved and adopted by the board of commissioners, and the road, by said board, ordered opened and established as prayed for in the petition. John B. Mason and Joseph J. Pichón and others, owners of two tracts of land crossed by said road, appealed from the order of the board to the Allen Circuit Court, where the case was tried before a jury, resulting in a verdict that the proposed highway is of public utility, etc., and assessing- damages in favor of John B. Mason at $40, and in favor of Joseph J. Pichón and others at $15. Motion for a new trial overruled. Judgment on tire verdict.

Mason and-tire owners of the Pichón estate appealed to this court, and assign as error the overruling of their joint and separate motion for a new trial.

It appears from the record that while perfecting the record for this appeal John B. Mason died testate, and Joseph A. Mason qualified as his executor, and as such is prosecuting this appeal, as are also the devisees of John B. Mason. The motion for a new trial contains thirty-nine reasons why it should be granted, but, as presented here, the only questions sought to be raised are based upon the admission and rejection of evidence, and the giving and refusing to give instructions to the jury.

1. Appellees insist that the evidence is not in the record, and therefore there is no question properly presented for our consideration. By reference to the record it appears from the certificate of the clerk of the lower court that the longhand manuscript of the evidence as made by the official court reporter was filed in his office on Eebruary 12, 1903. It also appears over the signature of the trial court that that part of the record designated as bill of exception number three, and containing the evidence, was presented to the court for examination and approval on the 19th day of Eebruary, 1903, -and within the time given for the prepara[170]*170tion of such hill, and that on the 26th day of March, 1903, it was signed by the court. On said last date the following order-book entry was made: “Come now the parties, and tire remonstrants’ bill of exception number three containing the evidence herein in these words (II. I) is now filed, signed by the court, sealed and ordered made part of the record herein.” As the record comes to this court, the longhand manuscript and certificate thereto of the official court reporter is inserted after the letters II. I. Strictly speaking, the order-book entry would indicate that that part of the record containing the evidence was filed before it was signed by the court, yet when we take into consideration the fact that it was presented to the court for signature on the 19th day of February, nothing to the. contrary appearing, it is presumed that the trial judge did his duty, and signed tire bill of exception before he caused tire same to be filed, and before ordering it to be made a part of the record. Therefore we hold that the evidence is in tire record.

2. No douht in the trial of every case wherein a considerable amount of testimony is introduced, questions and answers may be selected from the record, which, when considered alone, would seem to be reversible errors, but such questions and answers should be considered in connection with all the other testimony given by tire witness, or, in fact, if, when considered along with all the other evidence in the case, it does not appear that such testimony affected the general result of the controversy, the error will be considered as harmless. Sunnyside Coal, etc., Co. v. Reitz (1896), 14 Ind. App. 478; Miller v. Buchanan (1894), 10 Ind. App. 474.

3. This court will indulge every presumption in favor of the regularity and correctness of tire proceedings and judgment of the trial court. The burden is upon the party appealing to show affirmatively that the error of which he complains was such as would substantially affect his rights in the premises, or the case must be affirmed. If [171]*171upon the whole record “it shall appear to the court that the merits of the cause have been fairly tried and determined in the court below,” it is the duty of this court not to disturb the judgment. §§401, 670 Burns 1901, §§398, 668 R. S.1881.

In the trial of this cause in the circuit court two issues were presented: (1) The question of public utility of the proposed highway; (2) benefits and damages accruing to the land caused by the location and opening of the proposed highway thereon.

Appellants claim a reversal of the judgment below: (!) Because of the admission of improper evidence over their objection; and (2) because the court refused to admit certain evidence.

4. We have carefully read nearly all the evidence in the record, and do not hesitate to say that quite a number of questions and answers complained of were clearly improper, but as the objections were insufficient the court committed no error in admitting the evidence. Only such reasons as were assigned in the trial court as objections to the introduction of evidence will be considered on appeal. All other objections are presumed to be waived. Indiana Improv. Co. v. Wagner (1894), 138 Ind. 658; Rhea v. Crunk (1895), 12 Ind. App. 23; Gross v. Haisley (1891), 2 Ind. App. 23; Bass v. State (1894), 136 Ind. 165.

5. To the evidence in the record, where an objection to its introduction was properly saved, we now give attention. A witness for appellees, on direct examination in rebuttal, after stating that he was the owner of thirty-one acres of real estate in the neighborhood of Mason’s and Pichon’s land, and that he was acquainted with the value of land in that neighborhood, referring to the land of the witness, was asked: “What is the highest offer, if any, you have been able to get, with the highway proposed?” To this question an insufficient objection was interposed, and the witness answered: “Well, sir, there is a real estate man right [172]*172here in Ft. Wayne — I did not ask who he was — that would give — I was offered if the public road was through there, they would give me $50 or $60 an acre if I had direct access to Ft. Wayne.” A motion to strike out the answer, for the reason, among others, “that a portion of said answer is hearsay,” was overruled. While the reason assigned was not the best which could have been given, yet that it was “hearsay” was sufficient, and the motion should have been sustained. Perkins v. People (1873), 27 Mich. 386;

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Bluebook (online)
73 N.E. 1009, 35 Ind. App. 167, 1905 Ind. App. LEXIS 70, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/pichon-v-martin-indctapp-1905.