Schick v. Blakesley

134 N.E. 498, 80 Ind. App. 253, 1922 Ind. App. LEXIS 272
CourtIndiana Court of Appeals
DecidedMarch 15, 1922
DocketNo. 11,052
StatusPublished
Cited by7 cases

This text of 134 N.E. 498 (Schick v. Blakesley) 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
Schick v. Blakesley, 134 N.E. 498, 80 Ind. App. 253, 1922 Ind. App. LEXIS 272 (Ind. Ct. App. 1922).

Opinion

Nichols, J.

This action was for a new trial in the case of Blakesley v. Schick, which had been tried in the Allen Superior Court, and which had resulted in a judgment against defendant, appellant herein, for $5,000. The action was commenced after the time for filing a motion for a new trial had expired, and is based on alleged newly-discovered evidence.

It is averred in the complaint herein that at the time of the original action the evidence given by appellee and his witnesses was substantially that appellee was riding his bicycle about 9 o’clock in the morning, November 11, 1918, in a northerly direction on Broadway, in the city of Fort Wayne, at a rate of speed of about four or five miles per hour, and when he reached a point a short distance from the intersection of Broadway and Dewald streets, he noticed for the first time, the automobile operated by appellant. When appellee was at the intersection of said streets, appellant suddenly, and without giving any signal of his intention so to do, turned his automobile' at a high and dangerous rate of speed off of Broadway and in an easterly direction onto [255]*255Dewald street, thereby making a left turn, and failed to pass by and to the right of the center of the intersection of said streets, without giving any signal of his intention to make such turn, and, without notice to appellee turned directly in front of him, and so close to him that he was unable to avoid being struck thereby causing the injuries for which the damages aforesaid were awarded him. That appellee testified that he saw the automobile, and that it had turned abruptly and quickly in front of him, so near to him as to prevent him from stopping hi's bicycle, or getting off the same, and that appellant’s automobile struck his bicycle throwing him to the ground.

It is further averred in the complaint that appellant’s witnesses, including himself, had testified that the appellant was driving his automobile at a rate of speed less than fifteen miles per hour, and that he made a turn to the left of the center of the intersection of said streets from Broadway onto said Dewald street; that at the time he made said turn, he noticed that appellee was riding his bicycle a considerable distance, approximately seventy-five to 100 feet, south of said intersection; that after his automobile had traveled twenty or thirty feet, appellee on his bicycle was going at such a rate of speed as to travel said seventy-five or 100. feet and run into and against the rear part of appellant’s automobile; that the appellee was riding his said bicycle without looking where he was going; that at the time the bicycle and automobile came into collision, the appellee was not looking in the direction he was going; that he was looking in a different and easterly direction, and that he deliberately ran into and against the rear portion of the appellant’s automobile. Appellant further avers in his complaint that after the expiration of the thirty days allowed by statute for the filing of a motion for a new trial, he discovered two [256]*256witnesses who would testify in substance, that appellee, before the commencement of the trial of said cause, and before the rendition of a verdict therein, had admitted to them on different occasions, and had stated to them on said occasions, that he, at the time of said accident, was in a hurry and that he was riding his bicycle with his head down and his hat, or cap, pulled over his eyes without paying any attention to where he was going and that he; appellee, thereby and because of said fact, ran into the automobile of appellant and that he was not looking, at said time, where he was going and was paying no attention to where he was riding or what he was doing, and that when he did pay attention to what he was' doing and did look as to where he was riding, he found that he was running into the automobile of the appellant, but that he was going too fast, to avoid the injury; that when they asked him why he did not get off the bicycle he replied he was going too fast; that on one of said occasions when asked why he did not get off his bicycle, the appellee replied that he could not; that he was going too “damned” fast. This averment is supported by the affidavit of each of said witnesses. Appellant avers that he filed his complaint as soon as he could procure said affidavits, and that he did not discover such evidence until about ten days before he filed his complaint, and that he had used due diligence to discover such, evidence in that he had personally investigated from time to time, previous to said trial, all persons who might be expected to have had knowledge of said facts or facts of a similar nature, and did investigate from time to time to ascertain if the appellee had made any statements to any persons of the kind and character so alleged; that in addition thereto, he had in his employ a person, who, among! other things, sought from time to time to acquire allj the evidence that could possibly be ascertained by himi [257]*257bearing upon any of the facts involved in said cause, or likely to become involved, and who, from time to time, interviewed witnesses as to their knowledge as to any statements that might have been made by the appellee bearing upon his right to recover and as to other facts involved in said cause, but that he was unable to find any such evidence before the trial of said cause; that said evidence could not have been discovered until after the expiration of the time allowed by statute for the filing of a motion for a new trial.

Appellee’s demurrer to this complaint was sustained, and error of the court in so ruling presents the only question for our consideration. It is well set-tied that, in order to establish the fact, the party seeking a new trial for newly-discovered evidence must show his due diligence by setting out the facts that constitute the same so that the court may determine therefrom whether such diligence is shown. It is not sufficient to set out conclusions, facts which are relied upon to constitute such diligence must be shown.

While it may be true that one would not be chargeable with a want of diligence because he had not made particular inquiry of all of the acquaintances of the adverse party as to conversations had with him on the subject-matter of his injuries, and that it would not be a want of diligence for one to fail to make a house to house canvass or to make inquiries of persons whom he happens to meet upon the streets for the purpose of discovering as to admissions, yet, if he stated that he has made investigation it is necessary for him to state the character and kind of such investigation.

[258]*258[257]*257In this case appellant states that he had discovered two persons who would testify as to certain admissio'hs, [258]*258but he states nothing as to why he did not discover them before the trial. He gives us no information with reference to those two persons who are ready to testify at another trial—who they were, where they lived with reference to appellant and to appellee, their relationship or acquaintance with appellee and appellant, the circumstances of his discovering them, etc. For aught that appears by the complaint these parties whose affidavits- furnish the alleged ground for the new trial may have been closely related to appellant and in such close touch with appellee as to have made it a want of diligence not to inquire of them as to any admissions that appellee might have made.

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Bluebook (online)
134 N.E. 498, 80 Ind. App. 253, 1922 Ind. App. LEXIS 272, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/schick-v-blakesley-indctapp-1922.