Springer v. Byram

23 L.R.A. 244, 36 N.E. 361, 137 Ind. 15, 1894 Ind. LEXIS 185
CourtIndiana Supreme Court
DecidedFebruary 15, 1894
DocketNo. 16,356
StatusPublished
Cited by43 cases

This text of 23 L.R.A. 244 (Springer v. Byram) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Indiana Supreme Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Springer v. Byram, 23 L.R.A. 244, 36 N.E. 361, 137 Ind. 15, 1894 Ind. LEXIS 185 (Ind. 1894).

Opinion

Dailey, J.

This is an action for personal injuries alleged to have been sustained by the appellant, while being transported in a passenger elevator in a public office building owned and operated by the appellees.

The facts disclosed by the record in this cause briefly stated are these:

In November, 1889, the appellees, Byram and Cornelius, were the owners of an office building situated on East Market street, in the city of Indianapolis. The north half of this building was four stories in height, including the basement, and the south half but three stories. The building was known as the ‘ ‘Thorpe Block, ’ ’ and was rented for office purposes to attorneys and persons of other occupations. Each half of the block was provided with convenient stairways, giving access to each floor of the block, and, in the north half, was also situated a passenger elevator, in use for the convenience and benefit of appellees’ tenants, and also giving access to each of the four floors of the block. The elevator was [17]*17propelled by hydraulic pressure, and moved in a shaft built for that purpose, next to the west wall of the building. This shaft was separated from the halls, on the several floors, by sliding doors of open wire, the rest of the opening of the several halls being protected by either wirework or paneled woodwork. The elevator was operated by a person employed by the appellees for that purpose, who controlled its movements by means of a rope which opened and closed the valves of the hydraulic apparatus, and which passed through the car near the door of ingress and egress. The appellant, Harry M. Springer, was a boy of the age of twelve years and six months, attending the public schools and selling newspapers in the afternoons.

On the 23d day of November, 1889, the appellant was in the Thorpe block, and on what is known as the second floor, and attempted to enter the elevator. In making this attempt he fell partly upon the floor of the elevator, and was carried up and against the framework over the door, receiving injuries, to recover damages for which this action was brought.

Appellant’s complaint is in three paragraphs: First. Charging negligence of defendants in the use of their property and premises, in the matter complained of. Second. Charging willful and wanton disregard of plaintiff’s situation by the defendants, while he was on and using their property and premises. Third. Charging defendants with negligence as carriers of the plaintiff.

Each paragraph shows that plaintiff was rightfully on the premises, and each also charges a resulting injury to the plaintiff without his fault. A demurrer for want of facts was filed to the second and third paragraphs of the complaint, and overruled, and defendants answered in general denial.

[18]*18Upon these issues the cause was tried at the March term, 1891, of the superior court of Marion county, before a jury, which returned a verdict for the appellant.

Appellees filed a motion for a new trial, which was overruled and judgment was rendered and entered on the verdict. From this judgment, at special term, appellees appealed to the general term of the superior court, where the judgment at special term was reversed for error in overruling appellee’s motion for a new trial. From this judgment of reversal at the general term, the appellant has appealed to this court, and by proper assignment of error has presented for review the correctness of the decision of the court in general term in reversing the judgment of the special term, and directing a new trial of the cause.

From the opinion of the court in general term, it appears that the only question presented by the assignment of errors in general term, which was considered and determined by the court, was the action of the court, in special term, in overruling appellee’s motion for a new trial. The overruling of that motion by the court, in special term, was held to be erroneous, and the assignment of error made in this court presents for review all matters properly assigned as errors in the motion for a new trial. Appellant’s brief proceeds upon the theory that the only matters which this court can consider on this appeal are the particular points or reasons in the motion for a new trial, which the opinion of the court in general term shows were expressly considered by that court, and which that opinion shows were the basis of the action of the general term in reversing the judgment at special term. To this theory we can not give assent. Clearly it was not incumbent upon the court in general term, after it had found an error for which the judgment in special term should be reversed, to investigate [19]*19the sufficiency of the remaining reasons for a new trial, and pass upon the questions as to whether or not they were severally well taken. The instructions of the general term, as shown by its judgment, required the court, in special term, to sustain the defendant’s motion for a new trial. This, we think, clearly indicates the error for which the judgment was reversed, and appellant’s assignment of error, in this court, brings to us, for review, all the questions properly presented by appellees’ motion for a new trial. In other words, the judgment of the court, in general term, sufficiently shows the de-' cisión of that court to have been that there was error of the court in special term, in refusing to sustain the motion, as stated, of the appellees for a new trial.

A new trial was ordered upon a consideration of the errors assigned by the appellees in general term, viz: “Third. The court, in special term, erred in overruling appellant’s motion for a new trial of this cause.”

The general term found this assignment of error well taken, and sustained it as a whole, not in piecemeal; and there was no ruling of the court in general term upon which these appellees had any reason to assign cross-errors. The questions presented to the general term were those presented by the assignment of errors in that court.

In the case of Wesley v. Milford, 41 Ind. 413 (416), it is said: “The appeal to this court being allowed from the judgment of the general term only, We think it must follow that whatever errors are assigned in this court must be predicated upon the assignment of errors in the general term, and the action of that court in general term thereon.”

This being so, it is clear that the action of the court in general term, upon the errors assigned in that court, is what this court passes upon, and not the several and [20]*20particular matters which may have been embraced and covered by the assignments of error in the special term. To present to this court questions which were presented in the motion for a new trial, and to separate and set apart for the consideration of the court a portion of the reasons assigned in such motion, is equivalent to presenting to this court, for the first time, as grounds for reversal, matters which must be assigned as reasons for a new trial.

The appellant’s assignment of error in this court, and his complaint'here, is: "That said general term of said court erred in reversing the judgment of the special term of said superior court, and remanding said cause for another trial to said special term.”

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Bluebook (online)
23 L.R.A. 244, 36 N.E. 361, 137 Ind. 15, 1894 Ind. LEXIS 185, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/springer-v-byram-ind-1894.