Weatherly v. Manatt

1919 OK 74, 179 P. 470, 72 Okla. 138, 1919 Okla. LEXIS 330
CourtSupreme Court of Oklahoma
DecidedMarch 11, 1919
Docket8459
StatusPublished
Cited by3 cases

This text of 1919 OK 74 (Weatherly v. Manatt) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Supreme Court of Oklahoma primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Weatherly v. Manatt, 1919 OK 74, 179 P. 470, 72 Okla. 138, 1919 Okla. LEXIS 330 (Okla. 1919).

Opinion

PITOHFORD, J.

On the 8th day of June, 1915, Laura AVoodworth commenced this action against the defendants, E. B. AVeatherly and Jesse AVeatherly, for the purpose of recovering damages for injuries alleged by plaintiff to have been received by reason of an assault and battery committed upon her by the defendants on the 23d day of August, 1914. On the day of the difficulty, plaintiff was occupying a house which was owned by the defendant E. B. AVeatherly, and had gone into the possession thereof with the consent of the owner. The plaintiff had been ordered to vacate the premises prior to this time, but had refused and failed so to do-. On the date of the alleged assault, the defendants had gone upon the premises for the purpose of looking after certain live stock, and, while there had occasion to visit the house for certain articles which they needed in their work. Upon reaching the house, they found the doors locked and demanded admittance, which was refused by the plaintiff. The defendants tried the front door, but were unable to open the same. They then went to the rear and succeeded in lifting the latch to the screen door, and were thereby enabled to enter the bouse. After entering, the defendant Jesse AVeatherly secured a bucket and left.1 The defendant E. B. AVeatherly went to the dining room door, which he found closed, pushed the same open, and found the plaintiff lying upon a cot. He approached the plaintiff and began cursing her, grabbed her by the arm, jerked her to her feet, and slated that ho was going to throw her cut of the house; struck her with his fist, knocked her down, dragged her over the room, by her foot, threw her against the machine. That the defendant Jesse AVeatherly in the meantime had returned to the house. That he also assaulted the defendant. That he jerked her, threw her on the floor, pressed his knees '~.n hev breast. That as a result of the assault she had two ribs broken: her breast caved in; her head was injured. That she suffered great pain .and agony was confined to her bed under the care of phvst-cians for two weeks. That, by reason of the injuries so received, diabetes had devdoTwi and that she bad been injured in the sum of $10,000.

The defendants deny the allegations of the petition as to their being the aggressors, but allege that they found the doors locked; that the plaintiff was not entitled to the exclusive possession of the premises; that thev desired to enter the building for the purpose of securing a bucket; that the defendant E. B. AVeatherly went into the dining room, where he found the defendant reclining on a cot; that, as soon as he entered the room. *139 the plaintiff dashed carbolic acid in his face, "Which would have resulted in blinding him had he not involuntarily closed his eyes; that the carbolic acid burned him severely; that the plaintiff was still advancing upon him; that he grabbed her and held her so that she could not do him any further injury ; that, while the struggle was going on, the defendant Jesse Weatherly entered the room and, seeing the condition of his father from the effects of the carbolic acid, took hold of the plaintiff and informed his father that he would hold her while he looked after his burns; that they used no more force than was necessary to protect the defendant E. B. Weatherly from the attacks of the plaintiff.

The cause was tried to a jury on February 9, 1916, resulting in a verdict in favor of the plaintiff in the sum of $1,000. The defendants appeal and assign as error:

First. That the court below erred in overruling the motion, made by the defendants below at the close of the plaintiff’s evidence, requesting the court to limit the issues in said cause and any recovery by the plaintiff to any acts complained of by her that occurred prior to the time when she threw the carbolic acid into the face of the defendant E. B. Weatherly.

Second. That the court erred in overruling the demurrer of the defendants to the evidence of the plaintiff.

Third. That the verdict of the jury is contrary to law.

Fourth. That the verdict of the jury is contrary to the evidence in the case.

Fifth. That the court erred in refusing to give to the jury instructions requested in writing by the defendants.

Sixth. That the court below erred in giving to the jury instructions in writing' to which the said defendants objected and excepted.

Seventh. That the verdict of the jury is excessive and was returned under influence of passion and prejudice.

Eighth. That the court erred in its ruling upon the admission and rejection of evidence in said cause.

Ninth. That the court erred in overruling the motion of the defendants for a new trial.

The first, second, third, and fourth specifications cf error will be considered together. The contention of the defendants is that the question of damages should be limited to the acts complained of by the plaintiff, which occurred prior to the time she threw the carbolic acid into the face of the defendant E. B. Weatherly. Defendants claim that the evidence of the plaintiff shows that she was in no way. injured by anything done by the defendants prior to the time she threw the acid; that, even if the testimony of the plaintiff were true and the defendants did in fact take hold of her and pull her up from' the cot upon which she was lying, it would be a mere simple assault; that she does not claim any actual damages,for such an act, but only seeks to recover substantial damages for the. acts which occurred after she threw the carbolic acid into the face of E. B. Weatherly, as she herself admits.

As we view the evidence in the case, the difficulty was one entire, transaction:. The plaintiff was in possession of the premises under authority of the owner.' The defendants found that she had locked the do.ofs,' ■She refused to allow them to enter. • They forced an entrance. They had asked for a bucket, which she had refused to let them have. After the entrance was gained, the defendant Jesse Weatherly secured the bucket ,and left the house. The defendant É. B. Weatherly then entered the dining room at the time occupied by the plaintiff, and found her lying on the cot. ■ The evidence of the plaintiff is that he used profane; violent, and indecent language; that he grabbed her by the arm, jerked her to her feet, called her a “damned old bitch,” and said, “I will throw you in the .street.” He dragged her across the room, and, as she passed 'the table, she saw a bottle, grabbed it, and threw it at him. Who was the agressor? Certainly not the plaintiff. If the plaintiff had been a man. would the defendants, being refused admittance and finding the doors locked, have attempted to gain an entrance by forcing the doors? Would they not naturally have expected, under those circumstances, that, instead of being met by a bottle of carbolic acid, they probably would have been looking into the muzzle of a six-shooter or a shotgun?

The fact that the plaintiff was an old woman gave the defendants no more authority tot forcibly evict her than if she had been a man occupying the premises. , The law does not allow anyone, owner or any one else, to gain possession of premises by this highhanded method. If defendants had desired the possession of the premises, and the eviction of. the plaintiff, they had their clear legal •remedies. The defendants invited the difficulty, and as a consequence, cannot claim the law of self-defense.

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Bluebook (online)
1919 OK 74, 179 P. 470, 72 Okla. 138, 1919 Okla. LEXIS 330, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/weatherly-v-manatt-okla-1919.