Freck v. Christian

Nov 15, 1876
Reporters:
Before:
Perkins
Perkins, J.

Petition to change the location of a highway.

Christian and others were the petitioners. Freck remonstrated. The board ‍​​‌​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​​​​​‌‌‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​‌​​‌​​​‌‌‌​​​‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​​​​‌​‌​‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​‍of commissioners granted the change. Freck appealed to the circuit court. The cause was there tried by a jury, who found in favor of the change. The court ordered the change made. Freck appealed to the ‍​​‌​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​​​​​‌‌‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​‌​​‌​​​‌‌‌​​​‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​​​​‌​‌​‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​‍Supreme Court.

A bill of exceptions gives the history of the trial in the circuit court.

The only evidence given on the trial was the papers in *321the cause before the commissioners, accompanied by parol proof of notice of ‍​​‌​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​​​​​‌‌‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​‌​​‌​​​‌‌‌​​​‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​​​​‌​‌​‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​‍the petition for the change. To the giving of these papers, consisting of the report of the viewers, etc., the appellant objected on the ground of incompeteney; but his objection was overruled, and he excepted. ‍​​‌​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​​​​​‌‌‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​‌​​‌​​​‌‌‌​​​‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​​​​‌​‌​‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​‍This ruling was made one of the grounds of a motion for a new trial, which motion was also overruled. This was error, for which the judgment must be reversed. Kemp v. Smith, 7 Ind. 471; Brown v. McCord, 20 Ind. 270; Hays v. Parrish, 52 Ind. 132; Coyner v. Boyd, ‍​​‌​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​​​​​‌‌‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​‌​​‌​​​‌‌‌​​​‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​​​​‌​‌​‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​‍ante, p. 166.

The judgment is reversed, with costs. Cause remanded, with instructions to proceed in accordance with this opinion.