Perkins v. Stickney

Jan 30, 1882
Reporters:
,
Before:
Endicott
Endicott, J.

Whether a witness who is called as an expert ‍‌​‌​​​​​​​​​​‌‌​​​​‌‌‌​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​‌‌‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​​​​‌‍has the requisite qualifications and knowledge to enable him to testify, is a preliminary question for the court. The decision ‍‌​‌​​​​​​​​​​‌‌​​​​‌‌‌​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​‌‌‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​​​​‌‍of this question is conclusive, unless it appears upon the evidence to have been erroneous, or to have been founded ‍‌​‌​​​​​​​​​​‌‌​​​​‌‌‌​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​‌‌‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​​​​‌‍upon some error in law. Nunes v. Perry, 113 Mass. 274, 276. Commonwealth v. Sturtivant, 117 Mass. 122. In the case at bar, no such ‍‌​‌​​​​​​​​​​‌‌​​​​‌‌‌​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​‌‌‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​​​​‌‍error is shown; on the contrary, it appears that the witness had no knowledge of the quality of the coal ‍‌​‌​​​​​​​​​​‌‌​​​​‌‌‌​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​‌‌‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​​​​‌‍in question, except through the reports of his engineer. Exceptions overruled.