88 P. 221 | Wyo. | 1907
The plaintiff in error, Alice Wallace, brought this action in the District Court of Sheridan County to recover damages for personal injuries sustained in consequence of an attack upon her, while she was walking upon the streets
The answer contains two defenses. In the first defense it is admitted that the defendant owned the said elk, and that plaintiff was injured by it at the time alleged, viz., December 10, 1903, but not in the manner nor to the extent alleged; and it is then averred that the animal was a female elk which had been captured when quite young and had become thoroughly gentle and domesticated long prior to its attack upon plaintiff, and that prior to such attack it had never manifested a vicious disposition and had not been vicious nor dangerous, and that defendant had no notice of any vicious tendencies of the animal. Every allegation of the petition not admitted to be true in that defense is thereby denied. The second defense alleges a settlement between the plaintiff and defendant of the claim of the former on account of said injuries by the payment to the plaintiff and the acceptance by her on or about February 19, 1904, of the sum of two hundred and fifty dollars, which is alleged to have been accepted by the plaintiff in full satisfaction and payment of her said claim, and in satisfaction and discharge of her cause of action set forth in the petition; and that in consideration of such payment the plaintiff executed and delivered to the defendant a release of her said claim in writing, which alleged written release is set out in the answer as follows:
*245 “State of Wyoming, Comity of Sheridan, ss.
“Miss Alice Wallace, being first duly sworn, on oath says: that she has this day received from Charles W. Skinner of Big Horn, Sheridan County, Wyoming, the sum of one dollar and other good and valuable considerations, in full settlement of any claims whatsoever that she may have against said Charles W. Skinner, and more especially with reference to any damage arising from the injury to her by an elk owned by said Chas. W. Skinner, which injury was caused by the said elk to the person of the said Miss Wallace on or about the 10th day of December, 1903, in Big Horn, Sheridan County, Wyoming.
“Affiant says that all her rights to any claim for damages arising from said injury are hereby waived, and she has never made any claim for the same, but appreciates the -kindness of Mr. Skinner. (Signed) Alice Wallace.
“Subscribed in my presence and sworn to before me this •27th day of February, A. D. 1904. (Signed)
“C. B. Sackett, Notary Public.”
(Notarial Seal.)
In substance, the plaintiff’s reply to' the first defense of the answer specifically denies the allegations as to the absence of a vicious and dangerous disposition in the animal, and alleges that it was vicious and dangerous prior to the attack upon plaintiff to the knowledge of the defendant, and further specifically alleges that long prior to said attack the defendant well knew that the said elk was vicious and naturally wild; that it had been captured in its wild state, was a strong and powerful brute, capable of inflicting great bodily harm and of taking human life; and that it was then owned and held in captivity by the defendant, with several other elk; and that defendant was thereby chargeable with knowledge and notice of the mischievous tendencies and dangerous disposition of the animal and of its liability to do harm at any time. Said reply also denies that the animal bad become fully domesticated, or that it was domesticated
The reply to the second defense denies generally each and every allegation- thereof, and specifically denies that the plaintiff at any time compromised or settled her said claim or cause of action, or at any time accepted anything whatever in full payment thereof, or at any time released or discharged the defendant from liability therefor, or that she ever received the sum of two hundred and fifty dollars or any sum whatever in satisfaction of her claim, or that she executed and delivered to defendant any instrument in writing releasing and discharging him from her said claim. The reply denies specifically that the plaintiff ever made any affidavit as set out in the answer or otherwise, but alleges in respect to the alleged release that the defendant, through one C. L. Sackett acting for him, on or about February 27, 1904, falsely and fraudulently represented the object and purpose of an instrument which she then signed, and that, the same was misread to her; that she signed the instrument believing the same to be a receipt merely for the sum of two hundred and fifty dollars, which the said defendant had given to her as a present or donation, and that she was not aware of the true contents of the writing until it had been set out in full in the answer in this action. The reply alleges that the pretended release was obtained from her when she was confined to her bed as the result of the injuries complained of, while she was under the influence of opiates, and sick and weak and suffering great pain, and wholly in an unfit condition to transact any business, all of which defendant well knew. It is alleged specifically that the instrument which the plaintiff signed was represented to her as a receipt merely for the sum of two hundred and fifty dollars, which the defendant had sent to her as a present, and as not being a release and not intended as a settlement in full for her claim against defendant for the injuries she had received; and that with such understanding, and relying upon the representations then made to her,
The case was tried to a jury and a general verdict was returned for the defendant. In connection with the verdict the jury returned answers to certain interrogatories which had been submitted to them by the court at the request of the defendant, as follows:
1. Did the plaintiff, on February 27, 1904, execute and deliver to Carl L. Sackett, to be delivered to the defendant in this cause, the instrument dated February 27, 1904, a copy of which is set forth in defendant’s amended answer, and called by witnesses in this cause the Release ? Ans. Yes.
2. Did Mr. Sackett call to see plaintiff, on February 27, 1904, and discuss with her the matter of the settlement of her claim against defendant, then go and draw the release in question, and subsequently return a second time to see her, at which latter time she signed such release and was paid $250? Ans. Yes.
, 3. Had the three persons called the committee, or either of them, reported to plaintiff their decision as to the payment to her of $250, in full settlement of her claim against defendant, prior to the time of Mr. Sackett seeing her on the date when the release was signed? Ans. Yes.
4. Had said committee, or either member thereof, prior to Sackett’s seeing plaintiff, on February 27, 1904, seen the plaintiff and advised her of the decision of the committee to the effect that she should be paid $250, which should be accepted by her in full release of her claim against defendant? Ans. Yes.
5. Did the plaintiff receive from the defendant the sum of $250 as consideration for the execution and delivery of said release? Ans. Yes.
7. Was Mr. Sackett in the employ of defendant in the matter of the execution and delivery of the release in question? Ans. No.
8. Was Mr. Sackett acting for plaintiff in the preparation, execution and delivery of the release in question? Ans. Yes.
9. Did Mr. Sackett fraudulently induce plaintiff to sign the release in question ? Ans. No.
10. If you answer “Yes” to question No. 9 last above, please set out the particular fraud of which he was guilty. Ans. -.
11. Did Mr. Sackett make any misrepresentations to plaintiff as to the contents, character or legal effect of said written instrument, termed a release, for the purpose of inducing plaintiff to sign the same? Ans. No
12. If you answer “Yes” to question No. 11 last above, set forth in detail what false statements or misrepresentations he so made concerning the character, contents or legal effect of said instrument. - Ans -.
12. Has the plaintiff ever returned, or offered to return to defendant, the $250 paid her by defendant, or any part thereof? Ans. No.
13. Had the elk in question ever at any time, to the knowledge of defendant, shown any indications of being either vicious or dangerous prior to the date of the injury to plaintiff? Ans. No.
14. If you state “Yes” to question 13 last above, state by whose evidence it was shown that the defendant had been so advised of the dangerous character of such elk. Ans. -.
15. Had the animal in question become fully domesticated during the time it had been kept by defendant and prior thereto ? Ans. Yes.
Judgment was entered in accordance with the verdict in favor of the defendant, and against the plaintiff for costs;
It is contended that the court erred in failing to define or state the issues in the case to the jury. It seems to be quite generally held that, instead of referring the jury to the pleadings to ascertain the issues for themselves, it is the province and duty of the court to state what the issues are for the benefit and guidance of the jury, since the construction of the pleadings and the issues raised thereby are questions for the court alone to determine, and not for the jury; though it is not necessary that- the issues should be stated in a single paragraph of the charge, it being- held sufficient if they are fully stated in some part of the charge in such a manner as to be understood, and that the court may properly omit to state an issue in support of which there is no evidence. (11 Ency. Pl. & Pr., 154-157.)
Our statute does not in specific terms require the court to state the issues to the jury, but that duty may no doubt be implied, when necessary to a fair and intelligent consideration of the cause by the jury, from the statutory requirement that “before the argument of the case is begun, the court shall give such instructions upon the law to the jury as may be necessary.” (Rev. Stat. 1899, Sec. 3644.) We'suppose it to be proper in all jury trials in the District Court for the court to concisely and plainly state to the jury what the issues are in the case, and, when the issues are numerous or complicated, or involved in intricate averment not easily understood by the ordinary juryman, such
It may be added that it is at least doubtful whether the objection, now urged was saved by. a proper exception. Twenty separately numbered instructions were given by the court, and only nine of them were excepted to by the plaintiff, and it does not appear that the court’s attention was called to the alleged failure to state the issues, nor was that specific objection made in the motion for new trial. It is, indeed, contended that’ one requested instruction which was refused stated the issues; but that instruction purported to state them only as to the release, and the points as to that were sufficiently covered in the instructions given. But that requested instruction did not stop with a statement of such issues; it proceeded to instruct upon the law as applicable to every phase thereof, and we think in one respect at least incorrectly, without modification, for which reason alone it might have been properly refused.
Error is assigned upon some of the instructions given, and the refusal of instructions requested by plaintiff. The evidence is not in the record. Hence it must be presumed that the instructions given, so far as applicable to the case made by the pleadings, were based upon evidence; and, if they would be correct upon any evidence that might have been properly admitted under the issues, such evidence must be presumed to have been in the case, and they would, therefore, furnish no ground for reversal. (Chosen Friends H. L. & S. League v. Otterson, 7 Wyo., 89; Downing v. State, 10 Wyo., 373.)
The instructions relative to the rule of liability for the injuries complained of were excepted to. The court gave
The instructions upon that subject were doubtless based upon a statement in the opinion of the court in the case of Spring Company v. Edgar, 99 U. S., 645, to the effect that certain animals ferae naturae may doubtless be domesticated to such an extent as to be classed, in respect to liability of the owner for injuries they commit, with naturally tame or domestic animals; but that as they are liable to relapse into their wild habits and become dangerous, the rule is that if they do so, and the owner becomes notified of their vicious habit, they again become included in the same rule as if they had never been domesticated, the gist of the action in such case, being not merely the negligent keeping- of the animal, but the keeping of the same with knowledge of its vicious and mischievous propensities.
By the special findings of the jury, it appears that they found the animal in question to have been thoroughly domesticated, and that it had not, to defendant’s knowledge, shown an}'- indication of being either vicious or dangerous.
It is to be remembered that the signing of the release set out in the answer is admitted by the reply, and had it not been, we would be bound to presume it to have been proven, in the absence of the evidence, in support of the verdict. The plaintiff, however, sought its avoidance on the ground of misrepresentation and fraud concerning its contents, and in inducing her to sign it; and she alleged that she was thus imposed upon by one C. L. Sackett, who was acting for the defendant. She also charged that the release was without consideration; that the two hundred and fifty dollars had been sent to her by defendant as a present; and that she understood the instrument signed by her to be merely a receipt for said sum.
The jury found speically that the plaintiff executed and delivered the release to said Sackett to be delivered to the defendant; that she received said sum of money from defendant in consideration of her execution and delivery of the release; that the said Sackett was acting in the premises for her and not -for the defendant; that she was previously consulted by Sackett as to the terms of settlement, and the form and terms of the release; and that the latter did not misrepresent to her the contents or legal effect
It cannot be doubted that the facts set forth in the second defense'of the answer in relation to the release, if true, constituted a complete defense to the action; nor can it be doubted, from the answers to the particular questions submitted to the jury, that they found the facts so alleged in the answer to be true, and the allegations of the reply respecting the release to be untrue. It, therefore, appears affirmatively that the general verdict responds to the issues as to the release in defendant’s, favor, and, as explained by the special findings, is to be taken as a finding for defendant upon the second defense of his answer. Therefore, if the jury were not correctly instructed in regard to the defendant’s primary liability for the injuries complained of, the error would not be prejudicial.
It is further contended that by refusing plaintiff’s requested instructions, and omitting to cover them in the instructions given, the court failed to instruct with reference to several questions of law which it is claimed were involved in the case under the issues relating to the release. As to most of the questions suggested in that connection, we are unable without the evidence to say whether they were so involved in the case as to require instructions or not. The instructions given seem to us to cover very fully 'and correctly all the points embraced within the several allegations of the pleadings upon the subject of the release. Two only of the instructions upon that subject were excepted to, viz.: instructions numbers five and eighteen. The fifth instruction reads as follows:
“You are instructed that the instrument read in evidence, signed by the plaintiff, is upon its face a release of a cause of action here sued upon. It is presumed that the plaintiff
We do not understand it to be contended that the instrument is not on its face a release of the cause of action sued on. Certainly it purports to be, and we do not think any different interpretation can reasonably be given it. As already suggested, we must presume that the evidence showed that plaintiff signed it. Upon that basis the instruction correctly stated the rule of. law as to the presumption in the absence of contrary evidence, and the necessity and character of proof to overcome it. (24 Ency. Law (2d Ed.), 309; Ry. Co. v. Erlinger, 112 Ill. App., 506.) The eighteenth instruction correctly applied to the case a familiar principle, assuming as we must that it was proper under the evidence. It stated in substance and effect that if the jury should find from the evidence that plaintiff had the capacity and full opportunity to read the release before she signed it, and instead of reading it chose to rely upon what Mr. Sackett said to her about it, then she would be estopped by her own negligence from claiming that the same was not legal and binding upon her according to its terms. (24 Ency. L. (2d Ed.), 309.)
It is further contended that error was committed in directing special findings of facts. The power to instruct the jurors, if they render a general verdict, to find upon “particular questions of fact” is expressly conferred upon the court by statute. (Rev. Stat. 1899, Sec. 3656.) And it is declared that when the special finding of facts is inconsistent with the general verdict, the former shall control the latter, and that the court may give judgment accordingly. (Id., Sec. 3657.) The usual and well settled practice was adopted in the case at bar of stating the questions upon which special findings were desired in the form of interrogatories. Whether the court shall direct special findings in connection
The questions which were submitted to the jury are' set out at length in an earlier part of this opinion, and need not be here repeated. The fourteenth question is clearly objectionable, for the reason that it required the jury to state by whose evidence it-was shown that the defendant had knowledge of the vicious and dangerous character of his elk, if it was found in answering a previous question that he had such knowledge. What any witness may or may not have testified, or whether any witness testified upon any particular subject, is not a question of fact such as the statute contemplates. In regard to the matter suggested by the fourteenth question; it may not have been shown by the testimony of any particular witness that the defendant had been advised of the propensity of the animal in question to attack persons, but the whole evidence showing the previous conduct of the animal, and the more or less intimate acquaintance of the defendant with it, or his acts relating to it, might have been deemed sufficient to show knowledge on his part. The fact in that respect was whether or not he had knowledge. But the error in submitting the
For the same reason that they seem to have called for the evidence in the case, the propriety of questions ten and twelve is to be doubted. But they were not answered. On the contrary, the jury found the facts to exist which renderd an answer to them respectively unnecessary, and we observe nothing in the record to disclose that the submission of the questions prejudiced the plaintiff. In the absence of the evidence, and the presumptions that follow, the latitude of the trial court in relation to the direction for special findings is obviously considerably enlarged when the matter comes to be considered by an appellate court. We are of the opinion that generally such questions as numbers ten and twelve, which call for a statement of the particular fraud or misrepresentations, if any fraud is found to have been practiced, ór any misrepresentations made, are improper. We are not, however, prepared to say that the evidence in a case may not present features rendering such or similar questions proper, as intended to elicit a finding upon controverted facts. We do not here wish to deny that it may be possible for evidence to disclose a situation with reference to the acts or conduct of a party involving a controversy upon the law of the case, as to the effect of such acts or conduct upon an issue of fraud or misrepresentation, so that a finding showing particular acts or statements may be material'in explanation of a general verdict. We would not be inclined, therefore, without more than is shown by this record, to reverse the judgment because of the submission of the questions referred to.
The first question is not, in our opinion, objectionable because uncertain, as contended, in that it referred to the instrument called the “release” set out in the amended answer, instead of the second amended answer, on which the
It is urged that the ninth question called for a conclusion of law. We do not think the question is subject to that objection. It did require the jury to apply to the evidence the law given to them in the instructions, and thereby determine whether the plaintiff was fraudulently induced to sign the release. But that was their duty, in the absence of the direction for a special finding. Whether or not fraud
The error, if any, in failing'to instruct the jury to make the special findings only in case they returned a general verdict was harmless, for the reason that they did return a general verdict, thus complying with the statutory condition. It would not have been proper to instruct special findings
The remaining errors assigned are based upon alleged irregularities in the proceedings during the trial, not appearing in the record otherwise than by recitals in the motion for new trial, which fact is in itself a sufficient ground for refusing to consider them. The allowance of a bill of exceptions brings a motion for new trial therein set out into the record, but it does not .make the mere recitals of the motion a part of the record. So far as the motion is concerned, its recitals are but the statements of the party filing it. ' By allowing a bill the court or judge certifies to the fact that the motion as set out was made and filed, and, if so stated, that it was overruled, and the ruling excepted to. Such has been the uniform holding of this court, and it is so obviously correct that further discussion of the question is unnecessary. Hence the objection, shown only by recitals in the motion for new trial, that counsel for defendant was improperly permitted to 'read a certain story to the jury, in making his argument, is not properly before us. The same is true as to the alleged exclusion of certain evidence said to have been offered by plaintiff.
The foregoing observations apply to some extent also to the contention that the court erred in not ordering the jury after being sworn into the custody of an officer, and in permitting the jurors to separate at the noon recess and over night during the days of the trial, without plaintiff’s, consent. The statute' provides that, after the oath has been administered to the jury, the court shall order the jury into the custody of the sheriff, or other officer to be selected by the court, and that the jurors shall not be permitted to separate or depart the custody of the officer until duly discharged, unless by consent of the parties to the action. (Rev. Stat. 1899, Sec. 3643.) It nowhere appears, except by a statement to that effect in the motion for new trial, that the irregularity complained of occurred. And even the motion fails to recite that any objection to the alleged proceeding
We have thus considered all the objections which we regard as necessary to be discussed. Rinding no prejudicial error in the record, the judgment will be affirmed.
Affirmed.