The pleadings presented a question of fact as to whether the plaintiff’s pier was injured by the negligence of the defendant’s servants, or whether the damages sustained by it from the condition of the pier was owing to the plaintiff’s neglect and omission to care for it. The verdict in favor of the defendant is conclusive unless there was error in the conduct of the trial, or in the charge under which they received the question from the trial judge. Many errors are suggested by the appellant:
First. Exceptions to evidence ; the management and conduct of the defendant’s boats and the street cleaning department had been called in question by the plaintiff, and the defendant’s witness, after showing his familiarity with the locus in quo and the boats referred to, was asked, “ was the slip wide enough for the scow to get much force in going on the other side ? ” Plaintiff’s counsel said, “ objected to,” and the witness answered, “ no; the men had to haul the scow under the dump; it would not have headway enough.” It is now argued by the plaintiff that the witness was not qualified to speak as an expert, and that the question “ is objectionable in form.” The objection was too general to raise these questions. Dillon, called for the defendants, testified to the condition of the dock as exhibited in his use of it, saying, “ ever since I went up to that dock we generally made our line fast to that dock to pull out our boats, and in some cases the line would give way, the pieces would break, the part that we would make it fast to, it was so bad, so rotten; ” on the cross-examination, said, “ the pieces I refer to is a spile ; ” and on re-direct examination, was asked, “how long did you notice this rotten condition of the Albany pier; had you noticed the rotten condition ? ” Plaintiff’s counsel
The evidence called for seems relevant to the issue which provoked an inquiry as to whether the fractured condition ■of the bridge was owing to the defendant’s trespass, or the ■operation of natural causes. But the objection was ' too general to disclose to the judge any defect in the question, if there were any.
After the plaintiff rested and the defendants had concluded their evidence, the defendant called a witness who denied certain declarations which the questions assumed had been attributed to him. The witness was also cross-examined upon that subject. Then the plaintiff’s counsel asked, on re-direct examination, “ how much of these repairs were necessary to repair the injury occasioned by the "boats of the street dump ? ” Defendant objected; objection was sustained; exception taken.
Clearly the question was inadmissible in substance. It submitted the whole case to the witness, whose testimony exhibited neither knowledge nor information on the subject. It was, moreover, reopening the case, a matter in the discretion of the trial judge.
Second. It is contended in behalf of the appellent that a verdict for the plaintiff in some amount was a necessity, and the verdict for the defendant was without evidence. This question was not raised at the trial. So far as appears the case was treated by the plaintiff as one to be disposed of by the jury upon questions of fact, and not by the court upon any question of law. The pleadings raise only questions of fact. Each issue was sustained or controverted by evidence. The judge submitted the case to the jury as one in which a verdict might be given in some view of the testimony for either party, not confining their attention to the amount of damages, upon the assumption that some recovery was necessary to be had by the plaintiffs, but giv
We find no error committed to the plaintiff’s prejudice. Its claim that the impaired condition of the pier was due to the improper use and negligence of the defendant, has been refuted by the jury upon evidence fit for their consideration, and we do not find that they were led to that conclusion by any misdirection as to the law.
The judgment which followed their verdict should be affirmed.
All concur.
