Coble v. Eltzroth

Decision Date16 October 1890
Docket Number14,494
Citation25 N.E. 544,125 Ind. 429
PartiesCoble v. Eltzroth
CourtIndiana Supreme Court

From the Blackford Circuit Court.

Judgment affirmed.

G. W. Harvey, H. J. Paulus, J. Cantwell and S.W. Cantwell, for appellant.

A. E. Steele and J. A. Kersey, for appellee.

OPINION

Elliott, J.

The appellee's complaint states, as a cause of action, a promise of marriage and a breach of the promise by the appellant. The first paragraph of the answer is a general denial, and the second alleges that the appellee conspired with Aaron Trowbridge to defraud the appellant by setting up a false claim that the latter had promised to marry her, but it also alleges that he never made any such promise. The second paragraph of the answer is clearly bad. It is well settled that a single paragraph of an answer can not confess a cause of action and also deny it. The answer is bad for another reason and that is this, it does not attempt to state any facts showing that the appellee and Trowbridge, did anything to induce the appellant to promise the appellee that he would marry her.

The appellant detaches from one of the instructions a brief clause and assails it, but his assault is unavailing, for the reason that the instructions must be taken as an entirety, and thus taken there is no error in them which could have misled the jury.

The appellee's counsel were guilty of misconduct in referring to the change of venue, but, upon the objection of appellant's counsel, the trial court promptly checked the counsel of appellee and instructed the jury that the question of a change of venue was one they had no right to consider. As the court acted promptly and gave the jury the proper instructions, we can not say that there was error justifying a reversal.

Upon the authority of Morrison v. State, 76 Ind. 335, it must be held that to make available on appeal objections to the conduct of counsel in argument, the grounds of the objection must be specifically stated. The application of this rule disposes of the point made upon the course of the appellee's counsel in referring to a deposition taken by the appellant but not introduced in evidence.

Judgment affirmed.

To continue reading

Request your trial
18 cases
  • Bowlus v. The Phenix Insurance Company
    • United States
    • Indiana Supreme Court
    • October 27, 1892
    ... ... as a single paragraph of an answer can not be both a denial ... and a valid plea in confession and avoidance. Coble ... v. Eltzroth, 125 Ind. 429, 25 N.E. 544; ... Nysewander v. Lowman, 124 Ind. 584, 24 N.E ... 355; Petty v. Trustees, etc., 95 Ind ... ...
  • Ralya v. E. C. Atkins & Co.
    • United States
    • Indiana Supreme Court
    • October 30, 1901
    ... ... addition to the general denial, this would not render said ... paragraphs insufficient. Coble v. Eltzroth, ... 125 Ind. 429, 25 N.E. 544, and cases of that class cited by ... appellant are therefore not in point. Said rulings were not ... ...
  • City of Shelbyville v. Morton
    • United States
    • Indiana Appellate Court
    • July 7, 1965
    ...objections to the conduct of counsel in argument, the grounds of the objection must be specifically stated. Coble v. Eltzroth [138 INDAPP 474] (1890), 125 Ind. 429, 25 N.E. 544. The objectionable language or argument must be promptly objected to and the court be requested to counteract any ......
  • Louisville, N.A.&C. Ry. Co. v. Norman
    • United States
    • Indiana Appellate Court
    • April 6, 1897
    ...be made available unless pointed out to the lower court, and the ground of objection specifically stated.” See, also, Coble v. Eltzroth, 125 Ind. 429, 25 N. E. 544. It does not appear upon what ground or in what terms the appellant objected to the remark of the attorney. It is to be presume......
  • Request a trial to view additional results

VLEX uses login cookies to provide you with a better browsing experience. If you click on 'Accept' or continue browsing this site we consider that you accept our cookie policy. ACCEPT