Wells v. Lea
Decision Date | 25 January 1886 |
Citation | 20 Mo.App. 352 |
Parties | JAMES M. WELLS, Appellant, v. THOMAS LEA, Respondent. |
Court | Kansas Court of Appeals |
APPEAL from Putnam Circuit Court, HON. ANDREW ELLISON, Judge.
Reversed and remanded.
The case is stated in the opinion.
A. W MULLINS, with A. D. CHRISTY, for the appellant.
I. The court erred in directing that there was no evidence that defendant assaulted plaintiff's wife. It left out of view an assault by another who was acting at his instigation.
II. Defendant's second instruction was wrong because defendant did not set up any matters in justification in his answer. " Justification must always be specially pleaded." 2 Greenl. Evid. (14 Ed.) sect. 92; 1 Chitty Plead. (14 Am. Ed.) 501; Daily v. Houston, 58 Mo 361.
III. Plaintiff's instruction numbered three should have been given. Defendant was a joint wrong-doer with another, and in such case was a principal, also. Cooley on Torts, 127; 1 Suth. Dam. 211; Murphy v. Wilson, 44 Mo. 313.
HUGH MARSHALL and S. P. HUSTON, for the respondent.
I. The court did not err in giving defendant's second and in refusing plaintiff's fourth instruction. Under a general denial anything is admissible that goes to show that a cause of action never existed. If a cause of action once existed, which has been determined by some matter subsequently occurring, it must be pleaded. Greenway v. James, 34 Mo. 326; Kersey v. Garton, 77 Mo. 647; Nichols v. Winfrey, 79 Mo. 544.
II. In construing the record, all parts must be considered equally authoritative. Error is not to be presumed, but all presumptions are in favor of the judgment. There was no evidence on the second count. Ins. Co. v. Cohen, 9 Mo. 416.
This is an action for damages for assault and battery. The petition contained two counts, the first charging that the defendant and one Sarah Morris (since intermarried with defendant) assaulted, beat, cut, and bruised the plaintiff. The second charging defendant and said Sarah Morris with assaulting, beating, and bruising plaintiff's wife, whereby she was disabled, and he lost her service for a long space of time. The answer was a general denial, with the exception of admitting plaintiff and Alice M. Wells were husband and wife.
The evidence offered on the trial, as preserved and set forth in the bill of exceptions, was as follows:
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