Sexton v. Rock Island Lumber & Manufacturing Co.
Sexton v. Rock Island Lumber & Manufacturing Co.
Opinion of the Court
Opinion by
February 28,1888, the Rock Island Lumber and Manufacturing Company obtained judgment for $565.83, against the plaintiff, Jane T. Sexton, and also a foreclosure of a mechanic’s lien. Afterward two motions were filed by the plaintiff to set aside and vacate said judgment. Upon both of these motions evidence and arguments of counsel were heard, after which they were overruled. On the 15th of May following, the plaintiff filed her petition in the court to vacate and modify said judgment, and at the same time procured a restraining order to issue, enjoining said company, its agents and servants, and the sheriff of the county, to refrain from selling the plaintiff’s property on said judgment. The defendant filed a motion to dissolve the restraining order, and the plaintiff a motion for a temporary injunction. These motions were heard at the same time. The motion to dissolve was overruled, and the temporary injunction was allowed. Afterward the injunction proceeding was heard on its merits and dissolved, and from such judgment of the court the plaintiff comes here for error. In the case of the Rock Island Lumber and Manufacturing Company against Jane T. Sexton and others, for the recovery of a judgment for the lumber sold by said company that went into the house of said Jane T. Sexton, and for a foreclosure of a mechanic’s lien against said house, the sheriff’s return of service on the summons, so far as it relates to the plaintiff in error, is as follows:
“Received this writ this 4th day of November, 1887, at 1 o’clock p.m., and, as commanded by the writ, I summoned the within-named Jane T. Sexton by leaving a certified copy of the within summons and the indorsements thereon at the usual place of residence on the 5th day of November, 1887.”
Jane T. Sexton made no appearance in answer to said summons, and judgment was taken against her by default Febru
The service of summons being held good, it gave the court jurisdiction of the person of the defendant therein named. It was her duty then to have answered the petition in the case, and appeared and contested the trial thereof. Not having filed any answer, and having made no appearance at the trial to set aside the service of the summons, nor for any other purpose, she could not afterwards be heard to complain of any errors committed on the trial of the cause. The presumptions are in favor of the record. It was her duty to have been in court at the trial of the case, to challenge any error in the admission of evidence, and save her exceptions to the ruling therein. If
We do not think there is anything in the record to show any fraud in procuring the judgment; nor do we think the record shows any perjury in the case. A witness may be mistaken on some point of his evidence in a case, and yet not be guilty of perjury. Robinson may have been mistaken in relation to what paper he served on the plaintiff in error, but it is apparent from the record that it was simply a mistake, and could not amount to perjury.
We think the court was right in refusing to set aside the judgment. It is therefore recommended that the judgment of the district court be affirmed.
By the Court: It is so ordered.
Case-law data current through December 31, 2025. Source: CourtListener bulk data.