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12 Ill. App. 111

Mills v. Buffin

Appellate Court of Illinois

Decided February 9, 1883

Appellate Court of Illinois · decided 1883-02-09

<p>Evidence — Master and servant. — Appellee brought suit on a quantum meruit for work and labor. Appellant set up an express contract for a specified term and the quitting of appellee before its expiration. Held, that it was error for the court to permit appellee to set up a slight sickness which had not continued up to the time he left, as a justifying cause for leaving appellant’s employ, since appellee had not been required to work when he was ill, and had voluntarily resumed work on the next day. It was also error for the court to refuse to allow appellant to offer testimony, tending to impeach appellee’s general reputation for truth.</p>

Decided 1883-02-09

Pee Cijeiam.

¶1Defendant in error having filed no brief, we might reverse the judgment for that reason under the rule, but being uncertain whether he had abandoned his claim we have examined the record.

¶2• He brought the suit upon a qtiantum meruit for work and labor, and introduced proof of its amount and value, which was not denied, but the defendant set up an express contract to work for a specified term, and a breach thereof by quitting, without just cause, before its expiration, and introduced evidence strongly tending to prove it.

¶3In rebuttal the plaintiff in his own behalf testified to his sickness, which was slight, on the day before he quit, but not continuing up to that time. He was not required to work on the day he was sick, and voluntarily resumed on the next; but in the meantime had engaged to work elsewhere and left on that evening without notice.

¶4To the evidence of such sickness, as a justifying cause for leaving, the defendant objected, but the court admitted it. Defendant then offered evidence tending to impeach the plaintiff’s general reputation for truth, which was refused olithe ground that it came too late.

¶5On both points the ruling was erroneous and the judgment is therefore reversed and the cause remanded.

¶6Reversed and remanded.

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