Asher v. Cabell

50 F. 818, 1 C.C.A. 693, 1892 U.S. App. LEXIS 1285
CourtCourt of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit
DecidedMay 30, 1892
DocketNo. 3
StatusPublished
Cited by21 cases

This text of 50 F. 818 (Asher v. Cabell) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Asher v. Cabell, 50 F. 818, 1 C.C.A. 693, 1892 U.S. App. LEXIS 1285 (5th Cir. 1892).

Opinions

Pardee, Circuit Judge.

It is well settled that by the common law no civil action lies for an injury to a person which results in his death. Insurance Co. v. Brame, 95 U. S. 754—756; Dennick v. Railroad Co., 103 U. S. 11-21; The Harrisburg, 119 U. S. 199-214, 7 Sup. Ct. Rep. 140. There is no statute of the United States giving such an action in the courts of the United States. It follows that, if such action can be maintained, authorities must be found therefor in the statute of the state wherein the injury occurred. Article 3128, Rev. St. Tex., is as follows:

“The common law of England (so far as it is not inconsistent with the constitution and laws of this state) shall, together with such constitution and laws, be the rule of decision, and shall continue in force until altered or repealed by the legislature. ”

It follows that in the state of Texas no civil action will lie for injuries resulting in death, unless authorized by statute, and the following is the only statute on the subject:

“An action for actual damages on account of injuries causing the death of any person may be brought in the following cases: First. When the death of any person is caused by the negligence or carelessness of the proprietor, owner,^charterer, or hirer of any railroad, steamboat, stagecoach, or other vehicle for the conveyance of goods or passengers, or by the unfitness, negligence, or carelessness of their servants or agents. Second. When the death of any person is caused by the wrongful act, negligence, unskillfulness, or default of another.” Rev. St. Tex. art. 2899.

[825]*825The construction to be given article 2899 seems to be clear. As against common carriers, an action is given for injuries resulting in the death of a person, when caused by the negligence or carelessness of the common carrier, or by the unfitness or negligence or carelessness of the servants or agents of the common carrier; as against all other persons, the cause of action for injuries resulting in death is only given when the death is caused b,y the wrongful act, negligence, unskillfulness, or default of the defendant himself. In other words, common carriers are made liable for the unfitness, negligence, and carelessness of their servants or their agents resulting in the death of a person. Other than common carriers arc not made liable except for their own wrongful acts, negligence, unskill-Julness, or defaults, when the same results in the death of a person. And this seems to be the construction given to the statute by the supreme court of the state of Texas. In Hendrick v. Walton, 69 Tex. 192, 6 S. W. Rep. 749, which was a suit brought against a sheriff for the wrongful and unlawful act of his deputy in killing a person, thesupreme court of the state of Texas, construing article 2899, among other things, said:

‘•In the first place, it is to be observed that this is not the regulation or extension of a right previously existing at common law. The right of action-for injuries resulting in death is wholly the creature of the statute; and the authority of the suit here brought, if found at all, must be found in the written law itself. If the second subdivision of the article quoted stood alone, it would be a grave question whether wo should not apply to it the maxim that what one does for another he does himself, and to hold that it not only gives a rigid of action against ono whose own immediate act or negligence is the cause of the death of another, but also against a principal, when the death has been caused wrongfully or negligently by the act of his agent, neither principal nor agents are named in the subdivision in question, but in subdivision 1, immediately preceding this, an action is given against the carriers, to whom it applies, for fatal injuries, not only caused by their own personal negligence, but aiso where accruing from the gross negligence of their servants or agents. This provision has been considered by this court in the case of Railway Co. v. Scott, (decided at the Tyler term, 1886,) and is held to afford no remedy against a railroad company when the death is caused by the mere ordinary neglect of the servants or agents of the corporation. This law was amended by the omission of the word ‘gross’ by the act of March 25, 1887, (Laws 20th Leg. p. 44,) but the amendment was subsequent to the accrual of the alleged cause of action in this case, and has no bearing upon the question. ^Besides, the change of ono clause of a statute by amendment does not operate to change tire construction of another and independent clause as derived from the context of the original act. It is dear, therefore, that in the first subdivision of article 2899 the legislature did not mean to apply the rule that the act of the agent is the act of the principal, because for the ordinary negligence of the agent it does not. make the principal liable. Sow, is it reasonable to presume that they intended to exempt corporations owning steamboats and railroads, who can only act through agents, from liability for ordinary neglect of their agents or servants, and at the same time make private persons responsible for the death of others, when not caused by their own immediate act or omission? We think not. We rather think it was the purpose to impose the greater liability upon carriers by making them responsible for the gross negligence of their agents, and at the same time to leave the liability of others for the acts of their agents as it existed at common law. * * * [826]*826Since, therefore, the language of our statute indicates that the legislature of our state did not mean to make persons responsible for the acts of their agents in these eases, except such as are specified in the first subdivision of the article cited, it is1 but reasonable to conclude that they intended to render other persons liable only for their own immediate acts.”

The question, then, to be determined in the present case is whether the second amended original petition filed by the plaintiffs in the circuit court shows a case where the defendant Cabell, late marshal, is sued for his own wrongful acts, negligence, and defaults. The said petition shows that the defendant Cabell, as United States marshal, had in his custody, under lawful process of the United States courts, certain prisoners, one of whom was Alfred Aaron Marlow, whose widow brings this present suit; that against the said prisoners then and there in the custody of the marshal there was great hostility and violent public prejudice openly manifested by certain lawless persons in Young county, in the jail of which county said prisoners were confined; that an attack had been made by the said lawless persons upon the said prisoners while confined in the jail aforesaid, and that in such attack the marshal’s deputies and guards made no effort whatever to protect the said prisoners, but were in sympathy with the lawless persons aforesaid; that the defendant Cabell was well aware of the attack upon the jail aforesaid, and of the excited, lawless, and dangerous condition of public sentiment existing in said county against said prisoners, and of the hostility and prejudice entertained against them by the lawless persons aforesaid; that the said Cabell, marshal, committed the custody of said prisoners, including said Alfred Aaron Marlow, to his deputy, one Ed. Johnson, well knowing said Ed.

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Bluebook (online)
50 F. 818, 1 C.C.A. 693, 1892 U.S. App. LEXIS 1285, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/asher-v-cabell-ca5-1892.