Campbell v. Pullman Palace-Car Co.

42 F. 484, 1890 U.S. App. LEXIS 2191
CourtU.S. Circuit Court for the District of Northern Iowa
DecidedMay 9, 1890
StatusPublished
Cited by14 cases

This text of 42 F. 484 (Campbell v. Pullman Palace-Car Co.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering U.S. Circuit Court for the District of Northern Iowa primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Campbell v. Pullman Palace-Car Co., 42 F. 484, 1890 U.S. App. LEXIS 2191 (circtnia 1890).

Opinion

Shiras, J.,

(charging jury, j In the cause now on trial before you, the plaintiff, Mrs. Campbell, claims damages against the defendant, the Pullman Palace-Car Company, in the sum of $20,000, for injuries which she claims were caused to her when she was an occupant of a sleeping-car furnished by defendant for use as a sleeping-car upon a train of passenger-cars operated by the Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul Railway Company between Chicago, III., and Sioux City, Iowa, such injuries being alleged to have been caused by the misconduct of the porter employed by the defendant upon said sleeping-car. Before passing to a statement of the particular issues to be submitted to you in this cause, it is proper for me to instruct you as to the relation existing between the Pullman Car Company and jjersons occupying the sleeping-cars furnished by the defendant company for the use of the traveling public. As I construe the contract between the defendant and the Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul Railway Company, the Pullman Company agrees to furnish for the use of the public what are commonly known as “sleeping-cars,” which, when in use, form part of the train run by the railway company for the transportation of passengers along the line of railway. The Pullman Company, by thus furnishing cars to be used as sleeping-cars by the traveling public, does not assume towards the persons occupying such cars the relation of a common carrier. It does not undertake the duty of transporting the passenger to his destination. That duty is assumed by the railway company, and for the performance thereof the passenger must look to the company managing the railway; and the Pullman Company is not liable for injuries received by the occupants of its cars from accidents connected with the movement of the train. Nor is it responsible for the negligence or misconduct of those persons charged with the duty of operating the train of which the sleeping-cars may form part. While, however, it assumes no responsibility for the mere transportation of the persons occupying its cars, and does not occupy the re-[485]*485Intion of a common carrier to them, it nevertheless does assume certain duties ami obligations to its patrons, and becomes bound to the exercise of reasonable care in the performance thereof. The Pullman Company, by its mode of managing these sleeping-cars, represents to the traveling public that they may be occupied with reasonable safety and comfort as sleeping-cars; and, by receiving pay for the use thereof, the company agrees with its patrons that it will exercise ordinary care to secure the comfort and safety of those using the same for the purposes for which such cars are furnished. The person or persons placed in charge of such sleeping-cars by the Pullman Company is bound, as an employe of the company, to the exercise of ordinary care for the protection and comfort of persons using such car in accordance with the regulation of the company; and if such person, either through failure to exercise proper care, or by willful misconduct on his part, permits or causes injury to happen to an occupant of tin; sleeping-car placed under his charge, the Pullman Company will be liable for the damages caused thereby.

In the answer filed in this case, the defendant admits that on the 1-6th and 16th days of February, 1889, it was engaged in operating a sleeping-car on the line of the Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul Railway Company between Chicago, Ill., and Sioux City, Iowa, in connection with the regular passenger train reaching Sioux City in the morning, and admits that the plaintiff was a passenger upon the passenger train in question, and had purchased and paid for a ticket from defendant fora seat and berth in said sleeping-car belonging to defendant. There is no conflict in the testimony adduced by the parties plaintiff and defendant 1 ouehing the fact that the plaintiff was an occupant of the sleeping-car which left Chicago on the loth, and reached Sioux City on the morning of the 16th of February, 1889. It thus appears that the plaintiff was rightfully an occupant of said sleeping-car at the time named;' and, while it was being conveyed to Sioux City, the plaintiff was entitled to demand of the defendant the exercise on its part of ordinary care to secure to her the safe and comfortable use of said sleeping-car, and its conveniences, for the purpose for which said car was placed in said train. In the performance of its duty in this respect, the defendant company would be responsible for the willful misconduct, if any such there was, of its own employes placed in charge of said sleeping-car, when such misconduct was of such nature as to interfere with the safo and comfortable use of said car by the plaintiff for sleeping-car purposes.

On part of plaintiff, it is charged that the porter employed by the defendant and placed in said ear, did, in the morning of said 16th of February, 1889, between the station of Manilla and Sioux City, make an indecent assault upon plaintiff while she was occupying the berth assigned to her, — placing his bands upon her person, making indecent proposals to her, and exposing his person before her. On part of the defendant, it is denied that the porter did thus misconduct himself; that, while it is true that the porter did go to plaintiff’s- bprth, he did so for the purpose of arousing her from an uneasy sleep, and awakened her in the usual manner, and that plaintiff, not being accustomed to travel[486]*486ing upon sleeping-cars, nor to the sight of colored persons in close proximity to her, and being thus aroused, may have been rendered somewhat nervous and frightened, and has thus been led to misconstrue the action and purpose of the porter in going to her berth. If, in fact, the porter on said car did act towards the plaintiff in the manner charged by plaintiff, such conduct on his part, would unquestionably be a violation of the duty due and owing from defendant to the plaintiff'while she was an occupant of said sleeping-car. The pivotal point in the case, gentlemen, is this question of fact, which you are called upon to decide. In determining this question, you will be required to consider the credibility of the witnesses, and the weight to be given to their testimony. In considering these questions, you take into account the pecuniary or other interest, if any, which a given witness may have in the result of the case, or the absence thereof; the appearance of the witness, if brought before you ; the manner of his testifying ; his means of knowledge; and whether his testimony is corroborated, or the contrary, by the admitted or proven facts of the case. Por the purpose of attacking the credibility of witnesses, it is permitted to either party to show that a given witness has made at other times statements contradicting some material part or portions of his testimony; the proper foundation therefor being first laid. In considering impeaching testimony of this character, the jury should be careful to distinguish between such discrepancies in statements made at different times by a witness touching a given fact or transaction as may naturally arise from the usual imperfections of the human memory, and those which indicate an intention on part of a witness to prevaricate and mislead. It is only those of the latter character that have weight as matter of impeachment.

The burden of the issue is upon the plaintiff; and she must satisfy you, by a fair and reasonable preponderance of the evidence, that in fact the porter in charge of said sleeping-car was guilty of the misconduct charged against him, before she can ask a verdict in her favor at your hands.

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
42 F. 484, 1890 U.S. App. LEXIS 2191, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/campbell-v-pullman-palace-car-co-circtnia-1890.