Chuck's Bar v. Wallace

1946 OK 333, 176 P.2d 484, 198 Okla. 152, 1946 Okla. LEXIS 705
CourtSupreme Court of Oklahoma
DecidedDecember 10, 1946
DocketNo. 32443
StatusPublished
Cited by7 cases

This text of 1946 OK 333 (Chuck's Bar v. Wallace) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Supreme Court of Oklahoma primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Chuck's Bar v. Wallace, 1946 OK 333, 176 P.2d 484, 198 Okla. 152, 1946 Okla. LEXIS 705 (Okla. 1946).

Opinion

WELCH J.

Calvin S. Wallace sued Chuck’s Bar, a copartnership composed of C. G. Collins and Lucille B. Collins, in the court of common pleas of Tulsa county, Okla., for damages because of injuries received from an alleged wrong-fed assault and attack upon Wallace by an alleged employee of Chuck’s Bar. Judgment was rendered on the verdict of the jury assessing damages for plaintiff, and defendant has appealed.

From the evidence it appears that plaintiff entered defendant’s place of business and therein purchased and drank beer; that a glass of beer was overturned and there ensued an argument and dispute between plaintiff and Janice Pierson, the manager of the place of business, as to whether the spilled beer should be replaced. During the argument Janice Pierson talked to her husband, Stanley Pierson, on the telephone and told him she was having trouble with a drunk. In a short time Stanley Pierson appeared on the scene and struck the plaintiff with a pistol which fired and slightly wounded and injured plaintiff.

Defendant, by verified answer filed, [153]*153denied that at the time and place Stanley Pierson was acting as agent, servant and employee of defendant and within the scope of his agency, service and employment '

In this appeal in propositions 1 and 2 defendant contends the trial court erred in overruling the demurrer of the defendant to the evidence offered by the plaintiff, and in overruling defendant’s motion for a directed verdict. The only issue of fact brought in question is the relationship of Stanley Pierson to defendant at the time and place the assault was committed.

The plaintiff testified that Mrs. Pierson was in charge of the place; that during the argument she talked on the telephone and in a short time thereafter some one hit him; that he learned later that Mrs. Pierson was talking to Stanley Pierson, who was in the basement underneath the barroom floor, and that Stanley Pierson was the person that struck him; that some time after the occurrence he talked to Stanley Pierson about the incident. That Stanley Pierson was regularly employed by defendant as a truck driver, but had at various times appeared in the barroom and had gone behind the counter and dispensed beer across the counter.

From the testimony of other witnesses it is shown that Janice Pierson was the manager and in charge of the conduct and operation of the barroom. That in the course of the argument, and disturbance created thereby, she told her husband, Stanley Pierson, to come up to the barroom; that she was having trouble with a drunk; that Stanley Pierson asked Roy Guyer to go up and “see what it is.” That Stanley Pierson and Roy Guyer were each truck driver employees of defendant; that Roy Guyer ■entered the barroom and proceeded behind the bar and became involved in the controversy; that Stanley Pierson a short time later called Mrs. Pierson by telephone and inquired if everything was quiet and was told no, that “Roy could not do nothing with him.” Stanley Pierson immediately went upstairs to the barroom and struck and shot the plaintiff.

One of the partners of the defendant partnership was questioned concerning the authority of Janice Pierson, as follows:

“Q. Was she in complete charge: She could instruct other employees what to do and when to do it? A. In that place.”

Although there was direct evidence that Roy Guyer and Stanley Pierson were employed as truck drivers of defendant, the acts and conduct of the parties in this transaction and the surrounding circumstances support an inference that when not engaged in the operation of the trucks they were authorized to ¡perform other services in the advancement of their master’s business. Clearly the preservation of order in the barroom and the ejection of intoxicated persons therefrom was a part of the defendant’s business and Janice Pierson was authorized to act, and to instruct other employees to assist, in the conduct of. business. Defendant was required by law to procure permit to engage in the business of selling beer. In the very nature of. the business, the suppression of disturbance and the eviction of a drunken person and the maintenance of order on the premises were necessary incidents or parts of the carrying on of the work and business of the defendant. The failure to maintain order or eject intoxicated persons would endanger the permit and right to operate the business. 37 Ó.S. 1941 § 162h provides that the county judge shall revoke such permit for “(1) drunkenness of the person holding such permit or permitting any intoxicated person to loiter in his place of business.”

Under the circumstances the employment of a manager to operate the business would raise the inference that the manager was authorized to suppress disturbance and eject an intoxicated person even to the calling in of other persons if necessary to accomplish the master’s business. On this subject we note the [154]*154following statement in the second paragraph of the syllabus in the case of Curran v. Dorchester Theatre Co. (Mass.) 32 N. E. 2d 690.

“Where usher who called on substitute to act in his place was authorized by defendant so to do and substitute was acting as servant or agent of defendant and within scope of his employment when he ejected boy from moving picture theater, defendant was liable for conduct of substitute, even if substitute used unnecessary force in ejecting boy.”

In Fanciullo v. B. G. & S. Theatre Corporation, 297 Mass. 44, 8 N. E. 2nd 174, in the first paragraph of the syllabus we note this language:

“Test of master’s liability for servant’s wrongful act is whether act was done in course of doing master’s work and for purpose of accomplishing it, and if so done, act is that of master, and master is responsible whether wrong done was occasioned by negligence, or by wanton and reckless purpose to accomplish master’s business in an unlawful manner.”

Although it be contended herein that Pierson was motivated by personal interest in Mrs. Pierson’s argument with plaintiff, it might also be said herein, as stated in Ridge v. J. J. Foley Cafe, Inc. (Mass.) 61 N. E. 2d 329:

“The jury, of course, could find that the bartender did assault the plaintiff, and could infer that the assault was not motivated by any private grudge. They could find that it was the result of an unduly violent attempt in the interest of the defendant. . . .”

In that case in the syllabus it was said:

“In action for damages for assault allegedly committed by bartender employed by defendant when plaintiff went to barroom to-get more liquor and money left with bartender, evidence supported verdict for plaintiff on ground that bartender acted within scope of employment in assaulting plaintiff.”

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Bluebook (online)
1946 OK 333, 176 P.2d 484, 198 Okla. 152, 1946 Okla. LEXIS 705, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/chucks-bar-v-wallace-okla-1946.