Coal Belt Electric Railway Co. v. Young

126 Ill. App. 651, 1906 Ill. App. LEXIS 554
CourtAppellate Court of Illinois
DecidedMarch 22, 1906
StatusPublished
Cited by1 cases

This text of 126 Ill. App. 651 (Coal Belt Electric Railway Co. v. Young) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Appellate Court of Illinois primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Coal Belt Electric Railway Co. v. Young, 126 Ill. App. 651, 1906 Ill. App. LEXIS 554 (Ill. Ct. App. 1906).

Opinion

Mr. Justice Creighton

delivered the opinion of the court.

This was an action in case in the Circuit Court of Williamson County, by appellee against appellant, to recover for an assault and battery inflicted upon appellee by one of the servants of appellant, while appellant and appellee ■ sustained to each other the relation of common carrier and passenger. Trial by jury. Verdict and judgment in favor of appellee for the sum of $500.

Appellant operated a line of electric railway in Williamson County, having among other stations, one at Marion and one three and one-half miles northwest of Marion, called Electric Park. At the latter place appellant maintained in connection with its railway business a pleasure park, in which was conducted a summer theatre. In some way and to some extent not fully disclosed by the evidence, this summer theatre was also under control of appellant as a means of attracting passengers over its railway, from Marion and other points along its line to the park. The general business of appellant in connection with the operation of its cars and the management of its park and appurtenances was under the control of a general superintendent who had plenary power. This superintendent emploj'ed one Thomas F. Waters to assist him at the park. The whole duty of Waters was to obey the orders of the superintendent, and that he might with greater efficiency serve appellant, the superintendent procured the sheriff of Williamson county to commission him as a deputy sheriff. He was not in the public service as á deputy sheriff, but in the private service of appellant, wholly paid by appellant and under appellant’s control.

Appellee was a well known and highly honored and respected citizen of Williamson county, where he had resided all his life, and was sixty years old. The evidence clearly tends to prove that on the evening of June 30, 1905, appellee attended the theatre at appellant’s park and after the performance was over, as he was in the act of getting on one of appellant’s cars to return to his home in Marion, without any kind of notice or warning and without any just cause, lawful excuse or reasonable provocation, he was violently seized.by Waters and thrown backwards, falling on his back upon an embankment four or five feet away, whereby he was jarred and stunned and somewhat injured-in his knee joints and ankles for two or three days; his clothes were ruffled and soiled, and he suffered the humiliation and indignity consequent upon such assault, under such circumstances. There is almost no controversy as to the facts of the case up to this point.

It is contended by counsel for appellant that the evidence fails to show that Waters was acting within the scope or apparent scope of his employment. We think this position not well taken. The evidence shows that appellant’s general superintendent who had charge not only of its transportation business, but of its park and of whatever interest. it had in the theatre, had employed Waters, and that it was the duty of Waters to “ follow orders.” So far as this record discloses, the full measure of his duties was to obey and carry out any and all orders given him by the superintendent.

The further circumstances attending the assault,, as claimed by appellant, are, that about the time the theatrical performance closed, a Mr. Lincoln, who was manager of the theatre, was about to board the car and leave the park without paying the piano player $2.50 which he owed her; that the general superintendent was present and ordered Waters to arrest Lincoln and not let him get on the car until he paid the piano player; that Lincoln and appellee were near together, but appellee was between Waters and Lincoln and Lincoln had reached the car steps; that 'as they approached the car steps appellee was still between Waters and Lincoln and in order to catch Lincoln before he would get into the car, Waters seized appellee and threw him as above stated. Waters testified : “ I was mad when I threw Judge Young on the ground there; threw him with enough force to get him out of the way. * * * I didn’t look back to see what became of him. * * * Didn’t say a word to Judge Young before I grabbed him by the arms and threw him to the ground. * * * At the time I grabbed Judge Young I was acting on the orders of Mr. A per (the general superintendent) who had ordered and directed me to do that (to arrest Lincoln), and was there on the car. * * * I had to throw him out of the way,” to get Lincoln. This tort was committed by the servant while in the act of carrying out his master’s orders, and as a means thereunto. It was clearly within the scope of his employment.

Counsel further contend that it was not within the apparent scope of the employment of the general superintendent to order Waters to arrest Lincoln, and for that reason appellant is not responsible for the consequences therefrom. The general superintendent had full control over appellant’s transportation facilities and passenger business, as well as over its park and its appurtenances. Appellee was at the time on appellant’s premises in the act of boarding its car to be carried to his home; he was in law, at the time,'a passenger. Any act or order- of this general superintendent that might directly affect the comfort or safety of a passenger would be within the apparent scope of his employment.

Counsel for appellant place the principal stress of this appeal upon the alleged errors of the trial court in the giving of the sixth arid seventh instructions on behalf of appellee, and the refusal to give the third and eighth instructions asked on behalf of appellant. These instructions all relate ■ to the question of exemplary damages: the contention of counsel being that the evidence in this case does not warrant the assessment of exemplary damages, and that the submission of that question to the jury was error. In support of their contention counsel cite Hawk v. Ridgway, 33 Ill. 473; Farwell v. Warren, 51 Ill. 467; T., P. & W. R. R. Co. v. Patterson, 63 Ill. 304, and Holmes v. Holmes, 64 Ill. 294.

In Hawkes v. Ridgway, the court says: “Where the wrong is wanton, or is wilful, the jury are authorized to give an amount of damages beyond the actual injury sustained, as a punishment, and to preserve the public tranquillity” (exemplary damages). And in that case the court also says: “Where the wrong-doer acts in good faith, with honest intentions, and with prudence and proper caution * * * exemplary damages are improper.” In Far well v. Warren, the court says: “It is not necessary, to warrant a finding of exemplary damages, that express malice should be proved. If it appears that a party has acted with a wanton, wilful or reckless disregard of the rights of the plaintiff, malice would be inferred. All persons are presumed to know the law, and when they take the law into their own hands, and invade the rights of another, it is evidence of what might be regarded general malice. It is not necessary that a pique or grudge against the injured party should be shown.” There is nothing in the other two cases cited that in the least modifies or changes the rule as laid down in the two cases here quoted from.

Tested by these authorities there can be no doubt as to the propriety of submitting the question of exemplary damages to the jury in this case. The whole transaction on the part of the superintendent and Waters was lawless and in utter disregard of the rights of others.

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Bluebook (online)
126 Ill. App. 651, 1906 Ill. App. LEXIS 554, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/coal-belt-electric-railway-co-v-young-illappct-1906.