Gibson v. St. Louis Agricultural & Mechanical Ass'n

33 Mo. App. 165, 1888 Mo. App. LEXIS 456
CourtMissouri Court of Appeals
DecidedDecember 11, 1888
StatusPublished
Cited by4 cases

This text of 33 Mo. App. 165 (Gibson v. St. Louis Agricultural & Mechanical Ass'n) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Missouri Court of Appeals primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Gibson v. St. Louis Agricultural & Mechanical Ass'n, 33 Mo. App. 165, 1888 Mo. App. LEXIS 456 (Mo. Ct. App. 1888).

Opinion

Thompson, J.,

delivered the opinion of the court.

In this case we adopt the appellant’s statement as follows :

This was an action for damages. The petition upon which the case was tried states the causes of action as follows:

1. Plaintiff states that defendant is a corporation duly created and existing under the laws of the state of Missouri, and having its principal offices and place of business in the city of St. Louis in said state.

Plaintiff further states that on the second day of October, 1887, plaintiff being then lawfully upon the [168]*168grounds of the said defendant corporation, commonly-known as the St. Louis Fair Grounds, situated in the said city of St. Louis, said defendant without any reasonable cause, and without any right or authority so to do, and against the will of plaintiff, caused plaintiff to be arrested by a police officer of the said city of St. Louis, and to be taken into custody by said officer and forced and compelled plaintiff, against his will as aforesaid, and in custody as aforesaid, to go to the office of the president of said corporation upon said grounds. That after being so taken to said office, plaintiff was by the direction of the officers and agents of defendant, without reasonable cause on the part of defendant, and against his will as aforesaid, by said officer ejected from said grounds. That by reason of the acts aforesaid plaintiff was wrongfully restrained of his liberty and imprisoned, and was thereby prevented from attending to his business and suffered great indignity, to his damage in the sum of one thousand dollars, for which with costs he asks judgment.

2. Plaintiff for a second and further cause of action states that on the second day of October, 1887, defendant, through its agents and servants, wantonly cut, broke, mutilated and destroyed certain property belonging to plaintiff, of the aggregate value of seventy-five dollars, and then being on certain grounds of the said defendant commonly known as the St. Louis Fair Grounds in the said city of St. Louis and consisting of wooden tables, hammer, paper bags, sugar, lemons, cakes and soda water, whereby said property was rendered worthless to plaintiff, to his damage in the sum of seventy-five dollars, for which sum with costs plaintiff asks judgment.

The answer contained a general denial and also an affirmative defense, which for the purpose of this appeal it is unnecessary to set out in full.

Plaintiff testified in his own behalf. The material portions of his testimony are as follows :

[169]*169That there was a public sale of booths in September, 1887, for the annual fair of that year '; that he attended that sale ; that Mr. Oreen, president of the defendant, was present; that a man in the crowd asked Mr. Oreen if the sale of privileges this year would be extended to the purchasers of booths as in years previous, and Mr. Oreen said that the same privileges would be extended; that it had been customary for years previous to give booth-holders the privilege to occupy a plot of ground in front of their booths extending from the gutter which runs around the outer circle of the amphitheatre for a distance of sixteen feet outwardly to the nearest trees for the purpose of selling and serving refreshments, and that when Mr. Gfreen used the words “ outside privileges ” it was understood to refer to the use of such a plot of ground; that he, plaintiff, did not make a bid for any booth himself, but that after the public sale was over he went to a Mrs. Donahoe, the purchaser of booth No. 15, and that he “purchased this piece of ground measuring sixteen feet square.”

Q. Well, state to the jury from whom you purchased it and what you paid for it ? A. I paid Mrs. Donahoe twenty dollars for it.

Q. Mr. Gribson, state what, if anything you obtained from Mrs. Donahoe after paying hei the twenty dollars as you have stated ? A. What did I get from her ?

Q. Yes, sir. A. I got a receipt for my money with a ticket of admittance.

Q. Well, examine first the paper I hand you and state if you can identify it, if so, what it is ? A. That is her handwriting ; that is their signatures.

Q. Whose signatures? A. Mrs. Donahoe and John Donahoe.

Q. Who was John Donahoe? A. Mrs. Donahoe’s husband.
Q. He was the lady’s husband? A. Yes, sir.

[170]*170Q. Will you look at this and see if you can identify that ? A.' Book 160 is the number of it, St. Louis Fair.

Q. Don’t read it; I ask you what it is V A. It is the book that Mrs. Donahoe gave me that she got from the Association.

Mr. Smith : If the court please, I offer this receipt in evidence. The receipt is: “St, Louis, Mo., September 24th, 1887. Sold for the sum of twenty dollars to F. B. Gibson the outside privilege of booth No. 15 of the St. Louis Fair for 1887 with-one ticket of admittance. Received payment in full. Mrs. Donahoe, John Donahoe.”

The book of tickets is endorsed on the outside, “St. Louis Fair Privilege ticket, account of booth 15. Rolla Wells, treasurer. No. 160.” ‘

I will read one of the tickets, “ St. Louis Fair 1887. Good for this day only. Not good if detached by other than the T. K. T. — Ticket Collector.” Then printed on the back — “A transfer of these tickets will cause a forfeiture of the same.”

That after making these arrangements with Mrs. Donahoe, he proceeded to place some tables on the plot of 'ground opposite booth 15; also purchased supplies for the sale of lemonade, soda water and cakes; used the booth-tickets to gain admission to the grounds, and began business on the first day of the fair, whereupon the superintendent of the fair notified him that he could not be allowed to occupy the space where he had located; that it was against the rules to occupy that space, and that he must move away-; that plaintiff expostulated with the superintendent; that the latter was definite and peremptory about it, but plaintiff still declined to move ; that thereupon the superintendent went off and returned with a policeman, and notified plaintiff that President Green’s orders were to arrest the plaintiff if he would not vacate the premises ; that [171]*171plaintiff still declined to move; that,, thereupon, a sergeant of police took plaintiff to President Green’s office, in the fair grounds, and that Mr. Green requested the sergeant to put plaintiff out of the grounds, which was done; that plaintiff, thereupon, immediately purchased a ticket of admission and returned into the grounds in time to see his tables broken up and removed, and his cakes and other supplies thrown upon the ground, where they were spoiled by a rain-storm which happened shortly thereafter; that he had about forty dollars’ worth of cakes, two dollars’ worth of sugar, five dollars’ worth of raspberry. syrups, and about two dollars’ worth of paper bags ; also a hammer worth seventy-five cents, one dollar’s worth of lemons, ninety cents’ worth of canvas, and that the tables were worth $7.50, and that he lost all of these articles.

Plaintiff made no effort to remove his goods or to save them from injury, but allowed them to remain upon the ground. There was no evidence of violence in removing plaintiff from the grounds. Plaintiff was simply led away.

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Bluebook (online)
33 Mo. App. 165, 1888 Mo. App. LEXIS 456, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/gibson-v-st-louis-agricultural-mechanical-assn-moctapp-1888.