Healey v. City Passenger Railroad

28 Ohio St. (N.S.) 23
CourtOhio Supreme Court
DecidedDecember 15, 1875
StatusPublished

This text of 28 Ohio St. (N.S.) 23 (Healey v. City Passenger Railroad) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Ohio Supreme Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Healey v. City Passenger Railroad, 28 Ohio St. (N.S.) 23 (Ohio 1875).

Opinion

Johnson, J.

This action is brought by the plaintiff, to recover damages, alleged to have been caused by the want of proper care and skill of the agents and servants of the defendant, a company owning and opei’ating a street railroad in Cincinnati. It is averred that the plaintiff was a [25]*25passenger to be carried from Fifth street near Yine to the corner of Fourth and Main streets, for a certain hire or reward, and while being so carried, the defendant, by its servants and agents, so carelessly, negligently, and unskillfully conducted the running of the car, that, without fault •on his part, the plai ntiff was thrown from the car to the ground, and the wheels of the car ran over and injured him.

The answer denies all the allegations of the petition, except that the defendant is an incorporated company, and the owner of the railroad.

The case was tried to a jury at special term, and verdict rendered for defendant. On motion for a new trial, which was overruled, a bill of exceptions was taken, and the case went to the general term on error, when the judgment was affirmed.

Did the superior court err in affirming this judgment? The bill of exceptions shows several errors were relied on below, part only of which need be noticed.

The plaintiff, to maintain the issue on his part, offered evidence tending to show that the plaintiff was twelve years old, and was, at the time engaged in selling newspapers .along the streets of Cincinnati; that it was customary for the newsboys to get on the ears to sell papers, and ride free of charge; that on the morning when this injury happened, he had got on the front platform of a car going east along Fifth street, and was about to enter the car, when the driver demanded his fare; that plaintiff told him he had none; that the driver then ordered him off, and then shoved or threw him off, while the horses were going in a trot, and the wheels passed over him and caused the injuries complained of.

The defendant’s evidence tended to show that the driver did not demand fare of the plaintiff, or throw or shove him off; that the boy got on the front platform where there was no one but the driver, went to the door and called. “ papers,” then returned to the steps, suspended himself by the iron rod, and in some way unknown to the driver, while he was engaged in driving, and without his fault, [26]*26the boy fell off and was run over, before it was known by the driver, or the conductor, who was on the rear platform,, and that they knew nothing of the boy’s presence until after he was hurt.

Counsel for plaintiff requested the following charges to the jury:

“ If the jury believe, from the testimony, that the plaintiff, James Healey, got upon the street car of the defendant for the purpose of selling newspapers, and after he was on the front platform of the car where the driver was, and was about to enter the car without paying his fare, and that the-car driver used excessive force and violence to put him off the car, or throw him off while the car was in motion, in such case the defendant would be liable for an injury to the-plaintiff' which was the result of such force and violence.”

The court overruled and refused to give the said instruction as written to the jury, tó which overruling and refusal the plaintiff made his exception.

The court qualified said instruction, and gave the same to the jury, as follows :

“ If the jury believe, from the testimony, that the plaintiff, James Healey, got upon the street car of tbe defendant for the purpose of selling newspapers, and after he was on the front platform of the car where the driver was, and was about to enter the car without paying his fare, and that the car driver used excessive force and violence-to push him off the car, for that reason, or threw him off while the-car was in motion, in such case the defendant would be liable for an injury to the plaintiff which was the result of such force and violence, provided the collection of the fare by the driver was part of his duty.”

' To which qualification, by adding the words “ for that reason,” after the word “ car,” and the words provided the collection of fare by the driver was part of his duty,” at the close of the charge, the plaintiff' made his exception, and excepted to the charge as given.

Plaintiff' further prayed the court to instruct the jury as follows:

[27]*27“If the jury find from the testimony that the ear driver had no right to demand the fare, yet from a wrong judgment on his part, he thought he had the right to demand fare from those on the front platform, and they fui’ther find from the testimony that he did demand the fare from James Healey, who refused, and then, without stopping the car, threw him off, and the injury complained of resulted therefrom; in such case the defendant would be held liable.for the injury caused to plaintiff by such act of the driver of the car,” which the court overruled and refused, and the plaintiff’ thereupon made his exception to the overruling' and refusing by the court to give said instruction to said jury.

The plaintiff further prayed the court to instruct the said jury as follows :

“ That the employment of a driver of a street car, when he occupies the front platform, and the conductor of the car occupies the rear platform, implies that the driver has-an authority over the persons who are found on his platform at the front of the ear, and his master would be liable-for any injury to them caused by his wrongful act, default, or carelessness, provided the persons injured were not equally in fault;” which instruction the court overruled and refused to give, as asked, to which overruling and refusing the plaintiff made his exception. Thereupon the-court qualified said instruction, and gave the same to the-.jury, as follows:
“ That the employment of a driver of a street car, where he occupies the front platform, and the conductor of the car occupies the rear platform, implies that the driver has an authority over the persons who are found on his platform at the front of the car, so far as the purposes of his employment are to be effected, and his master would be-liable for any injury to them caused by his wrongful act, default, or carelessness, provided the person injured were not equally in fault, and provided such wrongful act, default, or carelessness, occurs in the course and within the-scope of his employment; ” to which qualifications, by add[28]*28ing the words “ so far as the purposes of his employment are to be effected,” after the word car, and the words, “and provided such wrongful act, default, or carelessness, occurs in the course and within the scope of his employment,” at the close of said charge, the plaintiff' made his exception, and excepted to the said charge as given.

It is now well settled that, to make the master responsible for the act of the servant, it must be an act done in the course of his employment; that is, under the express or implied authority of his master; and thát, beyond the scope of such authority, the servant is as much a stranger to his master as any third person, and the act of the servant, not •done in the execution of the service for which he was engaged, can not be regarded as the act of the master.

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Related

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
28 Ohio St. (N.S.) 23, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/healey-v-city-passenger-railroad-ohio-1875.