Mansell v. Western Union Telegraph Co.

182 S.W. 1178, 1916 Tex. App. LEXIS 85
CourtCourt of Appeals of Texas
DecidedFebruary 10, 1916
DocketNo. 524.
StatusPublished

This text of 182 S.W. 1178 (Mansell v. Western Union Telegraph Co.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Appeals of Texas primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Mansell v. Western Union Telegraph Co., 182 S.W. 1178, 1916 Tex. App. LEXIS 85 (Tex. Ct. App. 1916).

Opinion

WALTHALL, J.

This is a suit by appellant against appellee for $3,000 damages alleged to have been sustained by reason of its failure to promptly deliver a message sent from Cumberland, Md., by appellant’s sister, addressed to appellant, notifying him of the serious illness of appellant’s brother and requesting him to come at once and not delay. The message was received at appellee’s office at Cumberland, Md., on the 2d day of June, 1913, and was forwarded by appellee to its El Paso, Tex., office on the same day at 7:41 o’clock p. m. The message was addressed to Walter Mansell. When the message reached appellee’s El Paso office, it was placed in an envelope, sealed, and addressed to Walter Marshall, care El Paso & Southwestern Shops, El Paso. By reason of the change in the name of the addressee, the delivery of the message was not made until the next day at 1 o’clock, June 3d. If the message had been promptly delivered, appellant could and would have left El Paso in time to have reached Cumberland, Md., before his brother’s funeral and burial. The damages sued for are alleged to have been sustained in consequence of the disappointment, grief, and mental anguish suffered by reason thereof. Appellant alleged that the act of appellee in changing the name of the addressee from Mansell to Marshall, and thereby causing the delay in the delivery of the message, was gross negligence on the part of appellee and its employés.

Appellee answered denying that it was guilty of gross negligence, alleged that it exercised ordinary care, admitted that it had made the mistake of writing the name Marshall on the envelope inclosing the message, instead of the name Mansell, traversed the facts alleged in the petition, and pleaded the laws of Maryland, and alleged that under said laws appellant is not entitled to recover damages by reason and in consequence of having suffered disappointment, grief, and mental anguish, as mental anguish unaccompanied by physical injuries are not recoverable under the laws of Maryland, which govern in this case. Appellee further alleged in its answer that the message was an interstate message, and the recovery of appellant is governed by the laws of the United States, under which no recovery can be had for mental anguish unaccompanied by physical injuries. We think we need not more fully state the issues. The case was submitted to the jury on special issues. The jury found that the telegram was not delivered with dispatch; that Mansell was prevented from attending the funeral, but that the failure to promptly deliver the message was not the proximate cause; that Mansell suffered great disappointment, grief, and mental anguish caused by his being prevented from attending the funeral; that no sum of money would reasonably compensate Mansell for the mental *1179 anguish suffered and assessed no damages; that, if the message had been delivered with reasonable dispatch, Mansell could and would have been present at the funeral. Judgment was rendered for appellee.

Appellant presents three assignments of error; the first, to the admission in evidence of that portion of a time-table of the El Paso & Southwestern Railroad Company, purporting to give schedules of all trains between El Paso, Tex., and Chicago,' up to the 1st of March, 1913, without evidence to prove that same was a correct time-table, or that trains ran in accordance therewith. The second assignment complains of the introduction in evidence of portions of a time-table relating to the schedule of trains between El Paso and Chicago and between Chicago and Cumberland, Md., by interrogating appellant as to the contents of said time-table. The third assignment questions the ruling of the court in overruling appellant’s motion for a new trial, the ground in the motion being newly discovered evidence of a corrected folder and time card of the El Paso & Southwestern Railway Company, showing that the folder introduced by appellee was not in force in June, 1913, at the time represented in the folder introduced.

Witness H. D. McGregor testified that he was city ticket agent for the El Paso & Southwestern Railway Company, and had been for eight years. In reference to the morning train in June, 1913, continuing on to Chicago, it was his recollection that the train was taken off from Tucumcari about that time. The next train after the morning train would be the Golden State Limited. Was familiar with the railroads running out of El Paso to the east and the connections they make between El Paso and Cumberland, Md. The most direct route is the El Paso & Southwestern and Rock Island through to Chicago. They have- the fastest trains and make the quickest time. The time-table, as to the “Golden State Limited” and “Californian,” was the correct time-table for said road even as to June, 1913; that had Mansell left El Paso on June 3d on the “Californian” which left El Paso at 5:25 p. m., he would have arrived in Chicago at 4:50 p. m., on June 5, 1913. Then if the train from Chicago to Cumberland left at 5 or 6 o’clock in the afternoon and got to Cumberland about 6 or 7 o’clock the next morning, it would be imma-’ terial whether Mansell took the Golden State Limited or the Californian, according to the time-table. The Baltimore & Ohio, according to the time-table, left Chicago at 5:45 in the afternoon. If Mansell went on the Californian, he would have, practically, one hour’s time at Chicago. Witness could not say whether any other trains were changed in the schedule except the train that was laid off; but his recollection was that was the only one; no changes were made in the summer time; just whenever it was necessary. Witness’ testimony about the trains from Chicago to Cumberland are based on the time-table. The same train is running now, and witness did not think it had been changed in several years. Knew the time only by the time-table. “This time-table is the schedule tendered us for our folder, for our use. It was tendered to us by the Baltimore & Ohio Railway Company.”

The plaintiff testified that he did not leave El Paso on June 3d on the 5:25 p. m. train, but did leave about 7:45 o’clock the next morning on the Golden State Limited. Reached Chicago on the morning of the 6th between 10 and 11 o’clock. Left Chicago about 6 o’clock that afternoon, and reached Cumberland about 7 o’clock on the morning of the 7th. 1-Iis brother’s remains were put in the ground about 9 o’clock on the day he arrived. There is nothing in the record to show why he did not leave El Paso on the 5:25 o’clock p. m. train.

[1] It having been shown by the uncontradicted evidence that the time-table admitted in evidence was issued by the El Paso & Southwestern Railway Company to the public for guidance with respect to its trains and was in force on June 3, 1913, its admission was not error. Western Union Tel. Co. v. O’Fiel, 47 Tex. Civ. App. 40, 104 S. W. 406.

[2] The facts stated in appellant’s second assignment do not seem to be fully- sustained by the bills of exception; but, however that may be, the witness McGregor had testified to about the same facts, without objection, and under Galveston, Harrisburg & San Antonio Ry. Co. v. Norton, 55 Tex. Civ. App 478, 119 S. W. 702, and Galveston City Ry. Co. v. Chapman, 35 Tex. Civ. App. 551, 80 SW. 856, the evidence, if objectionable, would not be reversible error.

[3]

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Related

Western Union Telegraph Co. v. O'Fiel
104 S.W. 406 (Court of Appeals of Texas, 1907)
Galveston, Harrisburg & San Antonio Railway Co. v. Norton
119 S.W. 702 (Court of Appeals of Texas, 1909)
Galveston City Railway Co. v. Chapman
80 S.W. 856 (Court of Appeals of Texas, 1904)

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Bluebook (online)
182 S.W. 1178, 1916 Tex. App. LEXIS 85, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/mansell-v-western-union-telegraph-co-texapp-1916.