Massachusetts Bonding & Insurance v. State ex rel. Gary

131 N.E. 398, 191 Ind. 595, 1921 Ind. LEXIS 65
CourtIndiana Supreme Court
DecidedMay 31, 1921
DocketNo. 23,974
StatusPublished
Cited by13 cases

This text of 131 N.E. 398 (Massachusetts Bonding & Insurance v. State ex rel. Gary) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Indiana Supreme Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Massachusetts Bonding & Insurance v. State ex rel. Gary, 131 N.E. 398, 191 Ind. 595, 1921 Ind. LEXIS 65 (Ind. 1921).

Opinion

Myers, J.

This was an action on a retail liquor license bond by the State of Indiana upon the relation of appellees, the widow and children of William T. Gary, deceased, against appellants to recover damages for loss of support.

It appears from the first paragraph of the complaint that appellant, Alvin Booker, was duly licensed and engaged in the sale of intoxicating liquor at White Rose in Greene county; that he executed the usual retailer’s liquor bond with appellant, The Massachusetts Bonding and Insurance Company as surety thereon; that on January 13, 1914, Booker unlawfully sold intoxicating liquor to Gary who was then and there, as Booker well knew, in a state of intoxication, and who, on drinking this liquor, became crazed and unconscious of his surroundings, and while in this condition, to the knowledge of Booker, he attempted to walk home and in so doing wandered upon the railroad tracks of the Vandalia Railroad Company where he was struck by one of its trains and killed.

The second paragraph states substantially the same [598]*598facts as the first, except that it alleges that the unlawful sale was made by Booker’s bartender and agent.

By a demurrer to each paragraph of the complaint, it was urged that plaintiffs. had no legal capacity to maintain this action, and that neither paragraph, separately considered, stated facts sufficient to constitute a cause of action. Answer in denial, trial, verdict and judgment on the verdict for $3,500. The overruling of the demurrer to each paragraph of the complaint and the overruling of appellants’ motion for a new trial, are the only errors assigned.

1. As shown by the complaint, the bond in this case was payable to the State of Indiana and was given in compliance with §4, Acts 1911 p. 244, §8323g Burns 1914. As to appellants’ first ground of demurrer, it is sufficient to say that this action was properly brought in the name of the State of Indiana on the relation of the persons who sustained the damage. §253 Burns 1914, §253 R. S. 1881; Wall v. State, ex rel. (1894), 10 Ind. App. 530, 38 N. E. 190; State, ex rel. v. Soale, Admr. (1905), 36 Ind. App. 73, 74 N. E. 1111.

2. The allegations of the complaint show that the sales made to the husband and father of appellees were in violation of §573, Acts 1905 p. 584, §2484 Burns 1914. The first paragraph of the complaint charged Booker, and the second, Booker by his bartender and agent with the violation of a positive law in knowingly selling to Gary intoxicating liquor while he was' in a state of intoxication. As required by §4, supra, the bond given by Booker was made payable to the State of Indiana and conditioned “for the payment of all judgments or civil damages growing out of unlawful sales of intoxicating liquor or other unlawful conduct on his (Booker’s) part in and about said business.” Appellees, the widow and children of the deceased, as dependents and in the consideration of damages, were [599]*599parties interested (§253, swpra) in the death of Gary-alleged to have been caused by the unlawful sales of liquor to him by Booker, and as “every action must be prosecuted in the name of the real party in interest, except as otherwise provided,” (§251 Burns 1914, §251 R. S. 1881), we hold that the action for damages, as set forth in the complaint herein, was authorized by law, and that the complaint and each paragraph thereof was otherwise sufficient to repel the demurrer for want of facts. Beem v. Chestnut (1889), 120 Ind. 390, 22 N. E. 303; Homire v. Halfman (1901), 156 Ind. 470, 60 N. E. 154; State, ex rel., v. Terheide (1906), 166 Ind. 689, 78 N. E. 195; Greener v. Niehaus (1909), 44 Ind. App. 674, 89 N. E. 377.

The only specifications in the motion for a new trial relied on by appellants for a reversal of the judgment, as appears from their brief under the heading of “Points and Authorities,” require us to consider instructions Nos. 2 and 3 given by the court at the request of plaintiffs; instruction No. 7 given by the court on its own motion; the court’s refusal to give Instruction No. 10 requested by the bonding company; and the admission in evidence over appellants’ objection copies of certain records and other instruments as certified by the auditor of Greene county.

The record affirmatively shows that instruction No. 10 was given by the court. In fact, all of the instructions, eighteen in number, tendered by and on behalf of the bonding company, were given by the court except instruction No. 13. The questions discussed, with reference to the asserted objectionable instructions, pertain to the theory of the defense which was, that prior to the alleged sale of intoxicating liquor, Booker had sold his saloon including his stock of liquors, furniture and fixtures to one Callahan who had taken possession of the same and was running it on his own account, and [600]*600that Booker, at the time the liquor was sold to Gary, had no interest or connection with the business whatever. To that contention appellees insist that under the evidence the jury was clearly authorized to find that such pretended sale by Booker to Callahan was a mere sham, and that in fact no sale was consummated until some time after the illegal sales charged in the complaint were made.

It appears from the undisputed testimony of Booker, that prior to the alleged unlawful sales of liquor to Gary, he agreed to and did sell his stock of liquors, his furniture and fixtures to Callahan; that he turned over to Callahan the keys to the building and put him in possession of the place described in his license, knowing that Callahan intended to continue the saloon business at that place. There was evidence also tending to show that as a part of the bargain Booker agreed to transfer his license to Callahan, which was eventually done in the manner prescribed by statute, but not until after the death of Gary. There was also evidence from which the jury might properly have inferred an agreement between Booker and Callahan that the latter should operate the place as Booker’s agent and under Booker’s license until such license could be legally transferred to Callahan. That Booker frequently waited on customers from the time of the claimed property sale until the day of the alleged unlawful sale of liquor, and that one Hudson was Booker’s bartender prior to the asserted sale to Callahan, and thereafter continued in the business as bartender and sold the liquor to Gary.

As pertinent to the facts and the evidence from which the inferences mentioned might readily have been drawn, the court by instruction No. 2 charged the jury, in effect, that if the place was conducted as a saloon by Callahan under Booker’s license, and prior to the transfer thereof, with the full knowledge, permission, con[601]*601sent and acquiescence of Booker, then there was not such a sale and transfer of the saloon business as would relieve Booker from liability on his' bond. And by instruction No. 3, in so far as the same is material to any question raised, the jury, in effect, were told that if from the evidence it appears that through an intended sale the business was to be transferred to Callahan, but that no proceedings were had before the.

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Bluebook (online)
131 N.E. 398, 191 Ind. 595, 1921 Ind. LEXIS 65, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/massachusetts-bonding-insurance-v-state-ex-rel-gary-ind-1921.