Miller v. Illinois Cent. R.

168 F. 982, 1909 U.S. App. LEXIS 5425
CourtU.S. Circuit Court for the Northern District of Georgia
DecidedApril 10, 1909
StatusPublished
Cited by2 cases

This text of 168 F. 982 (Miller v. Illinois Cent. R.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering U.S. Circuit Court for the Northern District of Georgia primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Miller v. Illinois Cent. R., 168 F. 982, 1909 U.S. App. LEXIS 5425 (circtndga 1909).

Opinion

NEWMAN, District Judge.

In the suit brought in the state court, which was removed into the Circuit' Court by the defendant corporation, the petition or declaration is as follows:

“Georgia, Fulton ’ County.
“To the City Court of Atlanta:
"The petition of Albert Miller shows the following facts:
“(1) The defendant is the Illinois Central Railroad Company, a railroad corporation with officers, agents, and a place of business in said counts*.
[983]*983“(2) Defendant Is a foreign corporation, and is not a resident or citizen of the state of Georgia.
PhüiiUff is a citizen and resident of Tennessee.
‘•(4) Defendant has damaged petitioner in the sum of $30,000 by reason of trie following facts: [Here follows a copy in full of the act of Congress of April 22, 1008, known as the ‘Employer’s Liability Act’ (Act April 22, 3908, 35 Stat. 65. c. 149)].
"(C) On or about August 1, 1908, petitioner was in the employ of the defendant.
“(7) On said date, while in the employ of the defendant, he was injured at Dyersburg, Tenn.
“(8) 'The work in which petitioner was engaged was running a freight train, which train was running from one state into another and was engaged in interstate commerce.
‘•(9) Petitioner was employed by the defendant, a common carrier, in such commerce.
“(10) In the discharge of his duty petitioner was setting or throwing the switch at Dyersburg.
“(33) The lock on the switch was hard to handle, and it took some time to do this.
“(12) As soon as petitioner fixed the switch he turned toward the engine on which he was working, which had been a short distance from him: as petitioner turned, he found the engine right on him. The engine was backing, and. the cab was nearly passed. Petitioner grabbed at the cab, was thrown under (ho engine, and his log cut off. As petitioner saw he was falling, he halloed. The engineer paid no attention to him, and went on some .10 feet beyond him.
“(13) Defendant was negligent in that its engine advanced ioward and upon petitioner before any signal was given by petitioner, and before any signal had been given that the engine was about to advance upon him.
“(14) Defendant was negligent in failing to stop its engine after petitioner had fallen.
“(15) Petitioner, as said engine approached him, found the engine right at him. It was his duty to go with said engine, and there was an emergency upon him.
“(10) Petitioner thought 1hen, and thinks now. that he was more apt to be injured by not seeking to got upon said engine than seeking to get upon said engine.
“(17) Petitioner used all ordinary care at the time and place he could have used under the circumstances.
“(18) Petitioner’s leg was cut off just below the knee.
“(39) Petitioner was about 27 years of age, and was earning from sixty to seventy dollars per month.
“(20) Peiitioner’s capacity to work and earn money has been destroyed.
“(21) Petitioner has suffered and will always suffer great mental and physv leal pain and anguish as a result of said injury.
“(22) The grabiron or handholds on the side of the engine were insecure, unsafe, and not properly constructed.
“(23) Petitioner brings this suit under the federal statute herein set forth, and relies solely upon the same for his recovery.
“Wherefore petitioner prays that process issue to the defendant requiring it to be and appear at the next; term of this court to answer Ms complaint.”

The process attached to the declaration shows that the case was returnable to the city court of Atlanta on the 1st day of March, 1909. .On that day the defendant appeared and filed its petition for removal to the Circuit Court of the United States for (his district, properly verified, and accompanied by the bond necessary under the removal act. The petition for removal is as follows:

“Your petitioner, Illinois Central Railroad Company, appearing only for the purpose of tills application, respectfully shows to tills honorable court:
“(1) That it is defendant in this suit, which is of a civil nature, and that [984]*984the matter and amount in dispute in tliis case exceeds the value or sum oí two thousand dollars, exclusive of interest and costs.
“(2) That the cause of action on which this suit is founded arises under the laws of the United States, under an act of Congress approved April 22, 1908, the title of said act being ‘An act relating to the liability of common carriers by railroad to their employes, in certain cases.’
“(3) That this suit shows that petitioner is a common carrier engaged in interstate commerce, and that plaintiff was an employe of defendant, and above-entitled action is brought for the purpose of recovering from your petitioner the sum of ten thousand dollars damages on account of personal injuries received by plaintiff, while an employe of petitioner engaged in interstate commerce, on one of its cars.
“(4) Said complaint further shows that the determination of the liability of your petitioner to pay the damages complained of in the complaint, to wit, ten thousand dollars, depends upon the construction of the act of Congress of the United States above referred to, which act of Congress is set out in plaintiff’s petition and made part of his complaint; that the defendant, your petitioner, will and does claim that, under and in pursuance of the provisions of said act of Congress, it is not liable to plaintiff in any sum whatever.
“(B) Tour petitioner represents that the only question involved in this action arises out of and depends upon the construction to be given to the aforesaid act of Congress of the United States, and the decision of this case and of the issues arising herein between the plaintiff and the defendant depends upon the construction of the aforesaid laws of the United States as contained in the employer’s liability act of Congress; and this suit arises wholly out of a controversy between the parties in regard to the operation and effect of the laws aforesaid upon the facts involved.
“(6) Your petitioner herewith presents a good and sufficient bond, as provided by the statute in such cases, that it will, on or before the first day of the ensuing session of the United States Circuit Court for the Northern District of Georgia, file therein a transcript of the record in this action, and for the payment of all costs which may be awarded by the said court, if the said Circuit Court shall hold that this suit was wrongfully removed thereto.

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Related

Calhoun v. Central of Georgia Railway Co.
67 S.E. 274 (Court of Appeals of Georgia, 1910)
Nelson v. Southern Ry. Co.
172 F. 478 (U.S. Circuit Court for the Northern District of Georgia, 1909)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
168 F. 982, 1909 U.S. App. LEXIS 5425, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/miller-v-illinois-cent-r-circtndga-1909.