Palmer v. Schurz

117 N.W. 150, 22 S.D. 283, 1908 S.D. LEXIS 71
CourtSouth Dakota Supreme Court
DecidedJune 24, 1908
StatusPublished
Cited by12 cases

This text of 117 N.W. 150 (Palmer v. Schurz) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering South Dakota Supreme Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Palmer v. Schurz, 117 N.W. 150, 22 S.D. 283, 1908 S.D. LEXIS 71 (S.D. 1908).

Opinion

CORSON, J.

This is an action by the plaintiff as widow of Henry C. Palmer, deceased, on a bond executed by the defendant Conrad Schurz, as principal, and the Western Surety Company, as surety, to recover on ¡behalf of herself and minor children damages 'for the loss of support caused by the ,death of her said husband. The action was 'tried to a jury, and verdict and judgment being in favor of the plaintiff, the defendants have appealed.

It is alleged in the complaint, in substance, that the plaintiff is the widow of said Plenry C. Palmer, deceased; that she and her sai|d husband, Henry C. Palmer, were married in 1894, and resided ¡in this state as husband and wife until July 17, 1905, when her said husband committed suicide; that there were born to the plaintiff and her said husband six children, the oldest of which was 12 years of age; that all of said children resided and made their home with the plaintiff and her husband until the latter’s death, •and that at all the time after the marriage ¡of plaintiff her husband provided her and her children with the necessaries of life and support, and was their ¡only means of support prior to his death; that by his dqath they were deprived of their means of support, and that the support of each and all of said children since the death of her said husband ibas devolved upon her; that on the 17th day of July, 1905, and prior ¡thereto, the said defendant Conrad Schurz was a licensed retail liquor dealer carrying on said business in Davison county in ¡this state; that for the purpose of such business on or about the 23d day ¡of June, 1905, he, as principal, and [286]*286the' defendant Western Surety Company, as surety, executed and delivered to the state of South 'Dakota a licensed liquor dealer’s bond as required by statute, a copy ,of which is annexed, and made a part thereof; that the fifth and sixth paragraphs of the complaint are ,as follows: “That on and prior to the 15th day of July last, -the said Henry C. Palmer was addicted to the use of intoxicating liquors and in the habit of getting intoxicated, and during such time and on such date, or thereabouts, was intoxicated, and while so intoxicated, pud in the habit of • getting intoxicated, the defendant ,C'onrad Schurz, directly and indirectly, by himself, his clerks, agents and servants, did sell, furnish, give and deliver to the said Plenry C. Palmer, spirituous and intoxicating liquors to' be used by the said Palmer as a beverage, and the same vveie so used by him in the place of business of the said Conrad Schurz at Ethan and elsewhere, and by reason of the use of such liquors the said Palmer became intoxicated, and continued in a state of intoxication up to the time of his death, and his mind gave way and he became impaired (and despondent, and did, on the 17th of said month, while in such condition, induced and caused by the use of such intoxicating liquors, so sold and delivered to him b}f the said Schurz, take his own life; that by reason of the death of said Palmer tire plaintiff arid her said minor children have been left without means of support other than (that obtained by the personal exertions of the .plaintiff, and by reason of the facts hereinbefore set forth the plaintiff has been damaged in the sum of $2,000.' no part of which has been paid and all of which is now due. Wherefore, the plaintiff demands judgment against the said defendants jointly and severally for the sum of two thousand dollars ($2,000.), together with the costs and disbursements of this action.”

Upon the case being called for trial the defendants objected to the admission of any evidence under the complaint, for the reason that it does not state a cause of action, in that it is (not alleged in the complaint that the defendant Schurz ¡or luis- agents, servants, or employees sold to said Henry C. Palmer intoxicating liquors when he was intoxicated on or about the time the act complained of Was iconimitted; that it is nowhere alleged in said complaint that said' Palmer Was under the influence of liquor at the [287]*287time lie committed suicide; that the said chapter of the Code under which this action is brought' is unconstitutional, in <that it does not contain any title and the act itself contains more (than one subject; that the bond set forth upon- which the action is based is not such a (bond as is contemplated by the statute or that -the same w'as approved by the county commissioners of filed with the county auditor, and that it does not appear from said complaint that the defendants were ever forbidden in writing to «sell liquor to the said Henry C. Palmer or that the defendant was ever notified in writing that said Palmer was in the habit of getting intoxicated. These objections were overruled by the court, and its ruling in our opinion was correct.

The first objection is not tenable, for the reason that it is alleged in the complaint that the defendant Schu-rz sold said Palmer liquor on July 15th and during the week prior thereto^ when he was intoxicated, and that “he continued in a -state of intoxication up to the time of his death,” and that he committed suicide on July 17th.

The second objection is untenable for the reason that section 2849, R-ev- P°l- Code, .under which this action was instituted, provides : “On the trial of any suit under the provisions of this article, the cause and .foundation (whereof shall be the acts done or injuries inflicted by a person under the influence of liquor it shall only be necessary to sustain the action, to prove that the defendant, or defendants, sold or gave away the liquors to the person so intoxicated or un-dqr the influence of liquor, whose acts or injuries are complained of, on that day or about that time when said acts were committed, or said injuries were received.”

It will be noticed that it is alleged in the complaint that the sale of intoxicating liquor to said Palmer was made to him on the 15th day of July, and that he continued to be intoxicated up to the time of his death. This allegation in our opinion brings the case within the time specified in the statute as “on that day or about that time when said acts were committed or said injuries were received.” Kerkow v. Bauer, 15 Neb. 150, 18 N. W. 27.

The contention- of appellant that -the' complaint failed to allege that the defendant Schnrz was notified not to -sell liquor to- the husband of the plaintiff when intoxicated is not tenable for the [288]*288reason .(that a. sale to-a-minór- or-intoxicated perjson'is -illegal, and no notice*to;-the party.-selling- is required;:■■ And such fe-eem-s to be .the ¡condition of the -bond-as, it is recited .therein-.“that said-principal has covenanted and agreed and doth hereby covenant and' agree as follows,- to-iwit, that-he -will -not- directly or indirectly. % * ■* at any time sell* -furnish;, give or -deliver any ¡spirituous * * * liquors to a minor or to any-adult -person whatever who-is at the-time intoxicated.”'. ' ' "

Section 2844 w-ats- .afriehdéd by chapter .165, 'p. 190, o-f the laws ■of 1903, by including in' unlawful"isales without notice “any person in the habit of getting intoxicated.” But the'section giving the form of bond in the Revised Code of ^903 was not changed to correspond with the amendment. This change is immaterial in this case, as the court /did not -submit the issue as to a person “in the habit of getting ‘intoxicated” to' the jury. '

The contention of the appellants- that the act is unconstitutional has been determined -against -their contentions by this court in die cases of Garrigan v. Kennedy, 19 S. D. 11, 101 N. W. 1082, and Stafford v. Levinger, 16 S. D. 118, 91 N. W.

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Bluebook (online)
117 N.W. 150, 22 S.D. 283, 1908 S.D. LEXIS 71, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/palmer-v-schurz-sd-1908.