Pinkerton v. Verberg

44 N.W. 579, 78 Mich. 573, 1889 Mich. LEXIS 875
CourtMichigan Supreme Court
DecidedDecember 28, 1889
StatusPublished
Cited by64 cases

This text of 44 N.W. 579 (Pinkerton v. Verberg) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Michigan Supreme Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Pinkerton v. Verberg, 44 N.W. 579, 78 Mich. 573, 1889 Mich. LEXIS 875 (Mich. 1889).

Opinion

Long, J.

This action is brought by plaintiff to recover damages for assault and illegal arrest. Defendant, at the time of the arrest, was a policeman of the city of Kalamazoo, and claims to have arrested plaintiff because she was a street-walker.

It appears that plaintiff lived on Kalamazoo avenue east, and sometime in the forepart of August, 1888, went from her own homo to a sister’s, living on the corner of Church and Eleanor streets, in the city. There she met a younger sister, and the two went down into the city upon the main street; called into the Watkins House closets; and after plaintiff had shown the younger sister, who had no acquaintances in the city, around the city for a time, the two went together back to the home of the sister, when plaintiff started to return to her home, and in doing so she again passed the Watkins House, but on the opposite side of the street. After having gone some little distance from there towards her own home, she heard some one following her on the walk.. She [575]*575hastened her speed, but, when near the railroad crossing Mr. Yerberg, the defendant, walked up to her side, and asked where she was going. She told him she was not going very far, and then he wanted to know where she lived. To this plaintiff responded that she did not know as that made any difference to him. Defendant then asked what her name was. She told him that did not make any difference to him, and that she was attending to her own business. Defendant continued to walk with her until she got to her own door, and she then told him that she lived there. Plaintiff then told him he was not much of a gentleman to be following her home, when he said not to give him any more sauce, or he would take her and run her in. Plaintiff then says:

“ I told him I had not done anything to be run in for; that I did not know what he could run me in for; I guessed I had not done anything out of the way; and so he took hold of me, and took me up town. When he got up to the corner of Water street, I told him I was not going any further with him, and he got hold of me, and tore my dress pretty nearly*all off of me, and tried to make me walk, and blew a whistle, and Mr. Warren, who was across the street, came over, and asked him what he arrested me for, and he said he had made up his mind that he would not take any more of my sauce, and when they got upon the corner they stopped there, and Mr. Warren told him he knew me; that I was a married lady. They went out to one side, and had a talk, and Mr. Warren said: ‘You can do as you have a mind to; but I don't think you had better lock her up.' Mr. Warren walked down Main street, and Mr. Yerberg said I could go home if I wanted to; but, if he ever caught me out again as late as that, he would take me and lock me up.- It was then ahout half past ten o'clock, and I went home.”

Witness further stated that defendant took hold of her arm at and in front of her own house, and pulled her along as far as the railroad, and as far as Water street, [576]*576when he tore her ’clothes because she would go no further.

Defendant gave his version of the affair, on his direct examination by his'own counsel, as follows:

“I saw her on this particular night by the Watkins House with three other women, and they all went into the house. I slipped into the office of the Watkins House. They stayed in there a few minutes, and came out, and went up as far as Eose street. They crossed over, and she came down the street alone. She went east on Kalamazoo avenue. I walked down that way to see what was going to be done. I believed she was plying her vocation as a prostitute. She walked quite fast. I walked down to the Grand Eapids & Indiana E. E., caught up to her, and asked where she lived, and what her name was. She said if was none of my business. I said: ‘I have asked you a. civil question, and I would like to have you answer it/ She said: ‘I don't have to answer any questions from you.' I said: ‘Well, I have had orders to that effect, to make these street-walkers get off the street or lock them, up.' By this time she had got in front of her own house. I didn't know at that time that she lived there. She said: ‘I dare you to arrest me.' She said I had ño business down there; I had no business to follow her; she was attending to her own business, and I had to attend to mine. She dared me to lock her up; to arrest her. At first I started away. She hallooed after me: ‘Will dare you to arrest me.' I came back and said: ‘ Come on; if you want to go to jail, 1 can take you there.' So we walked up as far as Dickinson's hardware store, and she stopped, and I says: ‘Come on; don't stop here.' She walked along then, and right in front of the restaurant, between the alley and back of McDonald's drug-store, she threw herself right down on the sidewalk, and I asked her to get up two or three times. She refused to do it. I thought by the way she acted and talked she had been drinking. I didn't see any one around close by. I didn't want to have no regular wrestle there, so I blew my whistle, and Mr. Warren came up, and assisted me in getting her up. When we got her up by the corner of Main and Eose streets, she said, if we would not lock her up, she would go home, and she awfully hated to be locked up, — begged in that way. I [577]*577spoke to Mr. Warren a few minutes, and finally told her, if she would go home, I would let her go to-night, and, if I caught her out again, I would lock her up, as late as that.”

Witness further testified that he did not know that he tore any of her clothing.

It will be noticed that there is but little difference in the versions given by the parties to the controversy as to what took place on that occasion. The court, in his charge to the jury, stated:

“The defendant claims that he had a right to arrest the plaintiff because he was at the time of making the arrest a policeman of the city of Kalamazoo, and that at the time of the arrest the plaintiff was engaged in the commission of an offense against the law.
“ The charter and ordinances of the city of Kalamazoo provide that policemen shall have authority to arrest, without warrant, all persons who shall, in.their presence, be guilty of any offense,, misdemeanor, or breach of the peace, or who shall, in their presence, be guilty of any disorderly conduct, for punishment of which a warrant could lawfully issue. Disorderly conduct for which an arrest might be made without a warrant, if committed in the presence of the officer, would include what is commonly termed street walking/ That is the offense of a common prostitute offering herself for sale upon the streets at unusual or unreasonable hours, endeavoring to induce men to follow her for the purpose of prostitution; and, in case such an offense is committed in the presence of an officer, a policeman has not only the’ authority, but it is also made his duty, to arrest the person so offending. So, in' order to determine whether the defendant had the right to make the arrest complained of in this case, it will be necessary for you to inquire and . determine whether the plaintiff was at the time of the arrest engaged in the commission of any offense, or whether the defendant .had any reasonable ground for believing she was.
“If you should find that at the time she was arrested by defendant she was conducting herself in an orderly manner, not committing any breach of the peace, or disorderly conduct, or offense against the law, and that the [578]

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44 N.W. 579, 78 Mich. 573, 1889 Mich. LEXIS 875, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/pinkerton-v-verberg-mich-1889.