W. S. Keyser & Co. v. Jurvelius

122 F. 218, 58 C.C.A. 664, 1903 U.S. App. LEXIS 4752
CourtCourt of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit
DecidedMarch 31, 1903
DocketNo. 1,220
StatusPublished
Cited by1 cases

This text of 122 F. 218 (W. S. Keyser & Co. v. Jurvelius) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
W. S. Keyser & Co. v. Jurvelius, 122 F. 218, 58 C.C.A. 664, 1903 U.S. App. LEXIS 4752 (5th Cir. 1903).

Opinion

PARDEE, Circuit Judge.

In Genoa, Italy, on the i8th of November, 1898, a charter party was entered into between Victor Jurvelius.. master and agent of the Russian ship Amelie, of the 'burden of 495 tons register or thereabouts, then-lying at Marseilles, bound for a voyage to Rio Janeiro with.cargo, and Messrs. Rosasco Bros., of Pensacola, Fla., styling themselves “agents for charterers,” but with no principal disclosed, providing that the said ship, as soon as discharged at Rio Janeiro, should proceed to Pensacola, Fla., and there load from factors of said merchants or agents a cargo of lumber, and thence proceed to any safe port in the Mediterranean not east [219]*219of Sicily (Spanish ports excluded), as ordered, on signing bills of lading and delivering the same (always afloat), on being paid freight agreed upon; the charterers to have the privilege of ordering the vessel to Barcelona and other Spanish-Mediterranean ports at certain increased rates of freight. On the 28th of January, 1899—2 months and 10 days after the first charter—A. T. Rosasco, styling himself “agent of the good ship called the Amelie, of burden,” etc., entered into a charter party with W. S. Keyser & Co., of Pensacola, through Crow, Rudolph & Co., as agents, agreeing upon a voyage of the Amelie from Pensacola, Fla., to any Spanish port in the Mediterranean (Barcelona excluded), and otherwise in all respects on the same terms and conditions as the first charter party, except in respect to freight charges, which were increased some seven shillings and six pence, on the St. Petersburg standard of 165 cubic feet. Both charter parties contained the cessor clause in favor of charterers, and both stipulated 5 per cent, commission due by the vessel to Rosasco Bros., of Pensacola, Fla., the vessel lost or not lost, charter canceled or uncanceled, and to report at port of loading with the Rosasco Bros., paying five cents per registered ton, tO' be signed to them or their agents at port of discharge for ship’s inward or outward business, ship paying customary charges. In due course the Amelie arrived at Pensacola May 24, 1899, and on that day the master notified RosascO' Bros, of such arrival, and named the days for loading to commence on Monday, May 29th, under the charter party dated 18th of November, 1898; at the same time notified said Rosasco Bros, that he was informed it was the intention of the charterers to load cargo under this charter party for Castellón, Spain; that this place is not a safe port, within the meaning of the charter party, and that he thereby refused to accept cargo or sign bills of lading for such destination. On May 25, 1899, Rosasco Bros, notified the master, in writing, as follows: “We beg to inform you that the charterers of the bark Amelie are Messrs. W. S. Keyser & Co., who will load’vessel as per charter party made through us as agents for charterers.” In regard to this last-mentioned notice there seems to be a decided misunderstanding on the part of the master of the ship Amelie, who, in his pleadings, says he was not notified that there had been any subcharter entered into, and that he regarded and treated the said Rosasco Bros, as the charterers of the said vessel, and had no knowledge whatever that any other charter party was in existence. However this may be, Keyser & Co. began to furnish cargo and to load the vessel, and proceeded therewith until the 16th day of June, when cargo was complete; and thereupon, on June 19th, Keyser & Co. presented to the master for signature a bill of lading consigning the said vessel to Castellón, Spain. The master of the Amelie refused to sign this bill of lading on the ground that Castellón, Spain, was not a safe port within the terms of his charter party. No other satisfactory port being named, and no bill of lading signed, on the 23d day of June following, William Keyser & Co. exhibited a libel against the Amelie and her cargo, setting forth the foregoing,, charging that the action of the master constituted a conversion of the cargo entitling Keyser & Co. to hold the [220]*220bark responsible for the value of the cargo and for damages, and thereupon the Amelie and cargo were taken into the custody of the marshal. Thereafter, on the 5th day of July, on the petition of Victor Jurvelius, master, the court entered an order allowing the said Jurvelius to make his claim to the said bark Amelie and cargo, and answer and defend the action, upon entering into a personal stipulation, without sureties, for $250, and without other security to file a cross-bill against the cargo; and thereupon said Jurvelius exhibited a claim and intervention and cross-bill, which appear to have been sworn to on the 8th day of July, no date of filing given.

At this stage of the case the parties entered into further negotiations, resulting in an agreement as follows:

“Pensacola, 12th July, 1899.
“It is hereby agreed -between Victor Jurvelius, master and owner of the Russian bark Amelie, and W. S. Keyser & Co., owners and shippers of the cargo now laden on the said bark, as follows:
“1. The master will sign bills of lading providing for delivery of cargo now on board at port of Valencia, Spain, same as presented by Mr. Rosasco.
“2. All actions pending at Pensacola stand dismissed.
“8. The eessor clause of the charter party is waived.
“4. No claim or lien on the cargo for demurrage or detention shall be insisted upon.
“5. The master of said bark may bring an action in personam at Pensacola for the recovery of any damages he may in such action be able to establish for demurrage or detention; none being admitted.
“6. The making of this agreement is not to be taken as an admission that W. S. Keyser & Co. had no right to order said bark to Castellón with said cargo, or that the suit they brought against said bark and cargo was improperly brought; neither shall the making of this agreement be an admission by the master and owner that Castellón was a safe port, within the meaning of the charter part.
“7. The true intent of the parties hereto is that, in any suit brought the parties are free to insist upon any contention that they might have insisted upon had this agreement not been made, not herein expressly waived.
“8. It is further understood and agreed that the entering into this agreement is to be taken and accepted as a final and complete settlement of all differences existing between the parties hereto, except the claim of master of ship for demurrage and detention above referred to, but no differences are waived or settled to the extent of depriving either party of the right to insist upon them in the prosecution or resistance of such claim.
“[Signed] Victor Jurvelius.
“[Signed] W. S. Keyser & Co.”

Under this agreement a bill of lading was executed pending suits dismissed, and thereupon Victor Jurvelius, the master of the Amelie, exhibited his present libel against Keyser & Co., setting out the original charter party, charging that Keyser & Co-, were the original charterers, averring that Keyser & Co.

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Bluebook (online)
122 F. 218, 58 C.C.A. 664, 1903 U.S. App. LEXIS 4752, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/w-s-keyser-co-v-jurvelius-ca5-1903.