McMahon v. Western Union Telegraph Co.
McMahon v. Western Union Telegraph Co.
Concurring Opinion
(specially concurring). I deem the question presented in Division III of the opinion a close one. I prefer to put my concurrence in the result upon the ground that reasonable diligence to perform the service undertaken by defendant was the full measure of its duty. This record discloses no failure of the defendant in that regard. The emphasis of plaintiff’s contention is that she had a special contract whereby defendant undertook absolutely to deliver the money at Audubon by 4 o’clock of that day; and that its failure constituted a breach of the contract, regardless of the question of diligence. This is an erroneous theory, and permeates the entire record. The defendant corporation had no facilities, except by wiring, whereby it could deliver plaintiff’s funds at Audubon on the same day. rts nearest .paying office was Atlantic. It had none at Audubon. So far as appears, it used every regular facility which it had in attempted performance. It is suggested
Though this point is not directly made by appellant, yet the record is such that we cannot sustain the judgment for plaintiff without commitling ourselves to the false premise upon which the case rests.
Opinion of the Court
The parties acted at Fort Dodge. At 3:45 in the after
III. We now come to the question whether, if it be assumed defendant broke the contract and was negligent, there was any warrant for submitting even as much as the cost of the services. If the defendant succeeded in transmitting the money to the bank in time, then, though it broke a contract or was negligent, there can, of course, be no recovery from it. If the bank received the money in time, and refused to cancel the mortgage, the remedy was
“We today mail you draft' $51,940 drawn by local office Western Union Telegraph Company on Corn Exchange National Bank, Chicago, Illinois, order ours and yours indorsed by us. Transfer account Fort Dodge Farm Loan $ Trust Company.”
In one instruction, the court charged plaintiff might recover if she had established that the draft was not presented to the Audubon bank until March 2d, and the bank refused to receive the same “because the same was not presented during banking hours on March 1, 1917.” There would have to be a reversal for the mere giving of this instruction, because there is no evidence to sustain its giving. But the giving of the instruction raises as well the substantial question whether defendant did fail to transmit the money to the Audubon bank in time. The president of that bank testifies he was present at the bank both on March 1st and March 2d. He was then asked:
“Q. On either of those days, did you receive any moneys purporting to come through the Western Union Telegraph Company from Ellen McMahon? A. Yes, sir. • Q. On what day? A. On the afternoon of March 1st, we received- a wire from Atlantic, from the Atlantic National Bank, wiring us the amount.”
Appellee contends that this testimony is modified to her advantage because of the following further testimony on part of the bank president:
The two statements are entirely consistent, and both sustain the position of the appellant. The effect of- the testimony is that, on the afternoon of March 1st, but after the closing of the bank for the day, the bank received moneys purporting to come through the telegraph company from Ellen McMahon, by means of receiving a wire from the Atlantic National Bank, “wiring us the amount;” but that actual draft or check was not received until March 2d, and was thereafter returned. Why does not this conclusively show that nothing is due the plaintiff,' because the defendant effected all that it had undertaken to do ? Concede the officers of the bank could have declined to treat the telegram from the Atlantic bank as being a sum wired by the company for Ellen McMahon; could have refused to treat the message as being money at all; might have refused money itself, because the banking day was over. The trouble is that neither these nor any other objections were made. What we, in effect, have, is the ordinary case of a tender which might- be insufficient in form if objected to, but to which no objection is made. To sum it all up: If it be assumed that defendant broke a contract and was negligent, neither caused plaihtiff any injury, because, despite alleged breach of the contract or alleged negligence, defendant succeeded in doing what entitled plaintiff to make her saving through having her mortgage canceled. In other words, defendant succeeded in doing all it was bound to do, on any theory. How does the case differ from what it would be if it were this: Suppose defendant sent a messenger to Audubon with the actual money; he delivers it to the bank in time to entitle plaintiff to cancellation; the bank receives the money without objection, and then re
We reverse because the instructions submitted items of damages claimed for which plaintiff had no right to recover. Under the presentation made, we must make the instructions the cause of reversal. But the reasons stated for the reversal should have full consideration on retrial.
This disposition makes it unnecessary for us at this time to pass upon other claims made by the appellant, including a claim that appellee has failed to minimize her damages as she should have done. — Reversed and remanded.
Dissenting Opinion
(dissenting). I dissent from the second and third paragraphs of the opinion. As the second paragraph necessarily follows from the conclusion reached in the third, only the latter need be given attention. The message left Fort Dodge at 3:45 o’clock in the afternoon, and reached Atlantic 8 minutes later, when the defendant arranged with the bank at that place to reach the Audubon bank with a message, and this was accomplished by 4:33 o’clock on the same day. The telegram was signed by the Atlantic bank, and in words following:
“We today mail you draft $51,940 drawn by local office Western Union Telegraph Company on Corn Exchange National Baiik, Chicago, Illinois, order ours and yours indorsed by us. Transfer account Ft. Dodge Farm Loan and Trust Company.”
This merely described the draft mailed, and that it had been mailed. It could only be delivered in the regular course of mail, which did not reach Audubon until the following day, the day following that on which the note and
“On either of these days (March 1st or 2d) did you receive any money purported to come through the Western Union Telegraph Co. from Ellen McMahon? A. Yes, sir. Q. On what day? A. On the afternoon of March 1st, we received a wire from Atlantic, from the Atlantic National Bank, wiring us the amount. í:' * ':f Q. When did you receive any check, draft or money? A. When the check came on the afternoon of the second day of March, 1917.”
The majority hold that this constituted payment, for that the witness interposed no objection to what was done as payment. It will be observed, however, that the telegram did not purport to be payment of the mortgage and note. Nor was the witness, in testifying in the suit, required to assert any objections to the telegram, even though it had been intended as payment if not so disclosed. What he said in answer to interrogatories throws no light on what he did upon receipt of the communication. The first answer merely indicates that he received money on the 1st or 2d day of March; and the second answer, that he received the telegram on ihe first day, describing it as “wiring us the amount.” This was descriptive of the telegram, as clearly appears from the reading of the telegram. Tn a sense, advising of the mailing of the draft was wiring the
I am persuaded that the majority are in error in holding that the defendant had performed its contract. As to whether the alleged arrangement with the company was valid, I express no opinion.
Case-law data current through December 31, 2025. Source: CourtListener bulk data.