A. T. & S. F. Railroad v. Ireland
A. T. & S. F. Railroad v. Ireland
Opinion of the Court
The opinion of the court was delivered by
This was an action brought under the act relating to the killing and wounding of stock by railroad companies. (Laws of 1874, page 143.) The first question raised by counsel for plaintiff in error, relating to the jurisdiction of the district court, has been decided and settled adversely to the claim of plaintiff in error by the decisions in the cases of Shuster v. Finan, and Miller v. Bogart, decided at this term, [ante, pp. 114, 118.)
The second question raised by counsel for plaintiff in error relates to a supposed variance between the allegations of the petition of the plaintiff below and the proof in the case; and the third question raised by counsel for plaintiff in error relates to a supposed error with regard to the measure of damages. We shall consider the second and third questions together.
The plaintiff below, Ireland, alleged in his petition among other things, that the defendant railroad company killed a heifer belonging to him. The proof however showed that the railroad company wounded the plaintiff’s heifer only, and that the plaintiff himself afterward knocked her in the head and killed her. The plaintiff testified among other things as follows: “I knocked her in the head; I did it to stop her suffering. She could not get up, and would .have died any
The fourth question raised by counsel for plaintiff in error relates to costs. The plaintiff in error claims that the court below erred in rendering judgment against it for all the costs of the defendant in error, (plaintiff below.) Prior to the commencement of the trial in the court below the defendant company, (plaintiff in error,) offered to confess judgment for twenty dollars and costs. Ireland refused to accept such offer. Afterward Ireland recovered a judgment for $18 as damages for the injuries done to the heifer, and $25 for attorney-fees; total, $43, besides costs. What the attorney’s services rendered prior to said offer to confess judgment were worth, is not shown. But evidently they were worth more than two dollars. Under the circumstances therefore we do not think that the court below erred in rendering said judgment for costs.
The judgment of the court below will be affirmed.
Reference
- Full Case Name
- A. T. & S. F. Railroad Co. v. Wm. Ireland
- Status
- Published