Illinois Central Railroad v. King

Mississippi Supreme Court
Illinois Central Railroad v. King, 69 Miss. 852 (Miss. 1892)
Campbell

Illinois Central Railroad v. King

Opinion of the Court

Campbell, C. J.,

delivered the opinion of the court.

The proposal of the plaintiff to consent to set aside the verdict he had obtained,'and the refusal by the defendant to accept this proposition, did not in any manner affect the right of the defendant as a litigant.

The fact that the station agent was acting for another railroad company, as well as the defendant, did not prevent a recovery by the plaintiff of the defendant. It merely showed that'two might have been sued instead of one.

The unconstitutionality of the act of 1890, as being an invasion of the chartered rights of the defendant, is not involved in the decision of this case, since Montgomery, the station agent or depot master, was engaged about his master’s business in arresting the plaintiff. He thought he was doing his duty as required by law, and was endeavoring to carry out the act of 1890. If the act of 1890 had not been passed, the company he served would have been liable for an unlawful arrest and imprisonment made by him in the discharge of his duty as depot master, even though he may never have been instructed by the company to arrest and imprison any person.

The truth is, that the act of 1890 was recognized by the railroad company as valid and obligatory. Notice was given as it requires, and the officials of the company, and Mr. Montgomery, depot master at Jackson, considered themselves *855bound by it, and undertook to claim the rights and perform the duties it declares; and, now that it has been found to impose liability on the company for an improper exercise of authority under it, the company will not be allowed to successfully assail the constitutionality of the act it has recognized and acted under in the very matter out of which this action arose.

The way to raise the question of the validity of the act of 1890 is open, and is well known to the learned counsel of the, railroad company, and, when presented in a shape to call for a decision, one will be made.

We have been much interested by the spirited criticism of counsel for the appellant of the act of 1890, and our declension to respond to it arises solely from the view that the case does uot call for or admit of it.

Affirmed.

Reference

Full Case Name
Illinois Central Railroad Co. v. F. B. King
Cited By
10 cases
Status
Published
Syllabus
1. Practice. Special exceptions. Motion for new trial not necessary. Waiver. A defendant who declines to move to set aside a verdict against him, preferring to appeal oil special bills of exceptions taken during the trial, is not prejudiced in any of his rights as a litigant by refusing plaintiff’s offer to consent to set aside the verdict and grant a new trial. 2. Bailroads. Unlawful arrest. Agent for two companies. Joint liability. A railroad company is liable for an unlawful arrest and imprisonment, if made by its agent while acting within the scope of his employment, notwithstanding, in doing so, he was acting also for another railroad company. 3. Same. Unlawful arrest by agent. Inability of company. Act of 1890. The question whether the act of 1890 (Laws, p. 106), creating depot agents conservators of the peace is unconstitutional as infringing the chartered right of a railroad company to employ its own agents and define their duties, is not involved in an action against such company for an unlawful arrest made by its depot agent while engaged in its service and about its.business, for, in the absence of such statute, the company would be liable.