Dungan v. Read

Supreme Court of Pennsylvania
Dungan v. Read, 167 Pa. 393 (Pa. 1895)
31 A. 639; 1895 Pa. LEXIS 917
Dean, McCollum, Mitchell, Sterrett, Williams

Dungan v. Read

Opinion of the Court

Per Curiam,

There is nothing in this case that requires discussion. The action is clearly ex delicto. It is true, the statement commences by reciting a contract, but that is merely matter of inducement, to show how the defendant acquired possession of the property on which he afterwards committed the trespass complained of. The recital was wholly unnecessary and may be so treated. The bodj’- of the statement contains a distinct averment of the trespass complained of; and by pleading not guilty thereto the defendant so recognized it. On that issue the case was tried and judgment entered. It was only when the defendant was confronted with a capias ad satisfaciendum that he alleged the judgment is founded on contract, or represents damages for non-performance of his contract with plaintiff, and hence, under the act of 1842, abolishing imprisonment for debt, etc., he was exempt from arrest and imprisonment. In that he was *395mistaken. The injury done by him to plaintiff’s property had no necessary connection with their contractual relation. It was the result of a trespass, pure and simple, outside of the contract. There is nothing in the record that would justify us in sustaining either of the specifications of error.

Judgment affirmed.

Reference

Full Case Name
Frank P. Dungan v. Edward C. Read, Jr.
Cited By
4 cases
Status
Published
Syllabus
Execution — Capias ad, satisfaciendum, — Negligence—Injury to horse and wagon. Where in an action of trespass to recover damages for injuries negligently caused by defendant to a horse and carriage which he had hired from plaintiff, the statement averred the contract and the negligent conduct of defendant; to which defendant pleaded not guilty, and a judgment was rendered against defendant; the action was ex delicto, and a capias ad satisfaciendum will lie to enforce the collection of the judgment. In such a case, the recital of the contract in the statement of claim is mere surplusage, and will not bring the defendant within the protection of the act of July 12, 1842, P. L. 339, abolishing imprisonment for debt.