Chitty v. Pennsylvania Ry. Co.
Chitty v. Pennsylvania Ry. Co.
Opinion of the Court
The opinion of the Court was delivered by
The record contains the following statement of facts: “This was a motion to- dissolve an attachment, the warrant for which was issued by the clerk of the Court of Common Pleas for the said State and county, on the 1st day of March, 1961. The summons, affidavit and the bond were filed with the clerk of said Court on the first day of March, 1901, and the complaint in the action was filed on the 20th day of March, 1901. The complaint, affidavit, bond and warrant of attachment, with the indorsement upon each, are fully set out in the “Case.” It is admitted that application and order for publication of summons were duly made and summons published. The motion was heard at the April, 1901, term of the said Court by his Honor, Judge Buchanan, upon the above mentioned papers and the indorsements thereon, who took the papers, and on the 19th day of April, 1901, filed his order refusing to dissolve the attachment. It is admitted that the questions involving the character of the property attached, under the interstate commerce law and the jurisdiction of the Court, were made at the hearing before Judge Buchanan. No notice in writing has ever been served upon the defendant’s counsel of the filing of the said order, but on the 31st day of May, 1901, defendant’s counsel served upon the plaintiff’s counsel a notice' of intention to appeal from said order to the Supreme Court, and time for service of the proposed case was extended indefinitely, by the plaintiff’s counsel.”
The plaintiff’s affidavit was as follows: “F. W. Chitty, the plaintiff above named, being duly sworn, says:
“I. That on or about '. day of 1899, he shipped *528 from Olar, in said State and county, nine cars of melons, consigned to Phillips & Sons, New York. That said cars of melons were received from him by the Florida Central and Peninsular Railway as his property and were forwarded and delivered to the defendant at the point of connection with ■ its line in a reasonable time after shipment, but that said defendant neglected to transfer and deliver said melons to said Phillips & Sons at New York, the point of destination, for a very unreasonable time, to wit: for fourteen days; by reason whereof many of the said melons were spoiled and became and were a total loss to plaintiff, and the whole were worth much less than they would have been had they been delivered at the proper time, to his damage $603, and deponent believes he is justly entitled to recover said sum.
“II. That the defendant is a foreign corporation, duly created according to the law, with its principal place of business or office i-n Philadelphia, in the State of Pennsylvania, as he is informed.
“III. That defendant has property in this State at Govans, consisting of a box freight car.
“IV. That plaintiff is a resident of this State, to wit: of the town of Olar, in Bamberg County aforesaid.
“V. That the subject of this action is likewise in this said county of Bamberg.”
The defendant made a motion to set aside the attachment on the following grounds:
“That the said attachment was improvidently and irregularly issued, as appears upon the face of the proceedings had in said action, in that: I. It is not stated in the affidavit that the plaintiff was the owner of the melons at the time of the shipment thereof. II. It is not stated in the affidavit what the value of the melons was, or that they were of any value whatsoever. III. It is not stated in the affidavit that the Pennsylvania Railroad Company was under any contractual obligation to receive and transport promptly and deliver the melons, or even that it is a common carrier. IV. It is stated that the melons were delivered to the Florida Central and *529 Peninsular Railroad Company, but it is not stated that that company had any power or authority to contract for the Pennsylvania Railroad Company or to bind it by any contract it might make for the transportation of the melons. V. That the attachment bond is not executed as required b> law, the sureties thereon not having justified and the bond probated — conditions precedent to the legal filing of the same.”
His Honor, the Circuit Judge, signed the following order: “After hearing argument and pleadings and matters called to the attention of the Court, it is ordered, that the motion to set aside the attachment be and the same is overruled and refused.”
The first exception) of the appellant is as follows: “ist. That his Honor erred, it is respectfully submitted, in holding that the affidavit stated facts sufficient to show a cause of .action in favor of the plaintiff and against the defendant, and to authorize the clerk to issue a warrant of attachment; whereas, he should have held that the said affidavit was defective in (a) That it is not stated in the affidavit that the plaintiff was the owner of the melons at the time of the shipment, (b) That it is not stated in the affidavit what the value of the melons was, or that they were of any value whatsoever, (c) That it is not stated in the affidavit that the Pennsylvania Railroad Company was under any contractual obligation to receive and transport promptly and deliver the said melons; or that even it is a common carrier, (d) That it is not stated in the affidavit that the Florida Central and Peninsular Railroad Company, to which it is stated that the melons were delivered, had any power or authority to contract for the Pennsylvania Railroad Company or to bind it by any contracts it might make for the transportation of the melons.”
*530
“(d)” This subdivision is disposed of by what was said in considering “(c).”
The third exception is as follows: “3d. That his Honor erred in holding that in attaching such property it was nor a violation of the act of Congress regulating interstate commerce.” Waiving the objection that this exception is too general, it nevertheless cannot be sustained, as it is based upon facts which we have shown do not appear in the record.
It is the judgment of this Court, that the judgment of the Circuit Court be affirmed.
Reference
- Cited By
- 4 cases
- Status
- Published
- Syllabus
- 1. Attachment — Affidavit—Railroads.—In an affidavit to obtain a warrant of attachment, statement that the property damaged was received by railroad company for shipment as affiant’s property; that defendant is a connecting line with the receiving road, and in the caption that defendant is a common carrier, makes out prima facie case that affiant owned the property shipped; that defendant is liable as a connecting line under Rev. Stats. 1720, and the inferential fact that defendant is a common carrier. 2. Pleadings — Ibid.—Attachment.—In an affidavit to obtain a warrant of attachment in a suit for damages to property, it is not necessary to state value of property, but amount of damages is sufficient. 3. Attachment — Railroads—Interstate Commerce. — Is a car of a foreign railroad corporation found on a railroad in this State, such property of a foreign corporation as may be attached here, and is such attachment in violation of interstate commerce regulations? 4. Ibid. — Jurisdiction.—By attachment of property of a foreign corporation, the Court acquires jurisdiction of the property. 5.-Ibid. — Affidavit for attachment here held sufficient to sustain attachment, and there is nothing to show that the Judge referred to complaint for facts upon which to sustain it. 6. Ibid. — Damages—Tort.—A warrant of attachment may issue in this State in an action for unliquidated damages sounding in tort.