Huggins v. Atlantic Coast Line R. R.
Huggins v. Atlantic Coast Line R. R.
Opinion of the Court
The opinion of the Court was delivered by
The plaintiff recovered judgment for $600 against the defendant as terminal -carrier in- this action for damages for injury to live stock shipped from Fort Scott, Kan., to Timim-onsville, S. C.
The plaintiff offered testimony to show the damaged condition of the stock When delivered and the failure to deliver one ho-rs’e. There -was an- issue as to- whether defendant received the stock at Clinton or at Columbia, S. C. On this point -the testimony for -defendant tended to show that while it ran passenger -trains to Clinton over the Columbia, New-berry and Laurens Railroad, it ran no freight trains over that lin-e, and made its freight connection with the C., N. & *343 E. R. R., at Columbia, S. C. On the other hand, as to the shipment of the mule delivered March 36th, the plaintiff offered in evidence Exhibit “D,” being claim for freight made by defendant containing in part these -words: “From C'n. 368 W. B. number Cola. Date, 3-, 36. Car initial! and No., A. C. L., 18754, Consignor P. Stables, Articles — one miule. This mule was lame when received from S. A. E. Connection at Clinton, S'. C., etc.” This was some evidence for the jury tending to show that defendant received this mule at Clinton, S. C., but was damaged when received. But if it be assumed that 'defendant’s connectng point was Columbia, S. C., E. K. Tedder, conductor of defendant, testified that when the car of stock -was received at Columbia that he had a lantern 'and glanced through the car and that “it looked in good order.” This witness 'also testified as to the careful handling of the stock after its receipt at Columbia. The foregoing testimony was sufficient to -send the case to the jury, especially in view of the law: that when a carrier delivers freight in a damaged condition the presumption is that the damage occurred' while in the carrier’s possession. Walker v. Ry. Co., 76 S. C., 308; Venning v. Ry. Co., 78 S. C., 42.
It can not be said that the evidence warranted no other conclusion than -that the injury- to the twenty-seven horses and mules delivered oo 'March 34th did not occur on defendant’s line, hence the motion for nonsuit -was properly overruled. For -the same reason there was no error in refusing to direct a verdict for defendant and in refusing defendant’s motion for a new' trial.
'The exceptions are overruled and tire judgment of the Circuit iQourt is affirmed.
Reference
- Full Case Name
- Huggins v. Atlantic Coast Line R. R. Co.
- Cited By
- 1 case
- Status
- Published