Bomar v. Maxwell
Bomar v. Maxwell
Opinion of the Court
delivered the opinion of the court.
This is an action on the case, brought by the defendant in error against the plaintiff in error, as the proprietor of a stage coach, to recover damages for the loss of a trunk and its contents, the property of the former, who was a passenger in said coach, alledged to have been lost or stolen therefrom during the passage from Bolivar to Nashville, for which distance the defendant in error, who was on a journey, had taken a seat in said coach.
It appears from the proof in the record, that said trunk, when delivered to the driver at Bolivar, contained, in addition to wearing apparel, one hundred and nineteen dollars in silver; a ten dollar bank note ; twenty-five or
The circuit judge instructed the jury in substance, that on proof by the plaintiff of the payment of his passage money, the delivery of his trunk to the defendant or his agent, the stage driver, and the loss of the. trunk, he would be entitled to recover only the value of the trunk and the usual wearing apparel of the passenger. To enable him to recover the value of the money, watch and other articles mentioned in the proof, it must be proved by the plaintiff that he notified the defendant or his agent of the fact that the’ trunk contained the money, watch, &c. If the proof showed that the defendant’s-agent was informed that the trunk contained money, the plaintiff would be entitled to recover the amount contained in the trunk, although the agent was not notified of the amount. The defendant had a right to require the plaintiff to state the amount of money; but if he did not require the amount to be stated, on being informed of the contents, he would still be liable for the amount proved to be lost. Verdict and judgment were rendered in favor of the plaintiff for one hundred seventy-seven dollars and thirty-seven cents, and the defendant appealed in error to this court.
We think the foregoing charge is erroneous, both in respect to the ground of the defendant’s liability for the money, and the extent of the plaintiff’s right of recovery. The liability of the defendant for the money, watch and other articles alledged to have been contained in the trunk, did not depend upon the fact of notice; and whether or not such notice were given to him, or. his. agent, was altogether immaterial, f It is now well settled,
It is obviously impracticable to prescribe any uniform or very definite rule in respect to what shall be deemed baggage. This must be left to the jury to determine in each particular case; from the habits, rank and condition of the party; the extent and reasonable expenses of the journey, together with all the other circumstances relevant to the inquiry.
As respects the objection, that the proof in the record before us is insufficient to establish the loss or non delivery of the trunk, we decline the expression of any opinion, inasmuch as, upon other grounds, the case must be remanded for a new trial.
Let the judgment be reversed.
Reference
- Status
- Published