Western Union Telegraph Co. v. Holcomb
Western Union Telegraph Co. v. Holcomb
Opinion of the Court
The disposition of a former appeal in this case is shown in 152 S. W. p. 190. The suit was instituted by Fayette Holcomb against the Western Union Telegraph Company to recover damages for the alleged negligent delay in the delivery of a telegram intended for him and reading as follows:
“Mt. Pleasant, Texas. March 18, 1911.
“Fate Hawkins, De Leon, Texas. Brother Jess sick. No chance for him. Come at once.
“[Signed] Lena Raney.”
Lena Raney was plaintiff’s sister, and she and her brother, Jess Holcomb, lived in the country about nine miles from Mt. Pleasant. Plaintiff resided in the country near Downing, a small town about eight miles from De Leon. A telephone line connected De Leon and Downing, and a telephone line ran from Downing to plaintiff’s residence. A person, at De Leon could talk to plaintiff at his residence over the telephone, but in order to do so it was necessary to call for him at the Downing Exchange, from which station direct connection could be made between plaintiff’s residence and De Leon. Jess Holcomb died at 4 o’clock on the afternoon of March 19th, and was buried pear his home at 4 o’clock on the afternoon of March 20th. The telegram was delivered to plaintiff at his home by telephone from defendant’s office at De Leon on the morning of March 20th, too late to enable him to attend the burial. Among other defenses the mistake in plaintiff’s address as Fate Hawkins, instead of Fayette Holcomb, was alleged as the cause of the delay in delivering the message. Melvin Tigert, at the request of Lena Raney, went to defendant’s office at Mt. Pleasant to have the message sent. At Tigert’s request W. S. Prestridge, defendant’s agent at Mt. Pleasant, wrote out the message. Tigert testified that 'he saw the same written, but claims that he gave the name of the addressee as Holcomb instead of I-Iawkins, and thought it was correctly addressed.. As held by us upon the former appeal, the mistake made by Prestridge, if it was his mistake and if he was negligent in making it, was not chargeable to the defendant, and the error on the former trial in submitting the alleged negligence of Prestridge in making the *751 mistake as a ground of recovery was avoided on the last trial.
Tigert testified that at the time the message was delivered to the agent at Mt. Pleasant for transmission, he informed that agent that the addressee lived in the country near 'Downing, about eight miles from De Leon; that he had a telephone reaching his residence, over which he could be called from De Leon, and, according to other evidence, the message was in fact delivered to plaintiff in the form written by Prestridge, notwithstanding the mistake in the address. According to other evidence, a service message was sent to De Leon on the 10th of March by the agent at Mt. Pleasant giving the information that the addressee’s residence was near Downing, and that there was a telephone at his residence, but this service message did not correct the mistake in the address. According to the testimony of the agent at De Leon, immediately upon the receipt of the message on March 18th, he made diligent effort to locate Pate Hawkins by inquiry among citizens of De Leon, but was unable to find any one who knew of a man by that name. He further testified that after receiving the service message on the 19th of March, he tried to call up the Downing telephone office, but was unable to do so, as that day was Sunday and the telephone office at Downing was then closed. Early the following morning, which was Monday, March 20th, he did call for Pate Hawkins over the telephone at Downing, and in reply to this call was immediately placed in connection with plaintiff at his residence, and then read the message to the plaintiff, who at once knew that he was the addressee intended.
According to the testimony of the plaintiff, if he had received the message, even as late as Sunday afternoon of March 19th, he could and would have gone to Mt. Pleasant, thence to the home of his brother, Jess Holcomb, and would have reached that destination in time to attend the burial, but that when he received the message on Monday morning, it was then too late for him to do so.
Furthermore many of the questions presented by these assignments ,were decided adversely to appellant on the former appeal.
*752
“I suppose Jess had been married about a year and a half when I left Titus county. No; Jess was not my youngest brother. Jess was 27 years old when he died. I regarded my brother Jess very highly as a brother. He and I were always very friendly. It had been something like 4 years at the time my brother died since I had seen him. * * * When I found out I could not see my brother in his lifetime, and then could not even attend his funeral, I could hardly describe my feelings. I felt mighty bad, and was hurt' badly over it.”
He further testified that he made no effort to have the burial postponed in order to enable him to attend the funeral; that he could have taken the train on Monday afternoon and reached his brother’s home the following morning at about 4:40 o’clock; that his brother did not have any one to write him of his illness; that he had never been to Mt. Pleasant since his brother’s death.
We recognize the rule that the amount of damages to be awarded in such cases as this is to be determined by the jury, and that the verdict will not be disturbed unless clearly excessive. Further, we are not unmindful of the rule that the facts of each case must be the guide in determining the amount of damages to be awarded. But we are of the opinion that the facts detailed by the plaintiff himself clearly - do not warrant the amount of damages awarded. Accordingly, the assignment of error now under discussion, is sustained, and for that error the judgment will be reversed, and the cause remanded, unless appellee shall, within 10 days from, the date of this decision, file a remittitur of $500. If such remittitur is filed, then the judgment will be reformed and affirmed for that amount.
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