Kiesel v. Union Pacific Railway Co.
Kiesel v. Union Pacific Railway Co.
Opinion of the Court
Tbe facts wbicb are necessary to a correct understanding and determination of this case may be briefly stated as follows: Plaintiff sold at Ogden City, Utah, two barrels of whisky to Frank Butler and shipped said whisky by defendant’s line of road to tbe consignee at Anaconda, and it
On or about the 5th day of September — four days before the delivery of the whisky to the officer above detailed— the said Butler became and was insolvent, and, upon
The statutes of Montana which prescribe the mode of levying and attachment are put in evidence and are as follows:
“Sec. 186. The Sheriff to whom the writ is directed shall execute the same without delay, as follows:
“Third. Personal property capable of manual delivery shall be attached by taking it into custody.
“Fifth. Debts and credits, and other personal property not capable of manual delivery, shall be attached by leaving with the person owing such debts, or having in his possession, or under his control, such credits and other personal property, or with his agent, a copy .of the writ, a notice that the debts owing by him to the defendant, or the ■credits and other personal property in his possession, or under his control belonging to the defendant, are attached in pursuance of such writ.”
“Sec. 188. Upon receiving information in writing from plaintiff or bis attorney, that any person has in his possession, or under his control, any credits or other personal property belonging to the defendant, or is owing any debt to the defendant, the Sheriff shall serve upon such person a copy of the writ, and a notice that such credits or ■other property or debts, as the case may be, are attached in pursuance of such writ.”
“Sec. 189. All persons having in their possession, or under their control, any credits or other personal property .belonging to the defendant, or owing any debts to the ^defendant at the time of service upon them of the writ .and notice as provided in the last section, shall be, unless .such-property be delivered up or transferred, or such debts .be paid to the Sheriff, liable to the plaintiff for the amount < of such credits, property or debt, until the attachment be*131 discharged, or any judgment- recovered by him be satisfied.”
It has been seen that this whisky remained in the warehouse of the defendant company up to September the 9th, and that the notice of stoppage in transitu was given to defendant the 6th. There is no pretense that the officer who executed the writ of attachment could not have taken the whisky “into custody” by paying charges and removing it, as he finally did do before the 9 th of September. The law is elementary that the consignor of goods, upon the insolvency of the consignee, has the right to stop them while they are in transitu, upon giving notice to that effect to the carrier. This right of the consignor is subject, however, to certain exceptions, one .of which is where the goods are seized by an officer and taken out of the possession of the carrier before the notice of stoppage is given by the consignor. In this case there was no seizing of the goods. The officer did not pretend to levy his attachment other than by a mere notice, which is not sufficient. The levy of an attachment can only be made, where the property is capable of manual delivery,” says the Montana statute, by taking the goods or property “into custody.” This statute is nothing but an enactment of the common law The trial judge charged the jury in conformity with this opinion, and we are satisfied that the justice of the case has been reached. Let the judgment of the court below be affirmed.
Reference
- Full Case Name
- FRED J. KIESEL AND OTHERS v. UNION PACIFIC RAILWAY COMPANY
- Status
- Published