Jackson v. Ohio & M. R. Co.

Decision Date05 December 1860
PartiesJackson v. The Ohio and Mississippi Railroad Company
CourtIndiana Supreme Court

APPEAL from the Ripley Circuit Court.

The judgment is reversed, with costs. Cause remanded.

A. C. & H. A. Downey, J. H. Cravens, and J. G. Berkshire, for appellant.

Wm. S. Holman, for appellee.

OPINION

Davison, J.

Jackson sued the Ohio and Mississippi Railroad Company before a justice of the peace, alleging in his complaint, "that on April 3, 1858, at, &c., the defendant, by her locomotives and cars, on said road, killed one work ox belonging to the plaintiff. To his damage, $ 75, &c. Process, issued by the justice, was returned, indorsed thus: "Served by copy on William P. Gold, conductor for the Louisville express, April 22, 1858, M. Ferren, C. O. T." On the day of trial, the defendant, having failed to appear, was defaulted: the cause was tried in her absence, and judgment given in favor of the plaintiff for $ 65. From this judgment, the defendant appealed; and in the Circuit Court, to which the cause was taken by appeal, moved to dismiss the suit, on the alleged ground, that there was no service on the defendant, of the process issued by the justice. Pending this motion, the plaintiff moved that the constable who served the process, said constable being then present in court, be allowed to amend his return, by adding thereto immediately after the words "Louisville express," these words: "a train running over, and owned by, said Ohio and Mississippi Railroad;" and, also, by changing the signature and words "M. Ferren, C. O. T.," to "Montgomery Ferren, Const. Otter Creek township, Ripley county, Indiana."

These amendments were refused by the Court, and the motion to dismiss was sustained. In this, we think there was error. The constable should have been allowed to amend his return. See New Albany and Salem Railroad Company v. Laiman, 8 Ind. 212; Same v. Chamberlain, ib. 278; Same v. Grooms, 9 ib. 243. These authorities are decisive that such amendments are allowable. It follows that the motion to dismiss the suit should have been overruled.

Per Curiam.

The judgment is reversed, with costs. Cause remanded, &c.

To continue reading

Request your trial
6 cases
  • Montgomery v. Merrill
    • United States
    • Michigan Supreme Court
    • 4 Abril 1877
    ... ... Blount, 39 Id. 500; ... Whittier v. Vaughn, 27 Me. 301; Foster v ... Woodfin, 65 N. C., 29; Mayo v. Whitston, 2 ... Jones (N. C.), 231; Jackson v. O. & M. R. R. Co., 15 Ind ... 192; Jones v. Lewis, 8 Ind. 70; Montgomery v ... Brown, 7 Ill. 581; Hall v. Williams, 10 Me ... 278; Close v ... Turner, 6 Greenleaf 106; Means v ... Osgood, 7 Greenleaf 148; Bannister v. Higgins, ... 16 Me. 73; Pierce v. Strickland, 25 Me. 289; Ohio L ... & T. R. Co. v. Urban Ins. Co., 13 Ohio 221; McCormack ... v. Mellish, 36 Ill. 114; Thompson v. Kimbry, 46 ... Ga. 534; Dawson v. Cowan, ... ...
  • Denison v. Smith
    • United States
    • Michigan Supreme Court
    • 5 Enero 1876
    ... ... Bassett, 19 Wis. 54; Thatcher v. Miller, 11 ... Mass. 413; Kitchen v. Reinsky, 42 Mo. 427; ... Gavitt v. Doub, 23 Cal. 78; Jackson v. Ohio, etc., ... R. R. Co., 15 Ind. 192; and they also cited and relied upon ... the statute:--Comp. L. 1871, §§ 6051-2 ... ...
  • Heaton v. Peterson
    • United States
    • Indiana Appellate Court
    • 13 Octubre 1892
    ...that date. The return is not the service, but only the evidence of it. Relative to the amendment of returns, see Jackson v. Railroad Co., 15 Ind. 192; Railroad Co. v. Lawrence, 29 Ind. 622;Dwiggins v. Cook, 71 Ind. 579;Turner v. Bank, 78 Ind. 19;Dunn v. Rodgers, 43 Ill. 260;Kitchen v. Reins......
  • Heaton v. Peterson
    • United States
    • Indiana Appellate Court
    • 13 Octubre 1892
    ... ... The ... return is not the service, but only the evidence of it ... Relative to the amendment of returns, see Jackson v ... Ohio, etc., R. R. Co., 15 Ind. 192; Evansville, ... etc., R. R. Co. v. Lawrence, 29 Ind. 622; ... Dwiggins v. Cook, 71 Ind. 579; ... ...
  • Request a trial to view additional results

VLEX uses login cookies to provide you with a better browsing experience. If you click on 'Accept' or continue browsing this site we consider that you accept our cookie policy. ACCEPT