Southern Ry. Co. v. Propst & Duckworth

• Decision Date: 26 June 1917
• Docket Number: 6 Div. 946
• Parties: SOUTHERN RY. CO. v. PROPST & DUCKWORTH.
• Court: Alabama Court of Appeals

76 So. 470

16 Ala.App. 186

SOUTHERN RY. CO. v. PROPST & DUCKWORTH.

6 Div. 946

Court of Appeals of Alabama

June 26, 1917

Appeal from Circuit Court, Lamar County; Bernard Harwood, Judge.

Action by Propst & Duckworth, a partnership composed of J.M. Propst and L.F. Duckworth, against the Southern Railway Company, for damages for failure to deliver and for injury to certain cows and calves delivered by the plaintiffs to the defendant to be delivered to plaintiffs' broker in St. Louis. From a judgment for plaintiffs, defendant appeals. Reversed and remanded.

Bankhead & Bankhead, of Jasper, for appellant.

Walter Nesmith, of Vernon, for appellees.

SAMFORD J.

There are but three assignments of error shown by the record; the first being that the court erred in giving the general affirmative charge in favor of the plaintiff, as requested in writing. This charge is set out in the bill of exceptions but is not in the record proper, as required by the statute. Acts 1915, p. 815. Under the decisions construing this act the court cannot consider this assignment of error. Carter v. State (4 Div. 474), 76 So. 468; Pilcher v. State, 77 So. 75; Dempsey v State, 72 So. 773.

The second assignment of error is based on the action of the trial court in allowing the plaintiff to prove the market value of the animals in question at East St. Louis, the point of destination. Defendant's counsel, in the trial specially objected to this testimony on the ground that it was in violation of a specific provision of the contract of shipment, to the effect that, should damage occur, for which the railway company would be liable, the value at the place and date of shipment shall govern the settlement. Over defendant's objection and exception, the plaintiff was allowed to prove the market value of the animals at St. Louis and the damage to the animals at that point. Section 6 of the contract of carriage, as shown by the bills of lading introduced in evidence by the plaintiff, so far as the same applies to this point, is in the following language:

"That should damage occur for which the railway company may be liable, the value at the place and date of shipment shall govern the settlement."

The bills of lading containing this clause were introduced in evidence by the plaintiff, and therefore we are bound to hold, under the authority of Ill. Central R. Co. v. J.R. Kilgore & Son, 12 Ala.App. 358, 67 So. 707, and Ex parte J.R. Kilgore & Son, 191 Ala. 671, 67 So. 1002, that the court committed error in admitting proof of the value of the cattle at East St. Louis, the point of destination. In view of the very elaborate and able opinion of Judge Thomas in the case just above cited, it is not necessary to discuss this point further.

The third assignment of error, based upon the action of the court in sustaining plaintiff's demurrer to defendant's plea No. 3, which alleged, in substance, that the cause of...