, 1873-03-25
Eloquent and Sweeping Decision as
to Exemptions Of Public
Companies.
Aessupreme Court Decides Tint Restricted
Liability on Tclegraphic lessayes
is Unlawful.
Tho Sender Is Declared Not to Be
Obliged to Repeat Ills
Message.
Alleged Restrictions Denounced as q
Sham, Delusion, and Imposition.

ri Now York, sized tho Wcatorn Union Telegraph |
Eompnny, In aBaumpuit Tor tnn,agos for careaa-
.neBB in transmitting dispatch from Chicago to
New York, authorizing Wrcun to buy 100 shares
Etstern 1Inio1i socl, which lilo operator tyans-
ittol as Al, authority to buy 1000uharca of that
stock. Tlie jury fouuti for tho plEntlfI, damages
H2.G0, being tho cost Of the 1nossago, motion for
now trial wns ovorrulca, and tho caso was mp |
pealod to the Supreme Court, whoso opinion, |
" Judge Drceso,w we now give iu c1lrtailod shapo.
Tho Court, nGtcr extensively quoting tho author-
5tios on tho varioua conflicting forms in which
.ho caso presented iBolr, concluded rs followas
In Tho various md somewhat conflicting dcciaons
pf The courts on lo question presented wS % arS r.
r"sd to h no ad eu nSt uy .s pn
Mlgensc, boil, to their instrnn'ents an The care
nd rklt Ut their operators Tho plaintiffs asuG |
ysovpo vss hsssives, sIai s;e shon how tle
lao Tiat.s, aud was in stu power Of tu defendants
fu tia auscuco Of such proof, tho Jury would 10
bs,s II tho Il s,.l1Int II tho crror was eaused by a
b,orpvrIs disturbances, Or monentary displacement
pf tie w.c., thu defendants knew 1t and ought to HhoW
IT, In lilo alweneo Of auy proof on lolr Ilr the Jury
,honia 10 Told tue presumption "ns want Of ordinary
ssised sis iI to Istrue ho jury at thu oopnay waa
h. gsoS. ns9sS It s the ae foe,n Of
s oSSF t sross rgsns
,Gaint ,1hn 1t would bo against public policy 20
70 s wf IN 'ss sr
Ivy arc, nl.o railroads. public is'itnols laTing d.
rsrSrn e m Tug nnDn o. EeafS,Hi psps I
,recsl conditions reiea upon. y responsible for na-
ss r osa a or e
operators t not ier mistakes accustomed by uncon-
frolab1e ca,1seu. This Company Gousht The
PATRONAGE, OF THE rUDL1o
In tho exercise cf tcsr en,plosncnt ana aasse That
public tly would sc at east ordinary care anil dlli-
md rs I'd thu tE IT thclr operators. It cannot be
lalneh tho contract in question vas desxnea to rela1
as.s ss nd si.i employ ssifnl Operators, Az sna
:sy s esrs 1f'hes as asaso ;ss sS To S s
sondretng their bn;;';es' T. Tug eoraons relied {1ls
~es uS oH:s from Want Of a u
tr insat'cicncy Of tnssrnelse, which wonl ne groaa
ncssiL,cur"t G'ictl condition would bo contrary to
public policy, and void THO lrctext for tnnoaing the
condition "to Earl against, and correct ns 1nucl
pleric n:.d oLer eauscs nnierain;nY telegrnpny"
rtc III acso oer cat,scs," IT cannot DO allowed to
n1rrcv1vE 1ssrnr.1cS1s on ussE1L1ru1 orEnHrons,
for tho Company :so 1nusa, hy ttr nblfNAttona 70
osa"la QUO a d cs .f z H. an a
inosrune's Of t''a n'ost approved Gohstrncsson.
9s o,1 ss % It sq s busysa sy ' i :.
1t.os:ivc "riara,', aud 'riifnl operators aprotan
10 ls:ncss ai,h public cnroyiasn'k other than ele.
grlpny. \ r,il:oHl company r...un: bA e1cased uu
saili,S to employ competent eaginea uni! servants 10
s,'sage conduct them, nnl tho 'yains to which
ins:incet engines or by ti,e irtolpeercy Of their
engineers, tlcs us Liable Wr canpo+ hold that t,o
Company % from lssscs mud tla:aaco oscasIoned BY
cauEes wholly within thcir ow1 control. Ihey nuat
tclcgralhy, and which aro unavoidable. a point IS
nao ny aprelIees TUT ts nsgigtmeo q agneans
Testiun Of iact for tho Jury, i il is established
thry cannot But ~ fa 10 , discover a,ny ~,
sf ] Of I ssto Il u q r s ' sss sss II
wsa not his duty 10 telegraph hack 10 ascertain tho
correctness Of tho n:cgsasc. Tbs Company was
nn,:sp to BEND lEsrAor CoKnEcCLY
Tho 1s 5s ses 1t IL sss1 ,s " opef; p s
below nat tie first tive we're properly refurea by ho
Court, for thu rcAson there wac no evidence on wAlch
to base them There may have been ne direct testt-
tnouy this point, Int Jury u permitted to infer
fact from cren.nslaE,ca proved to thena It waa IN
proof .y John II Wrcun,. nnd not attempted to be
ecirt t,Isrra,n from chitago, Which, he did On tho
sot1 Of oc.usr, e!ans that an error lad been com,
t,are,, lie vent Immediately to The office Of the Com,
Lany, IN e;ew York, an. asked them to correct y. T.
ccs , but W IN cniengo. lea wo fink tie intention Of hs
ury properly called by ,heso instr,eons to TIL,
power Of tic ,!rfcndants to show he mlstaEo did no
occur st TUG chlsugo elce by producing the Original
If tho fact WIS the error occurred in tue Chicago
Office, then the plaintiffs right to recover IL un
oitee Sa
Instrument or ~ anss[nl operator and tor sese IT,
94eIe by appellee lot unlsserving Of notice. and thu
isa 81 knowledge, tho part Of TIC Company d
trlinr inpo:tunec, tbs Company u bonnd to iraus
n IL sFayt le1s assos,a,ng to to . sane 2 q tn
II t::c!r efforts 10 d. Dut tic dispatch dsetonet
the unae Of tho h,:iness ns fully ~ The ease ds d
j: t. III. O.. ". wenger: Tis d!sEateL waa "na
9y % fy sa 3 {s nsstS si.sste aa SS III
eo7rt thc nature ot the 1ustnees 70 which il reIate
AMI that n loss might occur if # WIS DELAYED. 1
transmission IA to tbls 1ont. that ap1eilecs nlonl
tlave hid I'll ornortnuity to replace tho stock nefor
sr, ta rans ss III cteS
such .rosuhity for ls 'sstitich 10 wont t3 them
Dn ttr refusal tho rrctext that The
ttse chitso el'se ho tel purchased e 1sayo earl
fully read alld considered Ill That has bcsn written
shc lubjucs Vi tAo
AIT OF rcLEonApny
which oar hsaries ,, farnt.1 a,.l We ere not M sa.
csus ot respectable courts aro placed III tho ilr4
pase, .ote.n teissfelny ~ ,!o now an tnlans art
nos Elore, who has tho hoancss to render aal,o
diLate 10 tho wants II man tlo most subtle clement
wants, aud wishes to 'ls nrthea limit Of Civilization
and With tho speed Of Its llnrs.l clement ~ ita h
Tiry years haze Witnessed yaH improvements III Il
nrt- higher huowltlgs Of the sublIn agent called I'M
Rl in theHo who operate them, 10 that. setting asit
as:,osphssc cn,es which l'ayo not yet been rroydt
tiat ssrn q iino q viz, pyopesiy e5tabi,,el, I
mast lrrfec Instruments a1 skilled operators, wl
exercise their skill with proper care, ichsno start.
ut Chicago Nav York H. sure to reaeh lta slea
to,l esavtly In ,Ao wurls un1 figures In which 1t VI
started, as tho ..
LIGnrHIs0 Is SURE TO erRISK
tho oect Witch atssg T. It. Intelligent an% ao sl y
plrrc Icing right n,.u ill elau right, why mtEs%
corrrul!y Hiarted esoull not bo correctly transmit
nlong tho lii" to the end OF tho line, no mi
tor how n!nny hundred miles h1under N
b. tho Iunt nf lis departure and I
point If III rceeption II this be SO. then :
la lv tF,rn rnllrf9 In fUHb who
tuko tln business slould no. bo Initiated or cncoi
ngea by this Court. Again, It IL sail hy enllshten
courts whose opinions We llaye quoted, that tltt
forms, furnished by thp Ecscral companies, md tn
arc all alike when used by tho ucider OK mesent
aud signed by him, hecn,nsa contract between h
and thv company, ,y tlu terlna of which ho iii
abide. Tie Court told tho Jury in no ualy wort