Case Name: Blatz et al. v. Rohrbach
Court: New York Supreme Court, General Term
Jurisdiction: New York
Decision Date: 1891-05-11
Citations: 14 N.Y.S. 458
Docket Number: 
Parties: Blatz et al. v. Rohrbach.
Judges: 
Reporter: West's New York Supplement
Volume: 14
Pages: 458–460

Head Matter:
Blatz et al. v. Rohrbach.
(Supreme Court, General Term, Second Department.
May 11, 1891.)
Intoxicating Liquors—Civil Damage.
In an action under Laws N. Y. 1873, c. 646, (Civil Damage Act,) to recover for the suicide of plaintiff’s father, committed while intoxicated, it appeared that decedent went home intoxicated at 11 o’clock at night, and was found dead the next morning. He had been at defendant’s saloon aportionof theevening, having leftatlOo’clock, after drinking two glasses of “spenk beer, ” in a perfectly sober condition. There was evidence that “spenk beer” would not intoxicate. Held, that the complaint was properly dismissed.
Appeal from circuit court, Westchester county.
Action by William T. Blatz and others against Jacob Rohrbach. Thé complaint was dismissed, and plaintiffs appeal.
Argued before Barnard, P. J., and Dykman and Pratt, JJ.
Charles H. Noxon, for appellants. L. L. Van Allen, for respondent.

Opinion:
Barnard, P. J.
The complaint was properly dismissed. The father of the plaintiff committed suicide on the 3d of March, 1885. He went home in toxicated about 11 F. M., and was found dead next morning. He was proven to have passed a portion of the evening of March 3, 1885, at defendant's saloon, and that he drank while there two glasses of a mild kind of lager-beer. He was perfectly sober while there, and perfectly sober when he left the defendant's premises at about 10 p. m. There was proof given that this mild form of lager-beer called "Spenk Beer" will not intoxicate. Upon this evidence the jury could not give a verdict that the intoxication which induced the suicide was occasioned in whole or in part by the defendant. The judgment should therefore be affirmed, with costs.