Title: Perry v. Kress & Co.
Citation: 187 Kan. 537, 358 P.2d 665
Docket Number: 41,976
State: Kansas
Issuer: Kansas Supreme Court
Date: January 21, 1961

187 Kan. 537 (1961)
358 P.2d 665
STEVE PERRY, a Minor by and through J.C. PERRY, his father, next friend and natural guardian, Appellee,
v.
S.H. KRESS AND COMPANY, a Corporation, and W.R. LOWE, Appellants.
No. 41,976

Supreme Court of Kansas.
Opinion filed January 21, 1961.
Kirke C. Veeder, of Independence, argued the cause and was on the briefs for the appellants.
Tom Crossan, of Independence, argued the cause and was on the briefs for the appellee.
The opinion of the court was delivered by
PARKER, C.J.:
Plaintiff Steve Perry, a minor, by his father J.C. Perry, as next friend and natural guardian, brought this action in the district court of Montgomery County against the defendants, S.H. Kress and Company, a corporation, and W.R. Lowe, the manager of its retail store at Independence, Kansas, to recover damages alleged to have been sustained by such minor by reason of certain acts and conduct on the part of the corporation's manager and employees, while acting within the scope of their employment, at a time when the plaintiff was within the confines of the corporation's place of business.
Inasmuch as the amended petition recites the acts and conduct on which plaintiff relies for recovery and the record makes it appear appellate issues are limited to rulings, hereinafter mentioned, made by the trial court on attacks made against it by the defendants, portions of that pleading will be quoted.
Omitting formal averments, factual assertions relating to matters *538 previously mentioned, allegations respecting the amount of damages claimed as a result of the alleged acts and conduct, and its prayer, pertinent portions of the amended petition read:
With the amended petition in form as just indicated defendants attacked that pleading by a motion wherein they charged in substance that it contained two causes of action, i.e., (1) for the alleged assault and battery upon plaintiff, and (2) for the alleged false imprisonment of plaintiff, and asked that plaintiff be required to separately state and number such causes of action, also that he be required to separately state the amount of damages claimed to have been sustained by him for the alleged assault and battery and for the alleged false imprisonment. This motion was overruled on July 1, 1959.
Thereupon defendants filed a demurrer to the amended petition based on grounds (1) that several causes of action were improperly joined therein and (2) that such pleading failed to state facts sufficient *539 to constitute a cause of action in favor of the plaintiff and against the defendants. This demurrer was overruled by the trial court on August 15, 1959.
Thereafter, and on September 5, 1959, defendants perfected the instant appeal under a notice of appeal, reciting they were appealing from the order overruling their motion to require plaintiff to separately state and number his causes of action and allege the damages claimed on account thereof and from the order overruling their demurrer to the amended petition. In this court under proper specifications of error they urge that each of such rulings is erroneous and should be reversed.
The first question raised by appellants is that under the existing facts and circumstances this court has appellate jurisdiction over both of the rulings from which they appeal. We agree.
The clear and unequivocal provisions of G.S. 1949, 60-3302, provide that this court may reverse, vacate or modify any order of the district court or a judge thereof that overrules or sustains a demurrer.
Under and by virtue of the provisions of G.S. 1959 Supp., 60-3314a, when an appeal or cross-appeal has been timely perfected the fact that some ruling of which the appealing or cross-appealing party complains of was made more than two months before he perfected his appeal shall not prevent a review of that ruling.
For a recent decision construing the force and effect to be given the last mentioned section of the statute see Wilson v. Kansas Turnpike Authority, 181 Kan. 1025, 317 P.2d 843, where it is held:
For other decisions of like import see Holmes v. Kalbach, 173 Kan. 736, 252 P.2d 603; Foster v. Humburg, 180 Kan. 64, 70, 299 P.2d 46; Williams v. City of Wichita, 184 Kan. 53, 56, 334 P.2d 353; Coe v. DeMars, 184 Kan. 780, 339 P.2d 72.
Here, as the facts previously related disclose, appellants included the ruling on their motion to separately state and number, made more than two months before they perfected their appeal, in their notice of appeal and also, as our rules provide (See Rule *540 5, 186 Kan. XI, G.S. 1949, 60-3826), included that ruling in the specification of errors complained of in their abstract.
Behind all claims of error made in this case, as well as contentions advanced with respect thereto, is the propriety of a fundamental and all-decisive legal question, repeatedly asserted and relied on by appellants, to the effect that assault and battery is no element of an action for false imprisonment. Notwithstanding their insistence we are unable to agree with appellants' position on this point.
Long ago in Comer v. Knowles, 17 Kan. (2d. Ed.) 436, in giving consideration to the nature and character of the action of false imprisonment, this court indicated its disagreement with appellants' view when it said:
Moreover, as we read the authorities from foreign jurisdictions, where the involved question has been squarely raised and decided, it is universally held that the action of false imprisonment always includes the element of an assault in the technical sense and the fact the assault is alleged to have been combined with a battery does not change the character of the action.
See, e.g., Beardsley v. Soper, 184 N.Y. (App. Div.) 399, 171 N.Y.S. 1043, where it is held:
And in the opinion said:
See, also, Burkland v. Bliss, 62 S.D. 91, 252 N.W. 25, which holds:
And states:
For other decisions of like import see White v. Thompson, (Mo.) 176 S.W.2d 53, 57; State v. Collins, (Mo.) 172 S.W.2d 284.
After a careful analysis of the amended petition, pertinent portions of which have been heretofore quoted, we are convinced this case is founded on false imprisonment and that, regardless whether it is strictly or liberally construed, such pleading states facts sufficient to constitute a cause of action for false imprisonment. Moreover, based on the foregoing authorities and what has been previously stated, we hold that the inclusion in the amended petition of a charge of assault and battery does not (1) change the character *542 of the action; (2) permit the sustaining of an attack against that pleading on the basis it contains more than one cause of action; (3) warrant the sustaining of a demurrer to such pleading premised on the ground several causes of action are improperly joined therein; nor (4) afford any sound ground for appellants' contention that such pleading is not drawn upon any definite theory and therefore fails to state a cause of action. It necessarily follows the trial court's rulings in denying appellants' motion to separately state and number and in overruling their demurrer to the amended petition were proper.
The judgment is affirmed.