{ "id": 1456515, "name": "Missouri Pacific Railroad Company v. Quick", "name_abbreviation": "Missouri Pacific Railroad v. Quick", "decision_date": "1940-02-26", "docket_number": "4-5797", "first_page": "1134", "last_page": "1140", "citations": [ { "type": "official", "cite": "199 Ark. 1134" }, { "type": "parallel", "cite": "137 S.W. 263" } ], "court": { "name_abbreviation": "Ark.", "id": 8808, "name": "Arkansas Supreme Court" }, "jurisdiction": { "id": 34, "name_long": "Arkansas", "name": "Ark." }, "cites_to": [ { "cite": "22 S. W. 2d 408", "category": "reporters:state_regional", "reporter": "S.W.2d", "opinion_index": 0 }, { "cite": "180 Ark. 684", "category": "reporters:state", "reporter": "Ark.", "case_ids": [ 1393507 ], "opinion_index": 0, "case_paths": [ "/ark/180/0684-01" ] }, { "cite": "105 S. W. 72", "category": "reporters:state_regional", "reporter": "S.W.", "opinion_index": 0 }, { "cite": "84 Ark. 193", "category": "reporters:state", "reporter": "Ark.", "case_ids": [ 1524346 ], "opinion_index": 0, "case_paths": [ "/ark/84/0193-01" ] } ], "analysis": { "cardinality": 594, "char_count": 9818, "ocr_confidence": 0.52, "pagerank": { "raw": 8.958875016565372e-08, "percentile": 0.5019070609908145 }, "sha256": "c9f707ec86f0815daf2984c9af515b78394eed122f82c5a6eb7224208cd4514a", "simhash": "1:67bca40a976a1ef1", "word_count": 1711 }, "last_updated": "2023-07-14T16:09:45.659289+00:00", "provenance": { "date_added": "2019-08-29", "source": "Harvard", "batch": "2018" }, "casebody": { "judges": [ "Mr. Justice Humphreys and Mr. Justice Mehaffy dissent." ], "parties": [ "Missouri Pacific Railroad Company v. Quick." ], "opinions": [ { "text": "Griffin Smith, C. J.\nThe appeal is from a judgment for $4,000' to compensate damages for false' arrest.\nThe transaction was this: Appellee, who was a retailer of ice, had formerly sold junk. The morning of December 8, 1938, he was accosted by Special Agent Matt Bonds on unenclosed property in North Little Rock owned by Missouri Pacific Railroad Company, near the railroad shops.\nAppellee says that about 12:30 o\u2019clock a. m. he started up Pike avenue toward Levy, intending to stop at a place on Eighteenth and Pike streets and drink a bottle of beer. Finding the place closed, he proceeded to Thirteenth and Pike streets where the open area begins, the intention being to cut across to Eighteenth and Railroad streets to patronize a beer joint.\nWhile walking down tracks that are used for burning coaches, appellee saw three men. Some overturned coaches were on the left of the track. Still proceeding up the center of the track, appellee says that when he saw the three men he stepped back to the left of the back coach, but did not actually stop until halted by Bonds. He says there was a path about where he passed the men, or where the men were.\nAppellee\u2019s version of the transaction is that he had walked about two car lengths when some one- commanded him to halt; whereupon, he started running. Two shots were fired. The ground was slippery, and appellee fell. He had, however, decided that the man who commanded him to halt was probably a nightwatchman. As appellee endeavored to rise Bonds came near with a flashlight. After a heated discussion appellee was allowed to go home.\nDuring business hours the morning of the 8th Bonds, accompanied by Jake Broadway (also a railroad agent) called at appellee\u2019s home. The latter agreed to go to Monroe\u2019s office in the depot \u201cto explain the situation.\u201d\nAppellee says Monroe accused him of stealing railroad property and insisted that he admit it. There is this testimony by appellee:\n\u201cI denied the charge and started to leave. When I got my hat thej^ said, \u2018Sit down! You are not going anywhere.\u2019 They asked me to make a statement as to where I was the night before. I didn\u2019t want to make a statement, but they told me I had to; so I made one because I didn\u2019t see any other way of getting away from them. Then Mr. Monroe said, \u2018Take him to the North Little Rook jail and lock him up.\u2019 This statement was made to Bonds and Broadway and a clerk . . . Their manner was rough, and they convinced me I could not leave without being stopped. Bonds carried a gun. This was the only one I saw.\u201d\n. Appellee\u2019s explanation of subsequent treatment is that \u201cThey took me down to Mr.' Broadway\u2019s car. Some of them got behind me and some in .front of me and seemed to be crowding me close. We drove to the police station and they charged me with trespassing and made another charge. They didn\u2019t docket me for that\u2014 I don\u2019t know why.\u201d\nAppellee says he was locked up about eleven o\u2019clock and was not permitted to communicate with his family. He remained in jail until the morning of December 101\nThe record reflects that when appellee was brought to the police station December 8, Chief of Detectives McDougal noted on the docket that appellee was to be held on suspicion.\nAt the hearing December 10 Bonds exhibited a quantity of sheet copper upon which the name \u201cT. II. Quick\u201d had been written with chalk. Appellee testified that Bonds charged him with having stolen the metal. The case was continued until December 17. The accused was then discharged. Between the two hearings he was released on his own recognizance.\nBonds testified that the railroad company had missed \u201cquite a lot\u201d of brass and copper from the yard where appellee was apprehended.\nThere are three tracks on that part of the property where appellee was stopped, all running east and west. Bonds stationed himself between two cars. On the tlvtrack \u2014 to the north \u2014 several coaches had been placed in order that they might be destroyed. While sitting in the position selected (to ascertain, if possible, who had been stealing the copper and brass) Bonds heard a peculiar noise. Almost simultaneously two men approached. They proved to be employees who had been working on a switch engine in the shops. The two men had just been relieved from their duties and were going home.\nWhen the two late workers left, Bonds turned to his right. He was then near \u201cthe last of the three coaches,\u201d and about 150 yards .from Pike avenue. \u201cI was coming up the track,\u201d he said, \u201calong the dark side of the coaches to where I heard the noise. When I got to within 25 steps behind the two coaches, Quick ran right in between the two coaches and me. I fired two shots after commanding him to halt, and he fell to the ground. I shot into the ground.\u201d\nAppeTee insisted he had not been guilty of conduct justifying arrest and refused to go with Bonds. Before taking his leave appellee went with the agent to the supposed place whence the noise came. Two piles of copper sheeting were found. The noise, according to Bonds, \u201csounded like somebody beating something together.\u201d\nOn the question of having detained appellee in Monroe\u2019s office, Bonds testified that a clerk named Weaver took appellee\u2019s statement; that appellee voluntarily signed it; that he went willingly with them to the police station where he was turned over to the desk sergeant; that appellee had on two previous occasions been found in the railroad yards and had been asked to stay out; that on one occasion appellee was in the yards \u201cpilfering around\u201d; that there are paths through the property used to some extent by the public, but there was not a path at the point appellee ran from on the morning of December 8.\nBonds insists that appellee was not under arrest.\nIt is freely admitted by appellee that he willingly went with the special agents to Monroe\u2019s office. But, it is insisted, he was there detained against his will, and was later taken by Bonds, Broadway, and another, to the North Little Bock police station.\nAt no time was violence used, nor does appellee claim to have been touched. He says that in leaving Monroe\u2019s office some of the agents were in front of him, and some were behind him, and \u201cthey seemed to be crowding me. \u2019 \u2019\nThe conduct of the agents in Monroe\u2019s office was described by appellee in response to the leading question: \u201cTell the .jury, Mr. Quick, just what was the manner of Mr. Monroe and the other officers in there in questioning\u2019 you; that is, whether or not they talked to you in a friendly attitude. I don\u2019t want to suggest; but give the manner of their questioning of you.\u201d The reply was: \u201cTheir, manner was rough, and they convinced me I could not leave without being stopped.\u201d\nThe record shows that at the time referred to by appellee he was being urged to make a statement. The entire transaction seems to have been one of words. The so-called coercion which convinced appellee he could not leave without being stopped was not that of force or threats. There was no suggestion of bodily harm \u2014 no \u201claying on of hands,\u201d no restraint other than that induced by conversation which appellee characterized as \u201crough\u201d without repeating\" the language used.\nUpon reaching the police station the technical accusation was trespassing. But the police officer in charge, seemingly upon his own responsibility, made notation that the accused was being held on suspicion. Certainly there were suspicious circumstances attending appellee\u2019s arrest by Bonds when appellee was commanded to halt, and we think any reasonably prudent officer, or any agent having his employer\u2019s interests in mind, would have looked with misgiving\u2019s upon appellee \u2019s conduct.\nIn the question asked by counsel for appellee, referred to supra, as a leading question, Monroe, Broadway, Bonds and Weaver are referred to as \u201cofficers.\u201d We must assume, therefore, that they were. Although appellant railroad company at one place in its brief discusses the events as though the agents were private individuals, there is the subsequent statement that \u201cUnder all of these circumstances the officers were justified in submitting the facts to the police.\u201d\nIn 35 A. L. R., at page 680, it is said:\n\u201cA railroad company is not liable for false arrest by a detective in its employ, of a passenger at its station, where the latter\u2019s appearance and behavior justified the belief that he had committed, or was about to commit, a felony.\u201d\nIn support of the foregoing rule, St. Louis & San Francisco Railroad Company v. Wyatt, 84 Ark. 193, 105 S. W. 72, is cited. A headnote to the Wyatt Case is: \u201cA railroad company is not liable for the authorized act of one of its employees in causing the arrest of a passenger if such employee had reasonable cause for believing that such passenger had committed a felony.\u201d\nWe have not overlooked Missouri Pacific Railroad Company v. Yancey, 180 Ark. 684, 22 S. W. 2d 408. The facts in the Yancey Case are strikingly similar to those in the instant case. There is one material difference: In the Yancey Case White, the special agent, did not testify that Yancey was in the act of committing a felony. On the contrary, he contended that the arrest was made at the instance of the city marshall of McGehee on a different charge.\nThe case at bar turn's on the good faith of those charged with having falsely arrested appellee.\nOur view is that there was probable cause for believing appellee was attempting to take property from the railroad yard.\nThe judgment is reversed and the cause dismissed.\nMr. Justice Humphreys and Mr. Justice Mehaffy dissent.\nThe charge spoken of by appellee which was not preferred was that of resisting an officer.", "type": "majority", "author": "Griffin Smith, C. J." } ], "attorneys": [ "Henry Bonham and E. W. Moorhead, for appellant.", "Robert J. Brown, Jr., and L. B. Smead, for appellee." ], "corrections": "", "head_matter": "Missouri Pacific Railroad Company v. Quick.\n4-5797\n137 S. W. 263\nOpinion delivered February 26, 1940.\nHenry Bonham and E. W. Moorhead, for appellant.\nRobert J. Brown, Jr., and L. B. Smead, for appellee." }, "file_name": "1134-01", "first_page_order": 1152, "last_page_order": 1158 }