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Burton v. HolleyBurton v. Holley

Supreme Court of Alabama
Jun 15, 1856
Reporters:
Before:
Rice
RICE, C. J.

In an action for the wrongful taking and withholding of the plaintiff’s slaves, he ‍‌‌​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​‌​​‌​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌‌‌‌​​​​​​​​​​‌​‌‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌‌‌‌​​​​​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​​‌​​‌‌​​‍cannot recover special damage, which is not, in legal contemplation, the natural and *320proximate consequence of the tortious act alleged in his complaint. The special damage, which the evidence offered by the plaintiff ‍‌‌​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​‌​​‌​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌‌‌‌​​​​​​​​​​‌​‌‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌‌‌‌​​​​​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​​‌​​‌‌​​‍in. this case, and excluded by the court, tended to prove, was not the natoal and proximate consequence of the tortious act alleged in his complaint. There was, therefore, no error ‍‌‌​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​‌​​‌​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌‌‌‌​​​​​​​​​​‌​‌‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌‌‌‌​​​​​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​​‌​​‌‌​​‍in excluding that evidence. — Sims v. Glazener, 14 Ala. R. 695; Donnell v. Jones, 13 ib. 490 ; Walker v. Walker, 26 ib. 211; Ivey v. McQueen, 11 Ala. R. 408.

No question is raised by the ‍‌‌​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​‌​​‌​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌‌‌‌​​​​​​​​​​‌​‌‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌‌‌‌​​​​​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​​‌​​‌‌​​‍evidence, or by the argument of appellant’s Counsel, as to the right of a plaintiff in such a case as this to recover vindictive damages ; and therefore we decide nothing in ‍‌‌​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​‌​​‌​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌‌‌‌​​​​​​​​​​‌​‌‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌‌‌‌​​​​​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​​‌​​‌‌​​‍this case, as to that question. — See Sims v. Glazener, and Ivey v. McQueen, supra.

Judgment affirmed.

Case Details

Case Name: Burton v. Holley
Court Name: Supreme Court of Alabama
Date Published: Jun 15, 1856
Citation: 29 Ala. 318
Court Abbreviation: Ala.
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