88 Md. 422 | Md. | 1898
delivered the opinion of the Court.
The appellant is a body corporate organized under the laws of the State of Virginia. Its charter name is “ The Grand Fountain of the United Order of True Reformers,” and the purposes for which it was formed are to provide a place of burial for deceased members, to defray the expenses of their funerals, to assist in the education and support of their widows and orphans and to give aid and assistance to its members in times of sickness and distress, and for such other benevolent objects as may be necessary. It has a capital stock, and its principal office is located in the City of Richmond. There are numerous subordinate Fountains in various States of the Union, and they are all under the jurisdiction of the Grand Fountain. These subordinate Fountains have their own constitutions and bylaws, framed by the central body, but the members are not members of the Grand Fountain. Both the Grand and subordinate Fountains have separate officers. The chief officer of the Grand Fountain is called the Grand Worthy Master. His duties, so far as we are advised
There are five bills of exception in the record. The
The first prayer of the appellant was a demurrer to the evidence, and it therefore becomes necessary to determine whether there was any legally sufficient evidence to entitle the plaintiff to recover. The prayer is not too general for it raises the question of the legal sufficiency of the evidence to sustain a recovery. West. Md. R. R. v. Carter, 59 Md. 306; Co. Com. v. Wise, 75 Md. 43; State use of James v. Kent Co., 83 Md. 383. The suit was not against the unincorporated subordinate Fountain which actually expelled the appellee, but against the body corporate of which he was not a member. That he was expelled by the Guiding Star Fountain is undisputed. That he was expelled because a letter purporting to have emanated from the chief executive officer of the appellant corporation directed the expulsion is equally free from doubt; and that this letter was read at the meeting of the members of the convention of the subordinate Fountains by a vice-president of the appellant corporation is not controverted. This is all the evidence there is in the record to show that the Grand Fountain was responsible for the appellee’s expulsion. Was that legally sufficient to prove that the Grand Fountain either directly or through its officers and servants acting within the scope of their authority so as to bind the appellant, expelled him from Guiding Star Fountain? It will scarcely be contended that the corporation is responsible for the unauthorized tortious acts of its officers and servants not done in the line of their duty, unless those acts are subsequently sanctioned and ratified. If then it be assumed that the Grand Worthy Master actually did order the subordinate Fountain to expel the appellee there is nothing in the record to show
Without going into a discussion of other questions raised we content ourselves with saying that for the reasons we have given the first prayer of the defendant ought to have been granted. Because of its rejection the judgment must be reversed.
Inasmuch as the first, second, third and fourth bills of exception are not properly before us, the cost of their being printed in the record must be borne by the appellant.
Judgment reversed zvith costs above and below, except as just indicated to the contrary.