Pittman v. Western Union Telegraph Co.

Citations

• 108 Miss. 487
• 66 So. 977

Syllabus

<p>Telegraphs and Telephones. Death, message. Transmission. Negligence. Exemplary damages.</p> <p>In a suit by the sendee of a death message for the statutory penalty and for actual and punitive damages for failure to transmit and receive correctly such message, where the message was addressed to D. H. “Pittman,” but the receiving operator understood it to be “Pillman” and knowing there was no such person changed it to “Hillman,” and being still uncertain as to the addressee, the operator sent a service message to the sending office inquiring whether the name was “Pillman” or “Hillman” and was answered that the name was “Pittman,” but she understood the message to read “Hillman,” and being still dissatisr fied, sent another service message, to which no reply was made, and the message was never delivered. In such case the plaintiff was entitled to have submitted to the jury his right to recover punitive damages.</p>