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1 Super. Ct. Jud. 86

Poor v. Doble

Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court

Decided August 15, 1763

Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court · decided 1763-08-15

Poor brought an Action against one Jutsham, and, it being suggested to the Admiralty that Jutsham was on board a Vessell in the Harbour, the Writ was committed to a Water Bailiff, who entered the Vessell and took him. Doble interposed, went up to Boston, and upon his Return forced the Defendant Jutsham from the Officer and carried him off; upon this the present Action was grounded. There were several Exceptions in Abatement of the Writ taken.

Decided 1763-08-15

¶1Writ abated, 3 vs. 1. (2)

¶2(2) It appears to have been assumed that a civil action for a rescue was local, and could only be brought in the county where the cause of action or some part thereof arose, and the decision was Amply to the point that a conspiracy alone within a county was not sufficient to authorize the action to be brought there. No question of admiralty jurisdiction could have arisen, because even if a ship “ in Nantasket Bay a quarter of a mile from shore ” was not infra corpus comitatus, (12 Met. 387,) yet of torts upon the high sea the common law had concurrent jurisdiction. 2 Gallis. 422.

¶3For a somewhat analogous decision in a case in which the locality of the tort was the limit of jurisdiction, see Adams v. Haffard, 20 Pick. 127, where it was held, that an imprisonment on shore, in pursuance of orders given on the high sea, did not constitute a cause of action within admiralty jurisdiction.

¶4But whether an action on the case against rescuers is local at common law, quiere. An action of escape against the officer is transitory. Bac. Ab. Escape, F. -2 Chit. PI. (6th Am. Ed.) 736, 737, & note (d).

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