York Corporation v. E. Perry Iron & Metal Co.

On appeal. This is an action to recover damages for the conversion of copper wire. The jury returned a verdict of $1701 for the value of the wire, and assessed punitive damages at $500.

The evidence viewed most favorably for the plaintiff discloses the following:

The plaintiff York Corporation is a utility generating and selling electricity. From July 1958 to November 1959 there was a series of thefts of high tension copper wire from the plaintiff’s pole lines totaling 15,540 pounds. Six. men pleaded guilty and were convicted of the thefts.

Two of the men convicted sold 3,000 pounds of the wire…