Cleveland, Cincinnati, Chicago & St. Louis Railroad v. Scott

111 Ill. App. 234, 1903 Ill. App. LEXIS 233
CourtAppellate Court of Illinois
DecidedNovember 17, 1903
StatusPublished

This text of 111 Ill. App. 234 (Cleveland, Cincinnati, Chicago & St. Louis Railroad v. Scott) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Appellate Court of Illinois primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Cleveland, Cincinnati, Chicago & St. Louis Railroad v. Scott, 111 Ill. App. 234, 1903 Ill. App. LEXIS 233 (Ill. Ct. App. 1903).

Opinion

Mr. Justice Puterbaugh

delivered the opinion of the court.

This is an action on the case, by appellee against appellant, to recover damages for personal injuries, alleged to have been by her sustained through.the negligence of the appellant company, while a passenger upon one of its trains. Upon a trial of the cause in the Circuit Court, the plaintiff recovered judgment in the sum of $500, to reverse which the defendant appeals. At the close of the plaintiff’s evideuce, the defendant moved the court to instruct the jury to return a verdict for the defendant, which motion was overruled; and at the close of all the evidence said motion was renewed and again overruled by the court.

The first count of the declaration charged in substance that the plaintiff, who was then and there a child of seven years of age, in company with her mother, took passage on the defendant’s train at Tower Hill for Shelbyville, and then and there paid said defendant the regular charges for a ticket for transportation between said stations; that the defendant was then and there in duty bound to have and keep the car in which plaintiff was riding in safe condition for the protection of infants of the age of plaintiff; that the defendant, not regarding its duty in that behalf, wrongfully and negligently suffered the same to be in an unsafe condition by negligently-leaving one of the windows adjacent to the seat in which plaintiff was seated to be open and not properly secured from and against falling when the said cars were afterwards in motion, by means whereof the plaintiff, who was then and there sitting in the seat in said car and had one of her hands lying upon the sill of the said window, and while she was exercising due care and caution, the said window suddenly and without plaintiff’s having in any way touched the same, became unfastened and fell upon the linger of the plaintiff, bruising and injuring the same, etc.

The second count charges that the plaintiff with her mother secured passage on the train from Tower Hill to Shelbyville and then and there paid defendant for said passage in one of its coaches; that it was the duty of the defendant to have and keep its said passenger coaches in a condition of safety at all times for passengers, and for plaintiff, who was then and there a child of seven years; yet the defendant did not have said passenger coach safely arranged, but carelessly and negligently allowed the window at the end of the seat in which plaintiff was sitting to be open and the sash pushed up, and the catches or locks on said sash were not so arranged as to prevent the falling of the said sash; and that while the plaintiff was sitting in said seat with one hand on the window sill and one finger . extending over and into the slot of space where the window sash is when the window is shut, without any fault on her own part, the said window sash fell, etc.

The facts in the case as developed by the evidence are in part substantially as follows: appellee, who was at the time past the age of eight years and small in size for that age, in company with her mother and aunt, took passage upon a passenger train of appellant at Tower Hill to be carried to Shelbyville, Illinois. Upon entering the coach, appellee seated herself next to an open window and facing her mother, who was in the opposite seat. After the train had proceeded several miles, and while appellee was sitting with both of her hands upon the sill of such open window looking out, the window suddenly fell and cut off a small portion of one of her fingers. Prior to the injury the conductor had taken up the ticket of the mother but had neither demanded nor received any ticket or fare from appellee or from her mother for her, and it is admitted that no ticket had been purchased for her prior to boarding the train.

The device used for holding the window in place Avhen raised, was one commonly used for that purpose in raihvay passenger coaches, and consisted of a small bolt or fastener running through the Avindow sash, which was held in a socket in the window frame by a spring. There was a brass catch which when pressed or squeezed between the thumb and forefinger withdrew the bolt from the socket and released the window. , .

The mother of appellee testified that when the window started to fall appellee Avas sitting AAfith her hands on the window sill, and that she is positive that appellee did not touch the lock or catch.. Appellee’s aunt testified that appellee was looking out of the Avindow when it fell, and that no one touched the window from the time they boarded the car until it fell.

Appellee admitted in her testimony that she may have touched the catch, but denied that she attempted to raise or lower the window. A number of witnesses called by appellant each testified that they examined the lock or catch in question shortly after the accident and found it to be in good working condition and perfect repair. There was also evidence showing that no change was made in the window or fastenings from the time of the accident until such examination.

Appellant insists that the peremptory instruction offered should have been given in view of the fact that the evidence fails to prove the averment of the declaration that plaintiff had paid her fare. The first count avers that the plaintiff had “ paid the defendant the regular charge for a ticket,” and the second count, that she had “ paid the defendant for said passage,” and it is admitted that no fare was paid by appellee, or for her. The duty of appellant toward appellee, upon the alleged neglect of which her alleged right of recovery is based, arose, if at all, from the implied contract by appellant to exercise due care, skill a-nd diligence in transporting her safely to her destination. In other words, the particular duty upon which the liability is » based, arises from the fact, as alleged, that she was a pas- \ senger upon appellant’s railroad. While it is true that in an action founded upon an express or implied contract, against a carrier for negligence, the declaration must correctly state the contract, or the particular duty or consideration from which the liability results and on which it is based (Ry. Co. v. Friedman, 146 Ill. 584), it is unnecessary, we think, in the correct statement of the contract of carriage between appellant and appellee, to allege the payment of fare. In R. R. Co. v. Manning, 170 Ill. 417, in which the precise question under consideration was raised,' the court said:

“ It is universally agreed that the payment of the fare or price of the carriage, is not necessary to give rise to the liability. The carrier may demand payment if he chooses to do so, but if he permits the passenger to take his seat or enter his vehicle as a passenger, without such requirement, the obligation to pay will stand for the actual payment for the purpose of giving effect to the contract, with all its obligations and duties. Taking his place in the carrier’s conveyance, with the intention of being carried, creates an implied agreement upon the part of the passenger to pay when called upon, and puts him under a liability to the carrier from which at once spring the reciprocal duty and responsibility of the carrier.”

It is not controverted that the conductor at no time demanded either of appellee or her mother for her, either a ticket or her fare, and we can not assume that if such demand had been made, she or her mother would not have paid the same.

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
111 Ill. App. 234, 1903 Ill. App. LEXIS 233, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/cleveland-cincinnati-chicago-st-louis-railroad-v-scott-illappct-1903.