Grimes v. Eddy

28 S.W. 756, 126 Mo. 168, 1894 Mo. LEXIS 352
CourtSupreme Court of Missouri
DecidedDecember 22, 1894
StatusPublished
Cited by23 cases

This text of 28 S.W. 756 (Grimes v. Eddy) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Supreme Court of Missouri primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Grimes v. Eddy, 28 S.W. 756, 126 Mo. 168, 1894 Mo. LEXIS 352 (Mo. 1894).

Opinion

Burgess, J.

— This is an action to recover the value of a cow alleged to have died from Texas fever contracted from cattle shipped over the Missouri, Kansas & Texas Railway, while the same was being operated by the defendants as receivers. The suit was commenced before a justice of the peace in ■ Monroe county, and appealed to the circuit court. The statement is in two counts, and, leaving off the caption, is as follows-:

“Plaintiff says that the Missouri, Kansas & Texas Railway Company was, on and after the day hereinafter mentioned, and now is, a railroad corporation organized under the laws of the state of Kansas, and that at the time hereinafter mentioned, defendants, [172]*172Gteo. A. Eddy and H. C. Cross, were, and now are, receivers of the said Missouri, Kansas & Texas Bailway Company, appointed by the United States circuit court for the eighth judicial circuit, and as such receivers, were, at said date, and now are, in possession of the railroad of said corporation, known as the Missouri, Kansas & Texas railroad, running through the county of Monroe in the state of Missouri, and as said receivers, engaged in running and operating the same, and doing a general railroad business-over and on said railroad.

“Plaintiff states that on or about the-day of May, 1890, defendants, as such receivers, were engaged in transporting upon said railroad, and had upon their cars, while so transporting through Monroe county, Missouri, a large number of Texas cattle, said cattle being at said time infected with a deadly disease known as Texas fever; that all Texas cattle during the spring and summer months, whether perceptibly affected by said disease or not, communicate the same to all cattle raised in Missouri, passing over land previously passed over by such Texas cattle; that defendants at said time well knew that said cattle were Texas cattle, that they were infected with said disease and of the liability aforesaid to communicate said disease to Missouri raised cattle by leaving the germs of said disease upon the ground over which they traveled, and and that defendants as such'receivers, so knowing, and while said Texas cattle were by them being transported across Monroe county, Missouri, wrongfully and negligently, by their servants and employees permitted said Texas cattle, so infected with said disease and so liable to communicate said disease as aforesaid, whether apparently affected themselves or not, to escape from the control and custody of said defendants and run at large over a large area.of land in Monroe county, Missouri, including public highways, for a space of [173]*173twelve hours or more; and that plaintiff then and there being the owner of a certain Missouri raised cow of the value of $125, the same, without any fault or negligence of plaintiff, passed «over the ground over which said Texas cattle had passed as aforesaid, and thereby the said disease of Texas fever was communicated to plaintiff’s cow, whereby she sickened and died, so that she was wholly lost to plaintiff, whereby he was damaged in the sum of $125, for which he asks judgment.

“Plaintiff, for another >eause of action against defendants, as Receivers as aforesaid, states that the Missouri, Kansas & 'Texas Railway Company was, on and after the days hereinafter mentioned, and now is, a railroad corporation organized under the laws of the state of Kansas, and at the time hereinafter mentioned defendants were, and now are, the receivers of the said Missouri, Kansas & Texas Railway Company, appointed by the United States circuit court for the eighth judicial circuit, and, as such receivers, were, at said dates, and now are, in possession of the railroad of said corporation known as the Missouri, Kansas & Texas railroad, running through the county of Monroe in the state of Missouri, and as such receivers, engaged in running and operating the same and doing a general railroad business over and on said railroad. Plaintiff states that on or about the-day of May, 1890, defendants, as such receivers, were engaged in transporting upon said railroad, and had upon their-cars while so transporting through Monroe county, Missouri, a large number of Texas cattle, at said time being affected with the disease known as Texas fever, that defendant at said time well knew that said cattle were Texas cattle, and were affected with Texas fever; that said cattle, while being so transported by defendants, were permitted by defendants to escape from the cars in said Monroe county, and to run at large over a [174]*174large area of land in said county along the route and in the vicinity of said railroad, including public highways, for the space of twelve hours or more, and that plaintiff then and there being the owner of a certain native Missouri raised cow of the value of $125, the same, without any fault or negligence of the part of the plaintiff, passed over the ground over which said Texas cattle had passed as aforesaid, and thereby the said disease of Texas fever was communicated to plaintiff’s said cow, whereby she sickened and died, so that she was wholly lost to plaintiff, whereby he was damaged in the sum of $125, wherefore plaintiff says that under the provisions of sections 953 and 954 of the Revised Statutes of Missouri, 1889, he is entitled to recover from defendants the sum of $125, for which he asks judgment.”

To the statement defendants filed a,n answer denying all the allegations contained therein. A separate trial was had on each count, resulting in a verdict and judgment for plaintiff on both counts.

It was by stipulation admitted that the cattle, which it is claimed caused the injury, were shipped from Sinton, in San Patricio county, Texas, over a line of railroad connecting with that operated by the defendants at West Point, Texas, and then delivered to the defendants, consigned to Chicago, Illinois. Said cattle were shipped May 16, 1890, and reached Paris, Monroe county, on the morning of May 21, 1890, while en route to Chicago. As the cars going eastward toward the depot passed over the switch, they were wrecked. The engine and several cars loaded with coal went over the switch safely, but the rear trucks of one coal car and the cars in which these cattle were loaded, were thrown from the track and the balance of the train remained standing on the track in a westerly direction from the wreck. One of the [175]*175cattle cars was broken in at one end, and some of the cattle escaped in this way. The cars were thrown over to one side, and the cattle all thrown together' at one end, and it became necessary to remove them speedily to prevent them smothering. This was done by opening the side doors, pulling them out with ropes, etc.

The town of Paris lies nearly wholly south of the railway and there is no street, across the railway track west of where the wreck occurred. The depot and stock yard are east of the place of the wreck; the stock yard on the north side of the track. At the place of the wreck the right of way on the north side abuts upon enclosed land, and just east of the wreck and opposite where the forward part of the train stood is located a section house and tool house. The right of way opposite the wreck was also enclosed ground. The wrecked cars were thrown toward the south, a coal car striking a telegraph pole, and bearing it down upon the wire fence close to where it stood. The train in the rear of the wreck stood on ■ the track reaching back the length of some fifteen or sixteen cars to a trestle or fill.

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
28 S.W. 756, 126 Mo. 168, 1894 Mo. LEXIS 352, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/grimes-v-eddy-mo-1894.