Illinois Central Ry. Co. v. Z. T. Proctor

122 Ky. 92
CourtCourt of Appeals of Kentucky
DecidedJanuary 15, 1906
StatusPublished
Cited by7 cases

This text of 122 Ky. 92 (Illinois Central Ry. Co. v. Z. T. Proctor) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Appeals of Kentucky primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Illinois Central Ry. Co. v. Z. T. Proctor, 122 Ky. 92 (Ky. Ct. App. 1906).

Opinions

OPINION by

Chief Justice Hobson.

— Reversing.

Spring’ Lick, in Grayson county, is a station on tlie Illinois Central- Railroad. The railroad passenger platform is on the south side of the main track. North of the main track, and about 8 feet from it, is a side track, and north of the side track the depot is located, with a plank walk about 5 feet wide leading over from it to the passenger platform. The waiting room is in the west end of the building, and the walk runs across to it. The building is about 40 feet long. Z. T. Proctor, who lived at Leitchfield, desired to take the afternoon train home. When the train was com[99]*99ing, but some distance away, be beard it whistle, and went to tbe east end of tbe station, and at tbe window of tbe office asked if tbe agent was. in. He was told that tbe agent was not in. He then entered into a conversation with two men be met on tbe platform, and sat down on a chicken coop, talking with them, until tbe passenger train pulled in. Tbe engine of the passenger train stopped a little east of tbe station. About tbe time that tbe passenger train arrived, a freight train, which bad orders to meet it there, also arrived, going west, and began pulling in. on tbe side track at tbe end east of tbe station to make room for the passenger train to pass it. After Proctor bad talked to bis friends a few moments, be got up, saying that be must get on tbe train, and went down tbe steps leading from tbe platform on which be was sitting, and, when he reached tbe side track, turned and walked down in the middle of tbe track, evidently with a view of walking back to where tbe passenger coaches were and then getting on the train. "While be was walking along tbe track, tbe freight train, which was getting out of the way of tbe passenger train, came up behind him and collided with him, cutting off one foot and injuring tbe other. He saw tbe freight train on the side track before be left bis friends on the platform, but was under tbe impression that it had stopped some 200 feet east of tbe station. His friends followed him down the steps, but were a little behind him. They saw tbe freight train, which was so close to them when they got down tbe steps that they did not go upon tbe track. When Proctor went upon the track tbe freight train was about 50 or 60 feet behind, him, and was moving about 6 or 8 miles an hour. He could have seen tbe train bad be looked up then, but [100]*100lie did not do SO'. The engineer, at first supposing that Proctor was going across to the passenger train, did not pay any attention to him; but after he started down the track, and seemed oblivious to the train’s approach behind him, the engineer began whistling. He made six or seven short blasts of the whistle, and just after this the engine struck-Proctor. Proctor perhaps did not notice- the signals given by the freight train on account of the fact that the bell of the passenger train was ringing and that engine was blowing off steam, or it may be that they made no impression on him, as he had the passenger train.in mind. A number of persons about the station heard the alarm signals by the train, and saw Proctor walking down the track after these signals were given, though, of course, the whole occurrence occupied only a few seconds. According to■ the plaintiff’s evidence he was about five feet west of the plank walkway when struck; but according' to the defendant’s evidence he was struck about 5 feet east of the walkway. The defendant’s evidence- tended to- show he was intoxicated at the time. His evidence was to the effect that he was sober. Proctor filed suit against the railroad company and John Coche, the engineer of the freight train, to recover for his injuries. The jury found in his favor, and fixed the damages at $7,500, and the defendants appeal.

The railroad company filed its petition for the removal of the case to the Cirenit Court of the United States. The court properly overruled this motion, as there was a joint cause, of action stated against the railroad company and the engineer, who was a resident of this State. See Illinois Central Railroad Com[101]*101pany v. Houchins, 121 Ky., 89 S. W., 530; 28 Ky. Law Rep., 499, and cases cited.

Tlie court on the trial allowed the plaintiff to read in evidence the following rule of the railroad company: “When, a train of inferior class meets a train of superior class on single track, the train of inferior class must take the siding and clear the train of superior class five minutes. A train of inferior class must keep five minutes off the time .of a train of superior class following it.” This rule was incompetent. It had no application to the facts of the case. There was an order for the two trains to meet at Bpring Lick that day. The passenger train was ordered to wait there for the freight. The company which made the rule could, if it saw proper, give orders for its business to be done in a different way. Resides, the rule was simply intended to prevent collisions. between trains. It did not require, the freight train, when it got upon the side track, to remain in the same place. It only required it to clear the siding.

To illustrate the effect that was given the rule on the trial before the jury, we quote the following from the concluding argument of the plaintiff’s attorney, which was objected to by the defendants., and was allowed over their objection: “Let us see what are the undisputed facts in this case. The first fact about which we discover there is no controversy in this ease is this: That the freight train on that occasion was violating one of the rules of the company, that five-minute rule that under the rule of the company it ought to have been on the siding at least five minutes ahead of the time of the passenger train. What is the idea of that? It is to prevent a collision. It is to secure the safety of the public. But, says my [102]*102friend Wortham, there is nothing in that. These engineers and conductors had time orders. -They knew, gentlemen of the jury, before coming here, that the conduct of the engineer and conductor of that freight train would be under investigation here. They knew that we were charging that they were negligent in the management of that engine and train; and why didn’t they bring that time order here ? That would explain their unexpected presence at that depot at that time. Why, no. Where is the order? No. Dr. MeKenney can be brought here to testify about the breath of Proctor; but that order, that, would explain, perhaps, your presence on that siding at that time, they didn’t think of it. It wasn’t necessary. But sup>pose it was here. I do not say that they did not receive the order. I am perfectly willing, for the purposes of this case, to assume they had it. If they had that order, it only brings their negligence more directly home to higher authority-than to- the engineer or conductor of that freight train. It fixes it upon the train dispatcher. ” The introduction of this rule before the jury w'as very prejudicial to the defendants, in view of this argument based upon it by counsel in his closing speech, which, though challenged by the defendants, was in effect sustained by the circuit court. Counsel, also, in his concluding argument, said this, which was objected to by the defendants, and their objection overruled: “No verdict you can render, gentlemen, will ever sufficiently compensate him for what he has suffered. The wealth the millions upon millions owned by this defendant, if it were given to him, would not make good to him the loss that he has sustained. I had no stenographer to take down your speech. Poor Proctor could af-[103]

Free access — add to your briefcase to read the full text and ask questions with AI

Related

Hensley v. Braden
91 S.W.2d 34 (Court of Appeals of Kentucky (pre-1976), 1935)
Southern-Harlan Coal Company v. Gallaier
41 S.W.2d 661 (Court of Appeals of Kentucky (pre-1976), 1931)
Shelley v. Chilton's Administrator
32 S.W.2d 974 (Court of Appeals of Kentucky (pre-1976), 1930)
Consolidated Coach Corporation v. Garmon
26 S.W.2d 20 (Court of Appeals of Kentucky (pre-1976), 1930)
Pullman Co. v. Pulliam
218 S.W. 1005 (Court of Appeals of Kentucky, 1920)
Chicago, St. Louis & New Orleans Railroad v. Rowell
151 S.W. 950 (Court of Appeals of Kentucky, 1912)
Hummer's Extx. v. Louisville & Nashville R. R.
108 S.W. 885 (Court of Appeals of Kentucky, 1908)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
122 Ky. 92, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/illinois-central-ry-co-v-z-t-proctor-kyctapp-1906.