McMurray v. St. Louis Iron Mountain & Southern Railway Co.

125 S.W. 751, 225 Mo. 272, 1910 Mo. LEXIS 10
CourtSupreme Court of Missouri
DecidedFebruary 2, 1910
StatusPublished
Cited by6 cases

This text of 125 S.W. 751 (McMurray v. St. Louis Iron Mountain & Southern Railway Co.) 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
McMurray v. St. Louis Iron Mountain & Southern Railway Co., 125 S.W. 751, 225 Mo. 272, 1910 Mo. LEXIS 10 (Mo. 1910).

Opinions

WOODSON, J.

This cause was submitted at the last term of this court to Division Number Two. An opinion was handed down affirming the judgment of the circuit court in favor of the plaintiff. Defendant filed therein a motion for a rehearing, also one asking that Division to transfer the cause to Court in Banc. The latter motion was sustained, and the cause is here for disposition on its merits.

The petition is in the following words and figures (formal parts omitted):

“For her cause of action against the defendant, plaintiff states that the defendant is a corporation duly organized and existing under the laws of the [278]*278State of Missouri, and as such is and was at all times hereinafter mentioned, the owner, and operating certain lines of steam railway, in the State of Missouri, and among other lines, is and was at the times of the grievances herein complained of, constructing a line of railroad through the county of Lawrence, in said State of Missouri, and upon which it was at all times herein mentioned operating construction trains with steam locomotives and flat and other cars used for hauling its dirt from a deep cut east of the city of Aurora, Missouri, to fill in and construct a fill or ‘dump’ just west of said city.
“That in order for said construction trains to meet and pass each other in their work, defendant had constructed and caused to he laid a ‘spur’ switch, just east of said city, about one thousand feet long, where said trains often took siding for those running in opposite direction to pass them. Said spur was connected with the main track at its western terminus, where it curved shortly and sharply to the south, thence running in an easterly direction parallel to the main line, terminating at the east end and on an elevation or ‘dump,’ while the main track went into a cut and continued in an eastern direction.
“That by reason of the sharp curve in said track or switch, and the existence at the time of the several mining structures, and piles of rock, gravel and waste from the mines and mining lands along and through which said railroad bed was constructed, persons working upon and near said spur switch could not see the main line of said railroad, nor the approaching trains operating thereon, west of said switch connection, nor until said trains had passed the curve in said spur switch.
“Plaintiff further states that she is the widow of Albert P. Nimmo, deceased, who was killed by the defendant’s cars, so operated on said railroad, about the [279]*279. . . . day of November, 1904, and as such, widow is entitled to sue herein and to prosecute this action.
“That deceased, Albert P. Ninxmo, as aforesaid, was an employee of said defendant at said date, as a car-repair carpenter, and as snch, at the time of his death was working for the defendant, and under its direction in repairing its car, known as a caboose, which was by the defendant placed upon the said spur switch above described, for purpose of being repaired; that said caboose was so placed and left upon said, switch, near its eastern terminus, in order that it might not be struck or moved by the said construction trains taking siding thereon.
‘ ‘ That it was the legal duty of the defendant, while said deceased was so employed by it, in repairing said caboose, to use reasonable care and caution to furnish him a reasonably safe place to work, regard being had to the kind and nature of his employment, and to see that he was not subjected to unnecessary dangers, without informing or warning him of the same, and to see that unnecessary obstructions were not placed by it so as to obstruct his view from approaching trains, which might cause his injury, and to use reasonable care in running their said trains in and upon said spur switch, so as not to have cars come against or strike said caboose, so being repaired by deceased and other carpenters, with such force as to suddenly knock or shove it, and thereby injure them or subject them to danger without notifying or warning them of such fact, while they were so engaged with their duty in repairing said caboose, and also to give them reasonable warning by signals or otherwise of the approach of said trains when they were so being sidetracked upon said spur switch, where said deceased and other carpenters were at work on said repairs.
“That in violation of its said duty to deceased, defendant had carelessly and negligently placed upon said spur switch, immediately in front and against [280]*280said caboose, a certain box car together with other cars, and left them remaining there so that they obstructed the view of the deceased, his foreman and other carpenters so engaged at work on said caboose, and prevented them from seeing the approach of a train on said switch.
‘ ‘ That on said--— day of November, 1904, and while the deceased, Albert P. Nimmo, husband of the plaintiff, was so engaged in the discharge of hiq duties to defendant, as such its employee, in repairing said caboose, and- while the defendant well knew, or might have known by the exercise of reasonable care, that the deceased and others were so engaged at that time, and were in danger should said caboose be struck or moved, and while deceased, under the direction of defendant’s foreman, was in the act of placing in said caboose at the rear or east door thereof a load of lumber, it being the only convenient opening for the reception of materials and lumber, and the one where he was directed to place them, and where his view was entirely obstructed from the track west of said caboose and any approaching train upon said track, and without knowledge on his part that any such train was approaching, the defendant wholly disregarding its duties to deceased, negligently backed a train of construction cars, with its locomotive steam engine, operated by its agents and servants in and upon said spur switch, at a negligently rapid speed, and carelessly and negligently failed to have any one on or near the rear car furtherest from said engine, to regulate the speed of said train, or to give warning of its approach in case of danger, either to persons or to the engineer in charge of said engine, and negligently failed to give any warning whatever of its approach to said caboose or the cars immediately in front of it, by sounding the whistle or bell or any other warning, and negligently shoved said train upon and against said cars in front of said caboose with such violent [281]*281force that it drove them violently against said caboose, while the deceased was so engaged in placing said hoards or lumber therein, and while he was using reasonable care and caution, and without fault or negligence on his part, the said caboose was thereby negligently driven, knocked and violently shoved backward to a great distance, upon, against and over the deceased, Albert P. Nimmo, so that the wheel of said caboose caught him between it and the rail of said track, thereby severing his head from the rest of his body, causing instant death.
“By reason of which, plaintiff is damaged in the sum of five thousand dollars.
“Wherefore plaintiff prays judgment against defendant for the said sum of five thousand dollars, together with her costs in this action.”

Formal parts omitted, the answer was as follows:

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Bluebook (online)
125 S.W. 751, 225 Mo. 272, 1910 Mo. LEXIS 10, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/mcmurray-v-st-louis-iron-mountain-southern-railway-co-mo-1910.