Missouri, K. & T. Ry. Co. of Texas v. Moore

172 S.W. 568, 1915 Tex. App. LEXIS 92
CourtCourt of Appeals of Texas
DecidedJanuary 2, 1915
DocketNo. 7192.
StatusPublished
Cited by9 cases

This text of 172 S.W. 568 (Missouri, K. & T. Ry. Co. of Texas v. Moore) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Appeals of Texas primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Missouri, K. & T. Ry. Co. of Texas v. Moore, 172 S.W. 568, 1915 Tex. App. LEXIS 92 (Tex. Ct. App. 1915).

Opinion

TALBOT,' J.

This is an action by appel-lee, F. S. Moore, to recover of appellant, Missouri, Kansas & Texas Railway Company of Texas, damages on account of the death of his son, Richard Moore, who was 6% years of age, which is alleged to have occurred at Denison, Tex., July 29, 1912, by reason of the said Richard falling into a reservoir belonging to appellant and drowning. Plaintiff alleged and proved, in substance, that on the date mentioned and for a number of years prior thereto, the appellant owned and maintained, just outside the corporate limits of the city of Denison, Tex., a reservoir constructed for the purpose of impounding water to be used in connection with the railway business in which it was engaged. The reservoir occupied all of block 1600 between Main and Woodard streets, near the west portion of said city, and there were a good many residences near it. It *569 was built of cement or concrete, which sloped inwardly from the margin around the outer surface thereof toward the center at an angle of SO or 40 degrees. There was a 10-inch pipe extending from the bank into the reservoir, through which water was pumped into the reservoir when needed. On the day appellee’s son was drowned the water in the reservoir was about 12 or 15 feet deep in the center and gradually lessened in depth, according to the angle of the walls of the reservoir, to its surface around the margin of the reservoir. The reservoir was inclosed with a fence made of cedar posts, pine planks, and barbed wire, and was of the following dimensions: On the north side 307 feet, on the south side 304 feet, on the east side 231 feet, and on the west side 192 feet. The cedar posts were 8 feet apart, and there were 7 planks in each panel of the fence, placed horizontally 4 or 5 inches apart. There were two strands of barbed wire in the fence, the first strand was 5 inches above the top plank and the second strand 10 inches above, making the fence, from the top of the wire to the ground 6 feet and 5 inches. The reservoir was upon ground higher than that around it, and its embankment was higher than the surface of the ground and of irregular height. On the northeast corner it was 3 or 4 feet above the ground, and on the west side it was 35 or 40 feet high. The distance from the inside of the fence to where the slope of the reservoir began was 2 or 3 feet, and on this space of ground there was growing, at the time of the accident resulting in Biehard Moore’s death, grass which was greener than the grass on the outside of the fence. About two months prior to the accident the fence around the reservoir was repaired by appellant’s servants, and placed in apparently good condition, but for several days, and probably for a period of two or three weeks immediately preceding the death of Biehard Moore, there were two or three planks off the fence in one or two different places making openings through which children or even grown persons could pass into the inelosure and to the reservoir. These planks were rotten at the end, and, according to the testimony of one witness on his direct examination, “they had the appearance of having dropped off or of having been blown off by the wind, or something.” On cross-examination of this witness, he said that he did not notice close enough to tell whether they fell off or whether somebody had pulled them off. The appellant, by three signs posted near the reservoir, one at the southeast corner, one at the. southwest corner, and one at the northwest corner thereof, warned persons not to enter the inelosure and trespass upon its property. The reservoir was attractive to people generally, and especially to children. A great many persons when water was being pumped into the reservoir, and especially on Sunday afternoons, would go near the reservoir to view it, but none of them, so far as the proof shows, ever on such occasions went on the inside of the fence inclosing it. A good many children, however, prior to the death of Biehard Moore, and on several different occasions, were seen on the inside of the fence, playing near the edge of .the water, and one or more times on the pipe through which water was pumped into the reservoir. There is also evidence to justify the finding that appellant knew they had been seen on the inside of the fence, but not at the time of the accident. Biehard Moore, the deceased, was in the habit of visiting and playing with the children of Mr. and Mrs. G. T. Howard, who resided about 215 feet from the reservoir. On the day of the accident he went, to their home and, after playing ball with the Howard children awhile, he and James Howard, a boy about 12 years old, went to the reservoir to get grass for guinea pigs, the grass on the reservoir inelosure being greener than that on the outside of the fence. The boys entered the inelosure through a hole in the fence made by two of the planks being off on the north side of the reservoir. James Howard, the little boy who was with Biehard Moore when he lost his life, testified:

“I am 13 years old. I knew Biehard Moore in his lifetime. I know James Moore; he is here now. When we lived on Woodard street they lived east of us about two or three blocks. I and the Moore boys were friendly and played together. We lived right near this reservoir. I have seen other children inside the reservoir and about there. They would be running around the place and walking around it. In the winter time I seen them in there skating. I do not know how they got in there; I would be tying the cow out and notice them in there. I never seen them up there but one day, when they were on the ice. Just once and awhile I seen them up there when there wasn’t any ice. I remember about the little Moore boy getting drowned up there, I was with him at the time. That was about 5 o’clock in the afternoon. We went from my house to go there. We went there for some grass for guinea pigs; they were my guinea pigs. The Moore boys had been up to my house the most of the day, had been there with me and my brother during the day. The grass on the inside of the fence was greener than that on the outside. On this occasion we went on the inside of the reservoir. We went through a hole where the planks were off. There were two planks off on the north side of the reservoir. We went up there and went inside and was getting grass, and I think as we were getting up to leave Biehard slipped on the cement around the reservoir, and we went in. When he slipped I was between him and the water. I was standing right bj the edge of it, just a little bit from it below him. When he slipped he hit my foot, and I was not expecting it and I went in the water, and Biehard, too. Biehard was further out from the bank than I was. I went under; they said I went down the second time. I do not remember myself. I had my clothes and shoes on. I saw Biehard after he came up, I never seen him afterwards. When he slipped in he went under and came up away out. He was smaller than I was. I do not think that Biehard could swim. I know how to swim a little bit. As to how I got out, Mamma pulled me out with a rope.”

*570 This witness further testified:

“There wasn’t anything that attracted, my attention to the reservoir that I know of. We just went in there to get some grass”

■—and that the people going to look at the reservoir generally stayed on the outside of the inclosure, and that he never saw any grown people on the inside of the fence. There seems to be no contention that appel-lee or his wife were guilty of negligence.

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
172 S.W. 568, 1915 Tex. App. LEXIS 92, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/missouri-k-t-ry-co-of-texas-v-moore-texapp-1915.