Smith v. Eichelberger

175 Ill. App. 231, 1912 Ill. App. LEXIS 133
CourtAppellate Court of Illinois
DecidedOctober 15, 1912
DocketGen. No. 5,631
StatusPublished
Cited by1 cases

This text of 175 Ill. App. 231 (Smith v. Eichelberger) 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
Smith v. Eichelberger, 175 Ill. App. 231, 1912 Ill. App. LEXIS 133 (Ill. Ct. App. 1912).

Opinion

Mr. Justice Willis

delivered the opinion of the court.

On November 17, 1910, plaintiff, Henry Gr. Smith, lost his right arm in a corn shredder owned and operated by defendant, Urias Eichelberger, and sued him for damages in the Circuit Court of DuPage county. The original declaration contained two counts. After-wards ten more were added, seven of which were later amended. As abstracted, the first original count charged that plaintiff was ordered to clean out the shredder and while he had his arm in the machine, defendant negligently replaced the belt, and the machine started. The second original count charged that while he was removing obstructions from the shredder with his arm in the machine, defendant, knowing his position, negligently started the machine. The first additional count charged that plaintiff was ordered into the dangerous position and then, with knowledge of his danger, defendant negligently caused part of the machinery to start. The second additional count charged the defendant with the duty to use reasonable care in operating the shredder and not to expose plaintiff to unnecessary danger; and that the defendant negligently controlled and operated the machine. The third additional count charged that defendant negligently ordered plaintiff to clean out the corn shredder, which was dangerous work, as known to defendant and unknown to plaintiff. The fourth additional count was substantially like the first additional count. The fifth additional count charged that defendant knew or should have known the danger, unknown to plaintiff, and not so apparent that a man of ordinary prudence would not expose himself to them. The sixth additional count was substantially like the fifth. The seventh additional count charged that the employment was dangerous; that plaintiff was inexperienced and ignorant of the dangers; that defendant knew or should have known the danger; that it was defendant’s duty to warn and instruct plaintiff, and that defendant negligently failed to do so. The ninth additional count charged that, defendant negligently failed to furnish plaintiff with a safe place to work. All the counts except the eight additional proceeded on the theory that the relation of master and servant existed between the parties. This count alleged that plaintiff was employed upon and about the corn shredder under the order and direction of defendant and when he was in a dangerous position, defendant, knowing the dangerous position, negligently started part of the machinery. The tenth additional count was a summary of all the additional counts except the eighth. All the counts alleged that plaintiff’s arm-was torn off by reason of the negligence of the defendant. There was a plea of not guilty. A trial resulted in a verdict of $2,000 for plaintiff. Motions for a new trial and in arrest of judgment were overruled, judgment was entered on the verdict, and defendant prosecutes this appeal.

The shredder was about 18 or 20 feet in length, about 7 feet high, and a little over 40' inches wide. It was driven by steam and had a feeding apron at the front, the upper part of which moved toward the machine like a belt, carrying stalks toward the machine. At the end of this apron were two feeding rollers placed one above the other. The feeding rollers and the feeding apron were driven by power communicated by a small belt at the side of the shredder. Behind these two rollers was a space of about 22 or 23 inches, bounded on the sides by the side of the machine, and on the front by the feeding rollers. The snapping rollers were about 22 or 23 inches back of the feeding rollers and extended across the width of the shredder. The sides and the top of the machine were boarded up and while there were some pulleys and cog-wheels on the outside of the body of the shredder, the only rollers which were in sight were the feeding rollers. About two-thirds of the shredder, from the rear forward, had a wooden covering and the rest of the top was a tin hood which was so hinged as to form a trap door in the roof of the shredder. It was curved down a few inches at the front end. There was a board, held in place by two lugs, which partly covered the open space between the tin hood and the feeding rollers, the tin hood coming down over the top and forward side of the snapping rollers, being about ten or twelve inches above them. Corn and corn stalks would, at times, clog in this open space between the feeding rollers and the snapping rollers. Appellee had been in the service of appellant, or his son George, for less than three days. On the first two days and until about 10 o’clock of the third day he was employed in hauling the corn from the machine to the crib, after which he was set to work at tending the machine. He came from a state where little corn was raised and had never seen a corn shredder before this time, and so informed appellant. The machine became clogged. He was directed to remove the obstruction. He proceeded to do so in the presence of appellant in the way he had cleaned it out three times before, once with the assistance of appellant’s son Abe. He got upon the machine, knelt down on the tin hood and removed the corn with both hands, then placed his left hand upon the feeding roller and with his right hand threw out the corn and stalks. While in that position, the feeding roller suddenly started, throwing him down onto the roller and his right hand was drawn into the snapping rollers, and in his efforts to get out his right arm was torn off, necessitating amputation within six inches of the shoulder.'

Appellant contends that the declaration avers the relation of master and servant, and that the proof shows that appellee was not his servant and that therefore the judgment must be reversed. If the proof sustained the averment of the 8th additional count, the proof of the relation of master and servant was not necessary. The evidence shows that appellee and a companion came to Naperville from an employment agency in Chicago with letters addressed to George Eichelberger, a son of appellant; that appellant met them and took them to his home, and that on the following morning George said that he did not want two men and took the companion to his home, and appellee remained with appellant and worked on the shredder under his orders. Even if the proof did show that appellee was originally hired by George, yet it is not denied that George directed him to work for appellant and that he obeyed that direction. This. made him the servant of appellant. Consolidated Fireworks Co. v. Koehl, 190 Ill. 145. The rule above mentioned was approved and followed in Grace & Hyde Co. v. Probst, 208 Ill. 147.

There was proof that there was a stick sometimes used to remove the material that clogged the shredder. It is claimed that appellee assumed the risk because he did not use the stick. There was proof that on the day of the accident he and appellant’s son, Abe, removed obstructions without using a stick, and appellee testified that he had seen Abe do so several times before, and that he never saw a stick used in removing the obstructions. Appellant ordered appellee to remove the obstructions, stood by and saw him do it, and did not interrupt his doing it without a stick nor direct him to use one. Appellee, not being familiar with a shred-, der, of which fact he informed appellant, it seems clear to us that he did not assume the risk.

There was proof for appellee that the board over the opening between the feeding rollers and the tin hood was not in place at the time of the accident, and there was proof for appellant that it was in place.

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Bluebook (online)
175 Ill. App. 231, 1912 Ill. App. LEXIS 133, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/smith-v-eichelberger-illappct-1912.