Turner v. Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe Railway Co.

111 P. 433, 83 Kan. 315, 1910 Kan. LEXIS 528
CourtSupreme Court of Kansas
DecidedNovember 5, 1910
DocketNo. 16,621
StatusPublished
Cited by2 cases

This text of 111 P. 433 (Turner v. Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe Railway Co.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Supreme Court of Kansas primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Turner v. Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe Railway Co., 111 P. 433, 83 Kan. 315, 1910 Kan. LEXIS 528 (kan 1910).

Opinion

[316]*316The opinion of the court was delivered by

Graves, J.:

The appellant operates its railroad through Arkansas City, in Cowley county. Fred R.. Turner was an employee of the appellant at that place, at the time he received the injuries herein alleged. The injuries caused his death soon after they were received.. The widow of the deceased commenced this action in the district court of Cowley county to recover damages for the loss of her husband, and was awarded the sum of $10,000. The railroad company appeals.

At the time the deceased was injured he was in charge of the turntable. He had been at that work only three or four days. He had previously been in charge of the cinder pit. The foreman of the gang to which Turner belonged had been.directed to instruct him i'n the duties belonging to his work. He was given some instruction, but the foreman omitted to give any direction or instructions concerning the use of the pushpole by which he was injured. At the time of his injury the deceased was assisting in placing an engine having no' steam, called a dead engine, upon the turntable by the use of a “pushpole” and an engine having steam and called a live engine. The two engines ran upon parallel tracks which converge toward the turntable and come very close together. When near the turntable the push-pole is placed from one engine to the other, and by this means the dead engine is pushed upon the turntable. The deceased never assisted in this work before, and, so far as is known, never saw it done. Under the direction of the foreman he assisted in placing the push-pole in proper position, where it was held by the pressure of the engine. He was then left there, without instructions, and was caught beween the pole and the tender of the dead engine and crushed. Upon the trial the jury found that the injury was caused by the negligence of the appellant, and the appellee insists [317]*317that the special findings sustain this conclusion. They •are as follow:

“(1) Ques. Do you find that the defendant’s negligence caused the death of the deceased, Fred R. Turner? Ans. We so find from evidence.
“(4) Q. Do you find that the injury of the deceased was due to any defects in the engines, cars, machinery, tracks or other property of the defendant? A. Lack of air in engine contributory.
“(5) Q. If you answer the next preceding question in the affirmative, state what particular defects in what particular property or machinery caused the injury. A. Lack of air in engine.
“(7) Q. What do you find were the duties of Fred R. Turner at the time of his injury by reason of his employment by the defendant? A. Operate turntable and clean up around or near it.
“ (8) Q. How long do you find he has been thus employed ? A. About three days.
“ (9) Q. How old was Fred R. Turner at the time of the accident? A. Twenty-two years and past.
“(10) Q. How long had he worked in the yards of the defendant near the turntable at the time of the accident? A. Three days.
“ (11) Q. How long had Fred R. Turner worked for the defendant at or near the turntable in the yards of the defendant before the injury occurred? A. About three days.
“(12) Q. Had Fred R. Turner during the time he was employed in the yards of the defendant at and ncar the turntable had opportunity to observe the conditions of the track and ground at and near the turntable? A. Yes, for three days.
“(13) Q. Did Fred R. Turner, during his employment by the defendant at and near the turntable in the •defendant’s yards at Arkansas City, have an opportunity to observe the manner and methods of the employees of the defendant in placing engines on the turntable? A. No.
“(14) Q. Had Fred R. Turner, during his employment at the turntable and in the yards, ever seen the employees of the company placing dead engines on the turntable with the pusbnole prior to the time he received his injury? A. No. ' _
[318]*318“(15) Q. Do you find that Fred R. Turner had opportunities to see the manner ór methods in which the engines were placed upon the turntable by the defendant by means of the pushpole? A. No.
“(16) Q. Was it the duty of Fred R. Turner, during ' the time he was employed at the turntable, to assist the hostler, foreman and employees.of the defendant in placing dead engines on the turntable? A. His duty when ordered.
“(17) Q. At the time, of the injury was Fred R. Turner acting within the line of his duty? A. Yes.
“ (18) Q. Was the manner in which the dead engine was attempted to be put on the turntable at the time of the injury of Fred R. Turner the ordinary and usual method employed by the defendant for placing dead engines on the turntable under similar conditions and circumstances? A. No.
“(21) Q. Do you find that Fred R. Turner received his injury alleged to have caused his death on the 24th .day of October, 1907? A. Yes.
“ (22) Q. Do you find that Fred R. Turner received the injury alleged to have caused his death while assisting in placing a dead engine on the turntable by means of a live engine and a pushpole? A. Yes.
“ (23) Q. If you answer the next preceding question in the affirmative, then was Fred R. Turner ordered to assist in the placing of the dead engine on the turntable? A. Yes.
“• (24) Q. If you answer the next preceding question in the affirmative, state who ordered him to assist in the moving of the dead engine on the turntable. A. Nix, W. L.
“(26) Q. If you answer that Fred R. Turner assisted in placing the pushpole between the engines, state what part of the pushpole the said Fred R. Turner held and how he held it. A. North end. Held with his hands.
“(27) Q. If you answer, that the said Fred R. Turner assisted in the placing of the pushpole between’ the engines, state where the said Fred R. Turner was when the live engine backed up and tightened the push-pole. A. Between middle arid north end of pole.
“ (28) Q. State in what manner the live engine was backed up against the pushpole, that is, whether done slowly or rapidly. A. Slowly.
[319]*319“(29) Q. Was there any negligence on the part of the hostler in charge of the live engine in backing up to tighten the pushpole, and if so, state in what the negligence consisted ? A. No.
“(30) Q. After the pushpole was tightened did the hostler, before backing up or kicking the dead engine, warn W. L. Nix to look out or get out of the way? A. Yes. •
“(31) Q. If you answer the next preceding question in the affirmative, state in what manner he warned him. A. ‘Look out, Billy — she has no air. I am going to give her a kick.’
“ (32) Q. If you answer the next but one of the preceding questions in the affirmative, state where Fred R. Turner was at the time of the warning and where W. L. Nix stood. A. Turner at north end of pole and Nix probably in rear of dead engine.'
“(33) Q.

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Related

Raines v. Stone
123 P. 871 (Supreme Court of Kansas, 1912)
Turner v. Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe Railway Co.
116 P. 482 (Supreme Court of Kansas, 1911)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
111 P. 433, 83 Kan. 315, 1910 Kan. LEXIS 528, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/turner-v-atchison-topeka-santa-fe-railway-co-kan-1910.