105 F. 480 | 7th Cir. | 1901
Upon the foregoing statement of the facts, BUNN, District Judge, delivered the opinion of the court.
The facts are mainly conceded. The case rests upon the plaintiff’s testimony as given in the statement of facts. There is a material conflict in the testimony as to which coach struck the plaintiff; three witnesses on the part of the defendant testifying that he was not struck by a coach of the defendant’s train, but was struck by a coach of the Pan Handle train. But that is quite immaterial according to the view we have taken of the case. We think, upon the plaintiff’s own statement of his case, the direction of the court was right, and fully supported by the evidence. Indeed, we think the court might have made the grounds of its decision still broader, and held: First, that the negligence of the plaintiff was the proximate cause of the injury, and, second, that the testimony showed no negligence or want of proper foresight and caution on the part of the defendant company or any of its officers or employés. The situation and the running and operating of these trains at this crossing were well known to the plaintiff. From his own statement he knew all abouf them. He had taken the same Pan Handle train every day for 15 months. He knew the trains were expected to meet at that time and place, and that there was no safe standing room between the tracks. He went deliberately into a place of imminent danger, without so much as looking to the east or west to see if the trains were coming, and remained there until the trains came, knowing well that there was not safe standing room between the tracks. The evidence shows that he was warned by .other workmen to cross back over the tracks, but that he paid no attention to the warning. Knowing the situation as he did, it was negligence to cross over the tracks and remain between .them until the trains came. It was, no doubt, possible, after he saw the trains coming, by the exercise *of good judgment in an
There are several grounds of negligence alleged, but the one mainly relied upon was the speed of the defendant’s train. But there is no evidence of negligence in this respect, or in any other respect. Another ground of negligence alleged was the lack of train lights, but no case is made under this head; the evidence without conilict showing that the rear or east end of the backing train was furnished with a large bulls eye reflector 10 to 12 inches in diameter, throwing a continuous red light, and placed at the outer edge of the platform in the center of the vestibule. By it stood a white hand lamp, and on each side of the coach, at the end, hung a small red lamp or “marker.” All these lights were burning that evening, and were plainly seen 150 to 200 feet from the crossing by several witnesses, and also by the engineer and fireman of the Pan Handle train two blocks away from them. But the lights were of no use to the plaintiff, as he savs he did not look to the east nor to the west. If he had said he wqs 59 years old, and did not greatly care longer to live, his words would have corresponded fairly well with his actions in going into such a place of peril without so much as looking in any direction for danger, and remaining after he saw the peril was upon him. If he could not hear, he was under all the more obligation to use the senses he had. In any case it was his duty to have looked all ways for danger. Houston v. Railway Co., 95 U. S. 697, 24 L. Ed. 697; Schofield v. Railway Co., 114 U. S. 615, 5 Sup. Ct. 1125, 29 L. Ed. 224; Railroad
“But one explanation of his conduct is possible, and that is that he went .upon the track without looking to see whether any train was coming. Such •omission has been again and again, both as to travelers on the highway and employes on the road, affirmed to be negligence. The track itself, as it seems necessary to iterate and reiterate, is itself a warning. It is a place of danger. It can never be assumed that cars are not approaching on a track, or that there ' is no danger therefrom.”
, In the case at bar the plaintiff not only went upon the track without looking, but he remained there for 10 minutes waiting for trains that he expected and had every reason to believe would come, and this while he .could have remained with the other workmen on the other side of the tracks in perfect safety. It is not necessary to multiply -authority upon the question.
Upon the question of the negligence of the defendant company there was nothing upon which a verdict could have been based. Each ■and all .the grounds relied upon failed in the proof. The crossing was properly guarded, and the crossing gates down. The speed of the train was not excessive or unlawful. The train was properly lighted. The engine had an automatic bell ringer, which was always ringing when the engine was in motion, and was- ringing that night on the occasion in question, and the gateman’s bell was ringing constantly, the flagman upon the crossing calling out a verbal warning when the ■train was approaching and while it was 200 feet away, with the plaintiff standing only 10 feet from him. In addition to these thing's, .an air whistle-or “tail hose” whistle on the rear end of the backing train was sounded, and it was not the company’s fault that the plaintiff could.not hear. It is quite evident, however, from his own testimony that it would have made no difference if he had heard it, as his deliberate purpose was to get away from the crowd, and to board the train on the south side, from between the tracks. Indeed, it- is difficult to see what the defendant company could have done that was not done to prevent such an accident. The judgment of the circuit-court is affirmed. . . '