14 Mo. App. 441 | Mo. Ct. App. | 1883
delivered the opinion of the court.
This was an action for damages for an injury received by the plaintiff, through the negligence of a fellow-servant in the employ of the defendant, under the following circumstances. The plaintiff was employed by the defendant to weigh steel on cars of the defendant, which cars were pushed or hauled upon the scales by a small locomotive engine. The engine was in charge of one Obenhaus, as engineer, assisted by a boy sixteen years old named Woods, as fireman. There was evidence tending to show that Woods had been allowed, on temporary occasions, by Obenhaus, and on one occasionby the defendant’s assistant master mechanic, to have charge of the engine. It is a part of the plaintiff’s case, as shown by his petition, that the defendant had been negligent in suffering au inexperienced boy to have charge of the engine, and, for the purpose of what we are about to decide, this may be conceded, though we do not wish to intimate an opinion that this was so in fact.
On the occasion in question, the engine was standing near the place where the plaintiff’s duties required him to be. Obenhaus had got off on the right side, and Woods had got off on the left side, and had begun rubbing the engine. As soon as Woods saw Obenhaus on the other side of the engine, Woods jumped upon the engine and pulled the “ petcock” for the purpose of dousing Obenhaus with a stream of cold water, in return for a similar prank which Obenhaus had played upon Woods. Unfortunately, instead of cold water, a jet of hot water came out of the “ pet-cock,” and struck the plaintiff in the left eye, injuring it to such an extent that he has entirely lost the use of it.
At the close of the plaintiff’s case, the usual instruction was asked by the defendant, that under the pleadings and evidence, the plaintiff was not entitled to recover. This
The judgment is reversed, and the cause remanded.