McCorkle v. Anheuser-Busch Brewing Ass'n
McCorkle v. Anheuser-Busch Brewing Ass'n
Opinion of the Court
The opinion of the court was delivered by
This is an action in damages for personal injuries. The defense is a general denial and “contributory negligence.”
The facts, as disclosed by the record, are: That, on a clear day in May, about half-past nine o’clock in the morning, the plaintiff, as motorman, was taking a street car up Hurst street When he passed the comer ¡of Webster street, which is the third corner from the terminus of the line, he shut off the power and gave a turn to his brake, preparatory to the stop which he was soon to make, and, before he reached the next corner, the speed of the car had been reduced to, probably, six miles an hour. The next corner was the intersection of Henry Clay avenue, along which, Stephen Girod, a driver employed by the defendant corporation, from his seat, in the wagon to which they were attached, was driving a pair of mules. By reason of the position of his seat and the cover of the wagon, the driver could not see to the one side or the other without leaning forward. Several witnesses testify that the mules were moving very rapidly, and we are satisfied that the pace was at least equal to a brisk trot. ' As the wagon approached Hurst street, the car of which plaintiff' had
“Q. Did you locik for the car when you got to the comer? A. When I got far enough with the building, I looked up and down the street and the car was on top of me. Q. You looked up and down the. street and the car was on top of you? A. Yes, sir; I leaned out of my wagon, it was too late, and the car was on top of me.” He testifies that it' was his- intention to have turned down Hurst street, in the efireetión 'from Which the car was approaching, and he was asked how*463 far be was from the car track when he' started to turn, to which he replied. “The mules were near on the track when I started to make the turn. I was sitting twelve feat behind the pole. I heard no bell or nothing, and I started to pull my mules around, and by the time I started to make the turn they were pretty well on the -track.” The pole, it may be remarked, is shown to have been ten feet long, and the witness, no doubt, means that his seat was twelve feet behind' the forward end, but just how far back in the wagon that placed him does not appear. He further testifies: “Then you did not see the car coming until after you attempted to make the turn? .A. Ho, sir; I did not hear no bell or anything. Q. You didn’t attempt to make the turn until the mules were almost on the track, you say? A. Yes, sir. Q. Then you hadn’t seen the car when your mules had almost reached the track? A. Ho, sir; I hadn’t seen it or heard it.” He also testifies that he slacked his speed only when he started to make the turn, and, from other testimony, we think it doubtful whether he did so even then. Beyond this it may be stated that neither the driver, the mules, nor the wagon, received any injury, arid that the car was stopped by the -time the forward end reached the upper crossing of Henry Olay avenue.
Upon this showing, we are of opinion tha’t the driver was at 'fault, that the motorman was not, and that the latter is entitled to recover. The judge a quo allowed him $750, .and he asks that the amount be increased. We think, however, that we should defer to the opinion of the trial judge, although if he had allowed the plaintiff a somewhat larger amount this judgment would likewise have -been affirmed.
Judgment affirmed.
Case-law data current through December 31, 2025. Source: CourtListener bulk data.