Union Pacific Railway Co. v. High
Union Pacific Railway Co. v. High
Opinion of the Court
The question presented by the stipulation and special findings in this case is, whether a railroad company is liable for killing hogs which had escaped from the enclosure -of the owner, and were at large without his actual fault, in the day-time, at a point where the railroad was not fenced, not within the limits of any city or village, but which were killed without any negligence on the part of the railroad company, or its agents, servants, or employes, other than what may be inferred from the neglect to fence the line of road.
The legislation bearing on the subject may be stated as follows: The act of 1867, Laws of 1867, p. 88, Comp-Stat., pp. 381-2, provides: “That every railroad corporation * * * shall * * * erect and thereafter maintain fences on the sides of their said railroad * * * suitably and amply sufficient to prevent cattle, horses, sheep, and hogs, from getting on the said railroad, except at the crossings of public roads and highways, and within the limits of towns, cities, and villages, with opens, dr gates,
The act 1875, Laws of 1875, p. 190, Comp. Stat., p. 51, provides: “That from and after the first day of March, 1875, sheep and swine shall be restrained from running at large in the State of Nebraska,” etc.
The act of 1877, entitled: “An act to amend section two of an act to define the duties and liabilities of railroad companies,” approved June 22, 1867, Laws of 1877, p. 59, Comp. Stat., sec. 382, provides: “ That section 2 of an act to define the duties and liabilities of railroad companies/ approved June 22, 1867, be amended so as to read as follows: ‘Any railroad company hereafter running or operating its road in this state, and failing to fence on both sides thereof against all live stock running at large at all points, shall be absolutely liable to the owner of any live stock injured, killed, or destroyed by their agents, employes, or engineers,” etc.
The plaintiff in error takes the position, among others, that the law charges the defendant in error with negligence, notwithstanding his hogs escaped without his actual fault. The adjudicated cases bearing on the question of the character of the liability of railroad companies under fencing laws similar to our own are so numerous, and the views therein expressed so various and conflicting, that no attempt will be made to reconcile or even to collate them. But we will content ourselves with stating the conclusion to which we have arrived after a very thorough examination of the authorities.
This being an action against a railroad company for killing by its engine and train certain hogs of the plaintiff, at a point on its line where- it had failed to comply with the law requiring it to fence its track, the plaintiff was only required to prove the fact of the killing, the ownership and value of the hogs killed, and that the track at that point was unfenced, to make out his case, prima facie. No negligence on the part of the engineers, agents, or em
Under the law, and upon the facts as stipulated, the judgment of the district court was right and must be affirmed.
Judgment affirmed.
Reference
- Full Case Name
- The Union Pacific Railway Company, in error v. Charles High, in error
- Cited By
- 1 case
- Status
- Published