Schwab v. Anderson Steamboat Co.
Schwab v. Anderson Steamboat Co.
Opinion of the Court
Respondent, a minor twenty years of age, was injured July 4, 1910, by falling from a swing, which it is alleged was in Fortuna park, on Mercer island. The park was alleged as under the ownership and control of appellant, and the swing as one maintained by it within the park.- The tree from which hung the rope respondent was using as a swing was shown by all the evidence, both that given by appellant and respondent, to be outside the park. In fact, there was no contention that it was within the park or
There being no proof of the fact upon which respondent relied to establish a liability against appellant, the case should have been dismissed on appellant’s motion.
Judgment reversed, and the cause remanded with instructions to dismiss.
Dunbar, C. J., Crow, and Ellis, JJ., concur.
Dissenting Opinion
(dissenting) — I am unable to agree with the opinion of the majority. The appellant operated a certain park, situated on Mercer Island, in Lake Washington, as an adjunct to its business of steamboating. This park was given over to the use of the public and to lodges and
I confess that I am unable to find any case directly in point that would sustain my theory that the appellant is liable, but in reason it would seem that iF.should be so. I can see no difference in principle between this case and that of Neel v. King County, 53 Wash. 490, 102 Pac. 396, where a judgment was sustained, although the defect in the highway was beyond the limit of the county’s property. The court there said that the doctrine upon which a recovery was allowed was that of simple justice and fair play, and estoppel to -deny responsibility where the county had, in effect, issued an invitation to the public to use the property adjacent to the highway as a part of the road, there being no defined boundary between the road and the place where the public was invited to go. In my judgment respondent was warranted in the assumption that the swing was a part of the park playground, and to hold that he is bound by an arbitrary, unmarked fine is to put a premium upon the negligence of those whose duty it is to safeguard' all who come to their place for amusement and recreation. Appellant knew its boundary lines and it was within its power to define them. The court’s decision puts the injured party to the burden of knowing them at his peril.
For these reasons, I dissent from the majority opinion.
Reference
- Full Case Name
- W. A. Schwab, by his Guardian etc. v. Anderson Steamboat Company
- Status
- Published
- Syllabus
- Negligence — Dangerous Premises — Issues and Proof — Failure of Proof. In an action for personal injuries sustained through the fall of a swing, predicated upon the allegations that the defendant owned and controlled the park where the injury happened and maintained the swing, there can be no recovery where all the evidence showed the swing to be outside the park and not within defendant’s control; and a verdict for plaintiff cannot be sustained on the theory that, there being no dividing line, the public might regard the place as within the park (Chadwick, J., dissenting).