Coppuck v. Philadelphia, Wilmington & Baltimore Railroad Co.

• Citation: 43 A. 70,191 Pa. 172
• Decision Date: 24 April 1899
• Docket Number: 356
• Parties: Eliza Coppuck, Appellant, v. The Philadelphia, Wilmington and Baltimore Railroad Company
• Court: Pennsylvania Supreme Court

43 A. 70

191 Pa. 172

Eliza Coppuck, Appellant, v. The Philadelphia, Wilmington and Baltimore Railroad Company

No. 356

Supreme Court of Pennsylvania

April 24, 1899

Argued April 4, 1899

Appeal, No. 356, Jan. T., 1898, by plaintiff, from judgment of C.P. No. 4, Phila. Co., Sept. T., 1896, No. 117, on verdict for defendant. Affirmed.

Trespass to recover damages for the death of plaintiff's husband. Before WILLSON, J.

The facts appear by the opinion of the Supreme Court.

The court gave binding instructions in favor of defendant.

Verdict and judgment for defendant. Plaintiff appealed.

Error assigned was in giving binding instructions for defendant.

Judgment affirmed.

John M Strong, with him Albert Constable, for appellant, cited Weber v. Penna. R. Co., 76 Pa. 157; Schum v. Penna. R. Co., 107 Pa. 8; Citizens' Pass. Ry. Co. v. Foxley, 107 Pa. 537; Bradwell v. Ry. Co., 139 Pa. 431; Ely v. Ry. Co., 158 Pa. 233; R.R. Co. v. White, 38 Pa. 327; Gates v. Penna. R. Co., 154 Pa. 566; Davidson v. Lake Shore, etc., Ry. Co., 171 Pa. 522; Lerch v. Bard, 153 Pa. 572; Ellis v. Lake Shore, etc., R.R. Co., 138 Pa. 506; Penna. R. Co. v. Ogier, 35 Pa. 71.

David W. Sellers, for appellee. -- The case is ruled by Gerety v. R.R. Co., 81 Pa. 274, and Baker v. Penna. R. Co., 182 Pa. 336.

Before STERRETT, C.J., GREEN, McCOLLUM, MITCHELL and FELL, JJ.

OPINION

MR. JUSTICE GREEN:

There are no disputed facts in this case. The only testimony taken on the trial was the testimony furnished by the plaintiff. Two persons only saw the actual collision, and both were examined. One other person testified that he saw the wagon stop at a point on the street about 100 feet from the railroad crossing but he did not see the accident. The persons who did see it were Mr. Eugene Nickerson and the lady who subsequently became his wife. Mr. Nickerson, on his examination in chief, gave the following account of what he saw: "About half past nine on Saturday evening my lady friend and I were crossing over the crossing right in front of the train, and I saw the carriage coming up Hinkson street and I said to her just as we got on the other side of the crossing on the south bound track, 'Look here,' and up Hinkson street the carriage was coming, and just as he seemed to get right on the track he kind of pulled his horse up; it seemed he didn't know the railroad was there until he got right on the track and by that the engine struck the wagon. Q. Where were you standing when you first saw him? A. When I first saw the carriage? Q. Yes. A. Just over the track. I saw the carriage coming up before I crossed over, and I looked over the track, and said to my lady friend, 'Here comes a train,' and just as we got on the other side of the track I said, 'Look here,' and, as if he didn't know there was a railroad there, he just pulled up. . . . Q. You had got across the railroad? A. Yes, sir. We crossed in front of the train. Q. Where were you when you first saw the train? A. Just on the railroad. Q. Were you on the track? A. Just about to get on the track; just about to walk over the crossing when we saw the team. Q. Where was the team when you saw it? A. At Fourth street. Q. How far away is that from the track? A. I guess fifty yards -- no hardly that far; about thirty yards, whatever distance Fourth street is at the corner of Fourth and Hinkson, coming towards the railroad when I first saw it. Then I didn't look back again until I crossed over the railroad to see if the team would stop. It seemed as if the driver did not know there was a railroad there until he got on the railroad. Q. You had your back towards the carriage? A. Yes, sir, the team was coming behind us. Q. How do you mean it seemed as if he didn't know there was any railroad there? A. He didn't slacken up any -- when he was driving he did not slacken the team any until he was right on the track, and he hallooed, 'Whoa,' and the engine struck him just as he hallooed 'Whoa.' Q. Where was the train when you saw it? A. Just below the next crossing, between Morton avenue and Caldwell street, when we crossed. Q. How far away? A. About 125 or 150 yards. When we crossed over in front of the train I guess the train was about 150 yards below us." After having said there was a headlight on the train, he testified: "I was on the track when I saw the train. Q. The first track do you mean? A. Yes, sir; I was just stepping on the track and looked down the track and saw the train coming, and I said to my lady friend, 'Here comes a train.' Q. Then you were upon the track upon which the train was coming and you looked down and saw the train coming? A. Yes, sir." He further said he could see the train from where he stood just about half a mile distant.

Mrs. Nickerson was also examined. On her examination in chief she was asked: "Q. You saw the accident? A. I saw the accident. Q. Where were you? A. I was on the last track going off the railroad. . . . Q. Did you see the engine when it struck the carriage? A. Yes, sir. Q. How long had you seen it before it struck the carriage? About where was the engine when you first saw it? A. When I first saw it, it seemed to me between the two crossings. Q. Just below the Hinkson street crossing? A. Yes, sir. Between the Manyunk street crossing and the next crossing." On cross-examination she was asked: "Q. You walked over and when you got to the last track after you had passed over the railroad you became conscious that some one had been hit? A. No, sir; I knew it before when I stood there; I was standing there when I saw the horse hit. Q. Standing where? A. On the last track, between the two tracks. Q. Then you had gotten over the last track as you term it and passed over the roadbed and you stood there awhile? A. I stood when I was told to look around; the horse was coming and the train was also coming, and when I looked the man was pulling on the horse, trying to stop it, I suppose, and the horse was up and that was all I saw, and then the train, and that is all I saw. Q. Then as you were told to look around you saw the man coming with the horse and wagon to the railroad? A. The horse was just on the first track of the railroad. Q. Where was the locomotive then? A. It was about from here to that young man off the horse. Q. Then the locomotive was about twelve feet from the horse that was on this track when you saw it? A. I do not know whether it was twelve feet or not. It was that...