The weekly tribune and the Cape County herald. (Cape Girardeau, Mo.) 1914-1918, 1916-02-04
DUNFEES SUE
EAGLE PACKET
and The FRISCO
Women, Paralyzed, A ks
$500 And Husband De-
mands $500 Damages.
HIT BY TRAIN AS HE
LANDED FROM BOAT
H. E. Alexander Filed Suits In
Commons Pleas Coyrt
Yesterday Afternoon

Two damage suits aggregating Sl0,-
600 yesterday afternoon were filed in
the Common Pleas Court by Mr.. and
Mrs. A. B. Dunfee, of Gideon, Mo-,
against the Eagle Packet Co., and the
Frisco railroad as co-defendants, for
injuries which they received last sum-
mer when work rain struck stage
plank of a steam boat, on which the
couple were standing, and hurled them
to the pavement.
The suits were flied yesterday by
Attorney Harry E. Alexander. The
petition fled by Mrs. Maud Dunfee,
the wife, asks for $500 damages and
Mr.. Dunfee in his petition asks for
50 500.
According to the petition filed by
Mrs. Dunfee, she has sustained severe
permanent injuries from the fall
Her legs have been paralyzed as re-
suit of the accident, it is asserted.
The story of the accident is rehears-
ed in each one Of the petitions and is
briefly as follows:
The accident occurred on June 5,
last, when the river was high and it
had been raining for several hours. Mr.
and Mrs. Dunfee were in the Cape for
the day and they had intended to re-
turn to their home in Gideon, where
Mr.. Dunfee, is manager of the And
erson Mercantile Co, that night.
They missed their train, however,
and that evening determined to go or
an excursion trip on the Steamer Caps
Girardeau from the Cape down to
Commerce and return. They boarded
the boat early in the evening, and
about 9 o'clock that night, it was an
nounced that the steamer would no.
make the trip on account of the bad
weather.
They were refunded their money and
they started to leave the steamer.
The gang plank had been thrown out
and extended to the Frisco railroad
racks on the river front. A stage
plank or small board had been placed
as a stepping board from the main
rang plank to the pavement.
They were on the stage plank about
to step off on the ground into the CEN
'er of the railroad tracks, when Mr..
Dunfee heard a warning sound and
saw work train swiftly approaching
He attempted, he said at the time, to
ret back to the main gang plank and
null his wife with him.
He was too late, however, for the
train struck the stage plank on which
hey stood and hurled them several
feet to the pavement.
Both were picked up and carried into
he St. Charles Hotel, where physi-
cian was summoned.
In Mrs. Dunfee's petition she de-
clares that the back of her head has
been severely injured When she was
thrown from the plank, the back Of
her head struck the pavement first.
illnesses declared at the time.
Here arms and legs were bruised
and manned, she asserts, and her
spinal column was injured in such a
way as to cause a paralysis of the
legs an da great injury to her nerv-
Gus system.
Dunfee had his left arm, wrist and
elbow injured, strained and bruised,
his nose was broken and he was in
iured in other ways. He asserts in /
his petition that he lost 500 worth of |
his time on account of his time on ac-
count of his injuries and in addition |
has been put to great expense buying |
medicines.
The Dunfees, after Mrs. Dunfee was |
lble to be moved, went to their home |
in Gideon, where they have lived |
since. Mrs. Dunfee is said to be in
a serious condition yet from the effects
If her iniuries.