The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1916-07-27
ALLEGES CITY WAS NEGLIGENT
Mother Holds That Had city Properly
Protected Public Bathing Beach Her
Son Would Not Have Met With Ac-
cident - Look to Contractors.

The city of Kenosha is facing ten
thousand-dollar damage suit. Frank S.
Symmonds, attorney for Mrs. Eva
Nemet, Milwaukee Avenue, whose son,
Steve Nemet, man twenty-four years
of age and her sole support, was drown
ed in a sink hole off the Kenosha
bathing beach a week ago tonight, has
filed notice with the city clerk that
Mrs. Nemet will claim damages from
the city of Kenosha for the death of
her son. The amount to be claimed is
not named in the formal notice served
upon the city, but Attorney Symmonds
supplied this information. It is assert
ed that the death of Nemet was directly
the result, Of the officials of the city of
Kenosha failing to properly safeguard
beach which had been openly of
fered to the public as a ''public
bathing beach,
Since young Nemet met his death in
the deep water along the beach the
council has taken action to have the
cause for complaint corrected and piles
are to be driven which will allow the
putting out Of life lines and danger
signals. No formal warning had been
given to the city of the conditions at
the beach previous to the time that
Nemet met his death in the hole. The
conditions had been brought about by
excavations for the installation of the
new intake for the water company.
Some Of the officials seem to think
that the contractors for the intake will
be liable for any damages which may
be connected against the city for the
death of Nemet, but it is probable that
the contractor will force the city to
battle in court before he pays any
heavy damages. The attorneys for the
city are carefully looking into the bonds
furnished the water board by the con-
tractors following the announcement of
the fling of the big claim.
Attorney Symmonds in discussing the |
action against the city for the death
of young Nemet, said: "This young
fellow was the support of his mother
and his death came directly as a re-
suit of negligence on the part of the
officials Of the city Of Kenosha. It was
held out to the public and had been
Leld out for several years that the
where Nemet was drowned was
public bathing beach. The people
were invited to visit this place, the city
maintained a man to have charge of it |
and the receipts were paid into the |
treasury of the city. The people who
went to use this beach had right to |
believe that it was guarded against |
danger. Young Nemet had no warning |
that there was danger of his drowning |
along the beach. There was no sign |
to show deep water, no ropes were
stretched to prevent his getting into
this sink hole and meeting death"
The suit will be the first one of the |
kind ever filed against the city of Ke-
nosha and while it may not result in
the mother of the drowned man getting |
the damages that she claims, it is GER
tain it will result in some official no.
tice being given to the safe guarding
Of the bathing beach and other prop |
erty which the city opens to the people
for amusement purposes. At the last
meeting of the council the commit
tees on breakwater and public grounds
were given power to take such steps |
as the members of these committees
deem necessary to make the public
bathing beach safe