The Monett times., 1921-11-11
SUITS FILED AGAINST
COLORADO LINE
Monet Firm Files Action for Total
of $55,0O0 Damages for Victims
Of Pueblo Flood.

Mrs. Alice Holden, wife of G. w
Holden, general manager of the
Claiborne Commission company o.
Springfield has filed suit for $25,0O(
damages in the district court al
Pueblo, Colo, against the Denver ane
Rio Grande Railway company.
The suit is the outgrowth of the
havoc caused by the flood of the Col
orado river last summer which caus.
ed a heavy loss Of life and destruction
of property.
Mrs. Holden was a passenger on
the Derver and Rio Grande, and in
company with her infant, was hurled
into the flood and finally saved her.
self and baby by climbing on some
floating timber and box cars in the
yards, where she remained until the
following day. She was severely
bruised and injured.
The suit is one of five filed in the
district court at Pueblo Saturday, Oc-
tober 20. Damages aggregating
$4,000 are alleged in the suits which
were filed by Pueblo law firm in
connection with Sizer & Gardner, at
torneys at Monet, Mo. The flood
occurred on the night of June 3.
Three of the suits are directed
against Alexander Baldwin as re-
ceiver for the Denver road asking a
total of S35,000 damages and the
other suits demand $4,000 each from
the Missouri Pacific railroad.
The relatives of Peter Hansen of
Kansas City, Mo-, sue for $4,000, for
his death, while passenger on the
Denver & Rio Grande. Hansen was
enroute to Oakland, Cal, and the
train was turned over and wrecked
by the flood.
W. S. Erwin and wife of Wayne,
Mo-, sue for the death of their son,
Frank H. Wayne, who lost his life
while a passenger on the Missouri
Pacific train. Erwin's body was
found about eight miles below Pueblo
and the relatives ask $4,000 for his
death
F. D. Spicer of Pueblo, also sues
for $4,000 for personal injuries sus-
tained by him in the flood. He re-
ceived severe and permanent injuries
it is alleged in the suit
Carrie Church of Pueblo sues for
$4,000 for injuries sustained by her
in the flood. Mrs. Church was a pas
senger on the Missouri Pacific train
and was thrown into the water when
the train was wrecked and remained
there all night.
Suit is brought against the railroad
companies in these cases on the
ground that it was their duty to use
the highest degree of care to protect
their passengers from flood and that
Notwithstanding the fact that un-
usual conditions existed, and the
water was exceptionally high i'll the
yards at Pueblo, it is further claimed
that the railroad companies ard their
officials at the terminal there, had
notice and warning of the flood, and
that the high waters were coming,
failed to heed and regard this warn
ing, but pulled the passenger trains
and passengers away from the depot
down into the yards near the Arkan-
sas river, and there permitted the
trains to remain for several hours,
where they were overtaken and en-
quilted by the high waters.
1t is claimed in the suits filed that
by the exercise of proper care and
prudence on the part of the officials
of the railroad companies, and the
employees in charge of these trains,
that passengers could have been re-
leased and taken to a place of safety
before the trains were overturned and
flooded.
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