Case Name: Rafael Rodriguez v. International & Great Northern Railway Company
Court: Texas Courts of Civil Appeals
Jurisdiction: Texas
Decision Date: 1901-11-06
Citations: 27 Tex. Civ. App. 325
Docket Number: 
Parties: Rafael Rodriguez v. International & Great Northern Railway Company.
Judges: 
Reporter: Texas Civil Appeals Reports
Volume: 27
Pages: 325–327

Head Matter:
Rafael Rodriguez v. International & Great Northern Railway Company.
Decided November 6, 1901.
1. —Railway Company—Contributory Negligence.
Where plaintiff’s injuries were caused by his going upon the railway track in defendant’s yards and attempting to cross between the ears of a train then being made up, and which he knew was liable to be moved at any moment, and he was injured while he was between the cars, there was such contributory negligence as precluded a recovery.
2. —Same—Evidence. s
Evidence held to warrant the conclusion that plaintiff, when he undertook to cross the track between the ears of a live train, one being made up, knew the train was liable to move at any moment.
3. —Same—Discovered Peril.
That a fireman on defendant company’s engine saw plaintiff approaching the train while it was being made up in the yards, would not warrant the presumption that he knew plaintiff would attempt to cross the track between the cars by jumping over their drawheads.
Appeal from the County Court of Bexar.
Tried below before Hon. R. B. Green.
T. J. Newton, for appellant.
G. 8. McFarland and Denman, Franklin & McGown, for appellee.

Opinion:
NEILL, Associate Justice.
This is a suit brought by appellant for personal injuries alleged to have been sustained by the negligence of appellant while he was crossing appellee's track between the cars of a freight train standing thereon.
The appellee (defendant below) answered by a general denial and a plea of contributory negligence. Upon hearing the evidence, the court peremptorily instructed a verdict for the defendant, and from the judgment entered upon the verdict returned in obedience to the instruction this appeal is prosecuted.
The undisputed evidence shows that appellant's injuries were caused by his negligently going upon and endeavoring to cross appellee's tracks between the cars of a train which he knew was liable to be moved at. any moment. In his effort to cross he placed his hands upon two box ears, and raised himself over the drawheads, and when he was in this position the train was moved, and his foot caught and mashed between the draw-heads. There is no evidence tending to show that appellee's servants operating the train knew of appellant's perilous position at the time it was moved.
These undisputed facts show such contributory negligence on the part of appellant as precludes his right to recover damages for the injuries thereby sustained. Railway v. Sloan, 32 S. W. Rep., 85; Railway v. Watkins, 88 Texas, 24; Flores v. Railway, 1 Texas Ct. Rep., 151; Stud der v. Southern Pac. Co., 4 Am. Neg. Rep., 361, and cases cited; Andrews v. Railway, 10 Law. Rep. Ann., 58. The court did not err in instructed a verdict for the defendant, and its judgment is affirmed.
Affirmed.