City of Plymouth v. Fields

— Fields sued the city of Plymouth to recover damages, and charged in his complaint that the city had permitted a person engaged in moving buildings to obstruct one of the streets by planting a capstan in the street and leaving it over night without guards, lights, or other means to warn persons lawfully using the street of the obstruction.

It is averred that the plaintiff, while driving his team and omnibus along the street in the night, ran upon and against the capstan, thereby overturning and breaking his omnibus and harness, and bruising, wounding, and injuring one of his horses, besides…