Staples v. Town of Canton

Plaintiff, an inhabitant of the town of Canton, returning home from church on the night of January 31st, 1875, fell from a bridge over a ravine, a distance of six or seven feet, and his leg was broken by the fall. This was a suit against the town to recover damages, in which plaintiff obtained a judgment for $1,900, from which defendant has appealed. The bridge was erected by the town on one of its streets crossing the ravine, and having determined to build a bridge there, its duty to erect one reasonably safe for travel is recognized. It was sixteen feet square, but had no side-railings, and…