Smith v. Fentress Coal & Coke Co.

This is a compensation case in which Fannie Smith, widow of Thurman Smith deceased, sued the Fentress Coal and Coke Company to recover compensation for the death of her husband. The only question before us is whether or not his death arose out of and in the course of his employment.

Thurman Smith had been employed by the defendant for a number of years before his death in one of its coal mines at Wilder, Tennessee. His principal duty was to remove trolley wires and steel rails from that part of the mine which had been worked out and abandoned. He may have assisted in removing pillars of coal…