H. S. Inc. v. Henry Steers Inc‪.‬

This is an action brought by John Cifrondello, administrator ad prosequendum of the estate of Vito Cifrondello, to recover damages for his death from Henry Steers, Incorporated. The suit arises out of the following extraordinary circumstances. Henry Steers, Incorporated, was the owner of a deck scow. Hugo Wuori was the captain of this scow. On August 7, 1936 it was moored on the west side of the Passaic River at the foot of Coal Street, in Newark, New Jersey. Vito Cifrondello, who was a little over fifteen years of age, and three other boys went swimming in the river. At or about this time someone defecated on the deck of the scow. Wuori was not on the vessel at this time but returned to it shortly thereafter. Wuori, who had had difficulty with trespassers before, some of whom had attacked him on the scow, had preapred a deadly weapon to protect himself and the scow. This consisted of a two-foot length of rubber garden hose, plugged at each end and packed with fine sand. Vito Cifrondello and his companions after swimming about for a while came to one end of the scow and clung to its bumper.Wuori attacked them with the rubber hose and despite the pleas of Vito and his companions that Vito could not "swim so good" drove him from the scow striking him several times as he did so. As the result of this the boy drowned.