Johnson v. Ballew
Johnson v. Ballew
Opinion of the Court
Colley, in his life time, instituted an action of as-sumpsit against Johnson, as surviving partner of Moseley, and said Johnson, to recover an account against them for more than nine hundred dollars, for work and labor done and performed. Colley having died pending the suit, it was further prosecuted by Ballew, as his administrator, and being tried in the Circuit Court, on the general issue, a recovery was had against the surviving partner, from which he prosecutes this writ of error. The questions for consideration, arise on a bill of exceptions. The first of which, according to the assignments of error, is—
Was the account and acknowledgment, signed by Johnson, admissible as evidence?
The account in question appears to have been regularly stated, charging William Moseley and Harmon A. Johnson as debtors to Gabriel Colley. The account contains the various items, with the price of each, amounting to nine hundred and ninety one dollars and twenty cents; to which is subjoined the following : “ I acknowledge that the above items of work were done by Mr. Gabriel Colley; and further, believe that the price annexed to each item, is correct, as to myself individually.” — Signed H. A. Johnson — dated and attested. To the introduction of this evidence, the defendant objected; but the Court admitted it.
The main objection now urged against it, is, that it was admitted without proof of the hand-writing of the defendant. It is found true, as contended in argument, that this -fact does not appear, nor is it to be presumed. The bill of exceptions does not purport to contain all the evidence, and this exception is not
2. The second assignment is, that the Court refused to permit parol evidence, to explain a supposed ambiguity in the written acknowledgment.
On this, it is sufficient to say, there is no ambiguity in the instrument, apparent on the face of it, nor any intimation given of the nature of the supposed defect, showing the object to have been, to disclose a latent ambiguity : the latter, only, is by law susceptible of explanation by parol; and the character of this instrument would scarely admit of such an ambiguity.
3. The last assignment, is, that the Court rejected evidence of the language of Colly, upon the occasion of the defendants’ signing the acknowledgment.
There was no error in the proceedings of the Court below, and the judgment must be affirmed.
Reference
- Full Case Name
- JOHNSON, Survivor, versus BALLEW, Adm'r
- Cited By
- 2 cases
- Status
- Published