Mechanics' Institute v. Firth
Mechanics' Institute v. Firth
Opinion of the Court
These appeals are from the judgment, and from the order denying plaintiff a new trial. Defendant Firth was the treasurer of the corporation plaintiff. The defendants Fretwell and Kerr are his bondsmen. Plaintiff sued to recover the sum of $600, alleged to have been misappropriated. The facts disclosed upon the trial were as follows: The moneys of the plaintiff corporation were deposited in a bank, and were paid out by treasurer’s checks upon presentation to him by the secretary of warrants ordered drawn by the board of directors." J. H. Culver was the secretary of the plaintiff, and its business or executive manager. In January, 1893, the plaintiff corporation was engaged in preparing for the twenty-seventh industrial exposition of the institute. Repairs were in progress at the Mechanics ’ Pavilion. Upon Saturday, January 7, 1893, it became necessary to pay the workmen. The pay-roll amounted to $1,878.20, the payment of about $1,200 of which was urgent. No warrants had been ordered drawn by the directors to meet this payment, and it was after banking hours when the secretary, Culver, communicated with the treasurer, asking him to procure what money he could, and bring it to the pavilion. The Mechanics’ Institute Library was owned and conducted by plaintiff corporation, and its moneys were a part of plaintiff’s funds. The treasurer went to the librarian, and obtained from him the sum of $600, giving him his receipt therefor. This money he carried to the Mechanics’ Pavilion, delivered it to the proper agent of the corporation, and took Culver’s receipt therefor. There is no question but that this sum was properly disbursed upon account of the pay-roll. The president of the institute was Irwin C. Stump. In the emergency he also had been called upon to furnish money, and he, too, delivered to the agent of the corporation a like sum of $600, which was properly disbursed. This money, however, did not pass into nor through the hands of the treasurer. When the board of directors subsequently met, they ordered two warrants drawn upon their treasurer upon account of the pay-roll—the one for $600, to repay Stump, the other for $1,278.20. These demands were presented by Culver to the treasurer, and he, in obedience to them, as was his duty, drew his treasurer's check for $600 for Stump, and a check for $1,278.20 payable to cash. These two checks he delivered to Culver, taking his receipts therefor. Stump in due time re
The very obvious result of these transactions is that, having a pay-roll of $1,878.20 to meet, the institute paid $600 of the sum out of its own funds, to wit, out of the moneys received from the librarian, thus leaving to be met by it the sum of $1,278.20. When, however, it came to order its warrants drawn, it ordered for the full amount of $1,878.20. Thus, in fact, it disbursed upon account of the pay-roll the sum of $2,478.20. Leaving aside for the moment the question of bookkeeping, and tracing the money through the vouchers, it is equally apparent that the treasurer shows that he has properly expended and accounted for the $600 obtained from the librarian, and he also shows by vouchers whose genuineness is uncontested that the $600 Stump check and the check to cash for $1,278.20 passed from his hands under order of the board of directors, and into the hands of the secretary, Culver. In short, the treasurer’s books show that every dollar by him received was paid out upon the order of the board of directors, saving in one instance of the $600 obtained from the librarian, the account of which was properly entered in his books, and the disposition of which is beyond question. But it is said that in failing to charge himself with the receipt of the Stump $600, and in charging its disbursement to the institute, he forced a balance in his favor to that amount. But, in fact, he never did receive the money. It never passed into the treasury of the corporation, and he was not chargeable with it. To illustrate: If the institute at the time of this transaction had possessed funds in the sum of $3,000, and if Stump upon that day had paid all of the pay-roll, and if it was the treas
The findings and judgment of the court were in consonance with this review of the evidence, and the judgment and order appealed from are therefore affirmed.
We concur: Temple, J.; McFarland, J.
Reference
- Full Case Name
- MECHANICS' INSTITUTE v. FIRTH
- Status
- Published
- Syllabus
- Treasurer’s Bond.—In an Emergency to Meet a Pay-roll of