Sherman v. Jones
Sherman v. Jones
Opinion of the Court
Appeal from a judgment .recovered by M: A. Reed, since deceased, as plaintiff, against the appellant, as defendant.
The complaint alleged that the plaintiff delivered to the defendant $1,100 in money for invest
It appears that, personally, the plaintiff had no dealings whatever with the defendant. Her daughter, Mrs. A. R, Jones, now administratrix of her estate, acted for her throughout, and was the principal witness in her behalf. Mrs. Jones testified that she left 25,000 shares of stock, known as Union stock, in the defendant’s hands, at Colorado Springs, where she resided, and, after going to Boston, directed him by letter to sell 5,000 shares of that stock, and place the proceeds in bank to her credit, so that she might have it to draw upon at any time; that the defendant sold the stock for $1,153.75, and she again ordered him to place this money in bank to her credit; that on her return to Colorado Springs, having given him no. right to use the money, and supposing that it was in the bank to her credit, she met the defendant, and in response to the following question by her counsel, “What did he tell you he had done with it?” replied, “He said, ‘there is that money lying in my hands, * * *, and it is not doing anybody any good, and I thought there was a chance to make some money out
A statement of Logan’s stock transactions, had pursuant to the arrangement with the defendant, showing the various purchases and sales, and a statement of accounts between the plaintiff and defendant, showing the several items with which the plaintiff was chargeable and those for which she was entitled to credit, were, in the course of the cross-examination of the defendant as a witness for the plaintiff, introduced in evidence. It would appear from those statements that Logan made his settlements with the defendant, and not directly with the plaintiff. They were admitted without objection, and
We are unable to find any evidence whatever which tends to support the cause of action stated in the complaint. A contract was alleged, by the terms of which the defendant agréed to invest the money of the plaintiff held by him in the purchase and sale of mining stocks, and to pay to' her one-half the profits of the transactions; but if they resulted in loss, to bear the loss himself. Now, not only was there no proof of smj such contract between the plaintiff and defendant, but the evidence is conclusive that there was none. There was an agreement between the defendant, purporting to act in behalf of the plaintiff, and a broker named Logan, whereby the latter was to make the investments, account to the plaintiff for one-half the profits, and guarantee her against loss. There was some evidence tending to prove that this agreement was made in pursuance of direct authority from Mrs. Jones, the plaintiff’s representative. This Mrs. Jones denied, but it is immaterial whether such was the fact or not; for, even if she did not authorize it at first, she ratified and adopted it after-wards. When she was advised of it she did not object ■o it, and she received and appropriated its results. The plaintiff’s cause of action is based upon it, although in her complaint she asserted it as a con
Counsel for the plaintiff have not seen fit to present us with .a single reason in justification of this judgment. In their printed brief they say: “The sole controversy is over the profits and losses in the purchase, and sale of mining stocks.” They then make the bald statement that there was evidence showing the liability of the defendant, and cite us to a number of authorities enunciating the familiar and unchallenged rule that when the evidence, notwithstanding it may be conflicting, is sufficient to sustain the verdict, and the jury are properly instructed, the appellate court will not disturb the judgment. And this is the sum total of counsel’s presentation to us of their client’s case. Upon what question there was a conflict of testimony, or as to where a single item of. evidence may be found which tends to show a liability as against the defendant, we are not favored with even a hint. All moneys with which the plaintiff ever intrusted the defendant, appear to have been returned to her, together with one-half the net profits made by Logan on the stocks; and, except for a portion of Mrs. Jones’ testimony in rebuttal, and certain language of the court in its peculiar, and, in-view of the facts, somewhat extraordinary instruc
Let the judgment be reversed and the cause remanded with direction to the trial court- to set- the judgment aside, and allow the defendant’s motion for a nonsuit. Reversed.
Case-law data current through December 31, 2025. Source: CourtListener bulk data.