Converse v. Safford
Converse v. Safford
Opinion of the Court
The opinion of the court was delivered by
This was an action of replevin for a horse, brought by Safford against Converse. The case was tried by a jury, who found that the plaintiff was entitled to the horse, that the horse was worth fifty dollars, and that the plaintiff was damaged ninety-three cents by reason of the wrongful detention of the horse by the defendant. Judgment was rendered in favor of the plaintiff for a return of the- horse, or in case a return could not be had, then for $50, the value of the horse, and also for said ninety-three cents, and for costs. The defendant brings the case to this court. He claims that the court below erred, 1st, in overruling the defendant’s demurrer to the plaintiff’s evidence; 2d, in over-'
I. The plaintiff’s evidence, as well as his pleadings, showed that he claimed to be entitled to the horse by virtue of a chattel mortgage executed to himself by the defendant to secure the payment of a promissory note for $32.45. The mortgage was introduced in evidence, and appeared to be valid upon its face, and to entitle the plaintiff to the horse; and there was nothing in the plaintiff’s evidence that showed the contrary. As to overruling a demurrer to evidence, see Simpson v. Kimberlin, 12 Kas. 579. The court below did not err in overruling said demurrer.
II. The defendant claimed and now claims that said mortgage was void, for the reason that it and the note were given for an illegal consideration; and he introduced evidence for the purpose of showing that it was void. None' of the instructions of the court below are brought to this court, and the jury that tried the case said in effect by their verdict that the'evidence did not show that the mortgage was void. Therefore, if we should now hold that the mortgage was void, we should not only be required to reverse the decision of the court below upon the law and the facts, but would also be required to reverse the findings of the jury, made upon the evidence in the case. This we cannot do, for there was some evidence, and sufficient evidence, to support every finding of the jury. The uncontradicted evidence did not all show that the mortgage was void. On the contrary, the plaintiff’s evidence showed that the mortgage was at least prima fade valid. But passing from the prima faeie case made by the plaintiff, the facts were probably about as follows: Converse was prosecuted before a justice of the peace for assault and battery. He was found guilty, and sentenced to pay a fine of five dollars and costs, amounting in the aggregate to $32.45. Safford was at the time of the trial in the justice’s court, acting as an under-sheriff, and acted during the trial as an officer of the justice’s court. _ When thé trial was ter
The judgment of the court below will be modified so that if a return of the horse cannot be had, the plaintiff may recover $32.45, the amount of his debt, with interest, costs, etc. (Wolfley v. Rising, 12 Kas. 535.) In all other respects the judgment will be affirmed.
Reference
- Full Case Name
- H. W. Converse v. Thomas B. Safford
- Status
- Published