Smith v. Rock Oil & Gas Co.
Smith v. Rock Oil & Gas Co.
Opinion of the Court
The opinion of the court was delivered by
This is an appeal from an order sustaining a der murrer to plaintiff’s evidence.
The action is against the Rock Oil and Gas Company, a partnership composed of W. M. Ramsdale, S. T. Jocelyn and L. C. Wright. The plaintiff joined as' a defendant one J. A. Davis. The petition set out two causes of action; the first, to recover $1,500 which it is claimed the partnership agreed to pay for, the partial performance of a contract to drill an oil well; and the second, to recover damages claimed to be due because plaintiff was induced by defendants to sell an outfit of well-drilling tools at an inadequate price when he was “unconscious of his acts and incapable of transacting any business whatsoever for the reason that he had no knowledge of any acts he performed.” This condition, it is alleged, was caused by intoxicating liquor given him by defendant Davis, or because of the influence of certain smoke produced by defendants and which the plaintiff
In his testimony plaintiff admitted that he had joined with the defendant, J. A. Davis, in the execution of a written contract, consisting of a bill of sale for the drilling outfit and tools, belonging to himself, and which contained a provision that in consideration of the payment of the wages due workmen in drilling the well to its then depth, the defendants were relieved from further liability to him. It is conceded that the amount due for labor was $858 and was paid by the gas company. The evidence showed that after he had discovered that he had been paid $2,150 in place of the amount he now claims to have been due, and after he had talked to some of the defendants about his dissatisfaction with the amount received, he withdrew the money from the bank; and it was stated on the trial by his counsel that he was not suing for a rescission. He offered no evidence to establish the market value of the tools. His evidence showed that he was accustomed to drinking whisky and smoking and in the habit of visiting bootlegging establishments. He had taken two drinks of whisky in the forenoon of the day the transaction involved took place, and he did this at the invitation of J. A. Davis, who held the original contract for drilling the well and who had an interest in the transaction. He went with Mr. Davis to the office of Mr. Jocelyn, who represented the oil and gas company. His testimony is that one of the defendants smoked a cigar while conversing with him in the office, where they were discussing the sale of the tools; that
The judgment is affirmed.
Reference
- Full Case Name
- J. W. Smith v. The Rock Oil and Gas Company (a partnership consisting of W. M. Ramsdale) and J. A. Davis
- Status
- Published
- Syllabus
- SYLLABUS BY THE COURT. Sale — Well-drilling Outfit — Fraud Alleged — Action for Damages — Demurrer to Evidence. In an action to recover the value of property transferred by written bill of sale and for damages alleged to have been sustained by the fraud of defendants in inducing plaintiff to sell the property at an inadequate price when he was incapable of transacting business by reason of intoxicating liquor given him by the defendants, held, on the facts stated in the opinion, that a demurrer to the evidence was rightfully sustained.