Curry v. McKinly
Curry v. McKinly
Opinion of the Court
Opinion of the Court by
Tbis was an ordinary suit against the appellant, to recover from her, an ‘iron gray mare” claimed by the appellee; and it resulted in a judgment for the plaintiff, from which this appeal is prosecuted.
The grounds of the motion. for a new trial, which was overruled, called in question the ruling of the court on several points raised in the progress of the trial, upon which exceptions were taken to the opinion of the court. Such of these, only as are deemed material or important, will be considered in this opinion.
Several witnesses were introduced by the plaintiff, who were objected to as incompetent, on the grounds which were disclosed
A remote contingent interest in the decision of a suit does not render a witness incompetent, but is an objection which goes only to his credibility; (Easly’s Exors. vs. Easly 18 B. Monroe 94). But although the witnesses were not parties to the issue, on which they were called to testify, and neither of them was the immediate warrantors of the mare to the plaintiff, it seems to us their interest in the controversy as understood and disclosed by them, was of such a certain nature as to render them incompetent.
By the 6th division of section 670 of the Civil Oode, as it has been construed by this court, (Chenowith vs. Fielding 12 Met. 519) persons who are interested in an issue, although not parties to the suit, are incompetent to testify in behalf of themselves; or in other words to testify in favor of a party in whose success in the case, they have a certain interest.
From this view it resulted, that the court erred, in over-ruling the objection to the competency of the witnesses referred to, and in permitting them to testify, notwithstanding the objection.
Wherefore, the judgment is reversed and the cause remanded for a new trial and further proceedings not inconsistent with this opinion.
Case-law data current through December 31, 2025. Source: CourtListener bulk data.