Bradford v. Boylston Fire & Marine Insurance
Bradford v. Boylston Fire & Marine Insurance
Opinion of the Court
delivered the opinion of the Court. The mam objection which has been made to the proceedings at the trial, is, that the testimony of Lee and the depositions of Russell ought not to have been received for the defendants. It is contended that the evidence proves that Wood made bad blankets for other persons, and that this circumstance has no tendency to prove that he made bad blankets for tire plaintiffs ; that it is no better than to offer evidence of general bad reputation, when a party should be held to prove the particular fraud.
And the case of Holcombe v. Hewson, 2 Campb. 391, has been much relied upon, and is the strongest which we have seen for the plaintiffs. In that case Holcombe was bound
_ In the case of Holcombe v. Hewson before cited, Lord Ellenborough said, “ let the plaintiff call those who frequented the defendant’s house and drank the beer which he sent in.” Why not, in the case at bar, call those who bought of Wood, blankets marked in this extraordinary manner at the ' same time ? The object is not to impute a fraud to the manufacturer, (for we do not see any motive he could have to destroy the blankets,) but to prove in a suit between other parties, that the injury did not arise from sea damage. And the evidence, that the great number of bales of blankets which came that year, in six ships, from Wood’s manufactory, had these distinguishing marks upon them, which are ascertained to have been such as would be occasioned by sulpnunc acid, is we think admissible as tending to disprove the allegation of the plaintiffs, that the injury arose from the perils of the sea.
It is contended, however, that a new trial should be granted for misdirection in stating to the jury that the plaintiffs must prove a damage to the amount of five per cent to entitle them to a verdict, which the jury must have understood to mean five per cent upon the whole cargo and not on any particular bale of the goods, whereas, according to the terms of the policy, the damage was to be computed as if each bale had been separately insured.
We do not think the plaintiffs are in a situation to make this exception. The attention of the judge was not drawn to the point, at the trial. The particular clause in the policy was not a subject of discussion. The counsel for the plaintiffs did not put their case upon the right to recover for the damage upon the single package, but upon the whole invoice.
He commented upon the fact, that some of the bales were wet on the outside, to show that the injury for which they claimed, was from the sea ; and when the defendants’ counsel stated the grounds upon which the jury should assess the damages
We are all of opinion that the judgment should be rendered upon the verdict.
See Leach v. Woods, 14 Pick. 461; Rice v. Bancroft, post, 472; Crease v Barrett, 1 Crompt. Mees. & Rosc. 930.
See Standisk v. Washburn, 21 Pick. 237; Greenl. on Evi. § 52; Botiomley v. United States, 1 Story’s R. 135 ; Boldron v. Widdows, 1 Car. & P. 65.
Reference
- Full Case Name
- Samuel D. Bradford versus The Boylston Fire and Marine Insurance Company
- Status
- Published