National Rubber Co. v. Sweet
National Rubber Co. v. Sweet
Opinion of the Court
This is an action of contract upon an account annexed, to recover the balance due for one thousand cases of
The controversy is as to the terms and conditions of the contract of sale, the defendants contending that it was for an absolute sale of the two thousand cases ordered, the plaintiff contending that it was a contract for the sale of the two thousand cases if it was found that Clapp had the goods in the stock then on hand in his store. There was much conflicting evidence upon this matter of controversy. William C. Sweet, one of the defendants, was the principal witness in their behalf. He testified, among other things, that the “ sizes he ordered were the ordinary run of sizes.” His counsel then asked him' “whether other sizes varying more or less from them would have been equally convenient to the witness in his business.” The court permitted the question to be put, against the objection of the plaintiff, and the witness answered in the affirmative.
We are of opinion that the question and answer were incompetent. The contract, whether absolute or conditional, being for specific kinds and sizes, the plaintiff was not required or permitted to furnish, and the defendants were not required to accept nor entitled to call for, other kinds and sizes. The fact that other sizes would be equally convenient to the defendants has no tendency to prove any of the issues in the case, and was therefore incompetent. Logically considered, the evidence was entirely immaterial; but we cannot say that its admission may not have been prejudicial to the plaintiff. It is impossible to tell from this bill of exceptions whether the jury found for the defendants upon the ground that the contract was an absolute one, in which case the evidence might have been harmless, or upon the ground that, the contract being conditional as claimed by
As for this reason there must be a new trial, it is not necessary to discuss the other exceptions taken by the plaintiff.
Exceptions sustained.
Reference
- Full Case Name
- National Rubber Company v. William C. Sweet & others
- Status
- Published