Muth v. St. Louis Trust Co.
Muth v. St. Louis Trust Co.
Opinion of the Court
This is a suit brought by William E. Muth against the defendant for $1,041.38, the balance due on a deposit account standing on the books of defendant in the name of the United States Shoe Company. Plaintiff alleged that he was the sole owner of the business conducted in the name of the United States Shoe Company, and was the sole owner of this account; that the account was payable on demand; that payment thereof had been demanded by plaintiff and refused by defendant. Defendant admitted the existence of the account, but denied that plaintiff was the owner of said account, denied each and every other allegation of the petition; and further answering, defendant avers that on September 12, 1895, one E. G. Muth, a brother of plaintiff, opened an account with defendant, by depositing with defendant, subject to its rules, the sum of $293.60; that said account was opened under the title of the “United States Shoe Company;” but was, as defendant was advised at the time, the property of the said E. Gr. Muth, and was deposited subject to the check only of the said E. U. Muth; that said account was continued by the said E. Gr. Muth, making deposits and drawing checks from time to time, between September 12, 1895, and October 29, 1896, when the last check drawn by said E. G. Muth was presented and paid; that there remained on deposit in said account a balance, which together with the interest allowed under the rules of defendant amounted to $1,041.38, at the date of the filing of the suit herein; that as this defendant was informed and believed, said deposit was the sole property of the said E. G. Muth. And defendant avers that said deposit was at the time of the filing of this suit and still is the property of the said E. G. Muth; that E. G. Muth had in September, 1895, a deposit
Briefly stated the evidence so far as it is relevant to any issue made by the pleadings is as follows: W. E. Muth, E. G. Muth and W. H. Wright, formed a copartnership for the purpose of conducting a shoe store in the city of St. Louis under the firm name and style of the United States Shoe Company. W. H. Wright and W. E. Muth were both dentists, and actively engaged in the practice of their profession. Neither of them gave their time nor attention to the shoe business, but gave the business over to the control of E. Q-. Muth as the business manager of the firm. E. Q-. Muth kept the deposit account of the firm with the defendant, and he only was authorized to draw checks against this deposit account. In April, 1897, the plaintiff bought out the interest of both Wright and E. G. Muth in the partnership, and continued the business under the firm name with his brother, E. G. Muth,as manager,until about June 4,1897, when the firm ceased to do business. At the closing out of the business E. G. Muth gave his brother a check on the defendant, intended to cover the balance standing to the credit of the United States Shoe Company, but as the exact balance was not known the amount was left blank, with authority in the plaintiff to write in. About January, 1898, the plaintiff ascertained the exact balance and undertook to write it in the check, and
“St. Louis, June 4, 1897. No.--.
“St. Louis Trust Company. $1,041.
“Pay to the order of W. E. Muth, one thousand and forty-one rifo dollars.
“W. E. Muth, United States Shoe Co.,
“Thos. B. Hablan. E. Gr. Muth, Mgr.”
Wright and E. G. Muth testified that W. E. Muth in April, 1897, purchased their interests in the United States Shoe Company, and plaintiff produced the receipt of each acknowledging payment for their respective interests. W. E; Muth testified that he held his brother’s notes for borrowed money, and that the check for $1,950 was given as payment on these notes, and that the balance on deposit with the defendant to the credit of the United States Shoe Company became his on account of his purchase of the interest of E. G. Muth and Wright in the United States Shoe Company, and that he paid E. G. Muth for his interest by crediting his notes. The indorsement and delivery of the check to Harlan was for collection only.
The answer admitted that $1,041.38, the amount for which the cheek was drawn, was the exact balance of the credit of the United States Shoe Company on June 4, 1897, the date of the check; it affirmatively stated that E. G. Muth was alone authorized to draw checks against this account, and it admitted that the check was properly drawn and signed by E. G. Muth, but it denied that the cheek was given for a valid consideration, if the check was for a valid consideration, being for the exact balance to the credit of the United States Shoe Company, it effected an assignment of that balance to the plaintiff. Bank of Commerce v. Bogy, 44 Mo. 18; Walker v. Mauro, 18 Mo.
Perceiving no reversible error in the record, the judgment is affirmed.
Case-law data current through December 31, 2025. Source: CourtListener bulk data.