Haydon v. Alkire Grocery Co.
Haydon v. Alkire Grocery Co.
Opinion of the Court
Plaintiff brought suit by attachment in the circuit court of Eoone county. Afterwards, an interplea was filed by the trustee in a chattel deed of trust claiming the property. A trial of the interplea resulted in a judgment for plaintiff. The interpleader took the necessary steps looking to an appeal, and obtained leave to file a bill of exceptions after the term. Before attempting to file the bill he died and after-wards another was substituted as interpleader. At a subsequent term of the court, and within the time allowed, a bill of exceptions was signed by the judge and indorsed “filed” by the clerk of the court with his official signature. No record entry was made showing a filing. Neither was there any memorandum on the judge’s docket or the clerk’s minutes showing a filing. The case was then taken to the Supreme Court by appeal, and from there transferred to this court for want of jurisdiction in that court. After the case was taken to the Supieme' Court, interpleader went into the circuit court and applied for a nunc fro tunc order of record showing the filing of the bill. The order was granted and plaintiff appealed. He now insists that there was no ground for the order and that the bill of exceptions should be stricken out. The only foun
In this State the only evidence of a bill of exceptions being filed in term is an order entered of record to that effect. In Fulkerson v. Houts, 55 Mo. 301, it is said that the term “filed,” “has a broader signification than the mere indorsement to that effect, and comprehends more especially, in its proper interpretation, the entry made by the clerk on the record, by which the fact that the bill has been allowed, is announced and appropriately evidenced.” In Pope v. Thompson, 66 Mo. 661, it is said: “Neither the indorsement of the clerk on the bill of exceptions, ‘filed,’ with day and date, nor the statement by the judge that it is signed, sealed and made part of the record, nor both, will suffice. There must be a record entry that it was filed.” Several other cases affirm these.
The force of these decisions made necessary the application for a nunc pro tunc order. After a full consideration of the question we have concluded that the order filing the bill of exceptions was based on sufficient evidence and was properly made by the trial court. A nunc pro tunc order entering of record some matter which, though having transpired, had by some means been omitted from the record, may be based on some paper in the cause which affords evidence that that which is sought to be made of record was in fact ordered, or adjudged. In passing on an application for a nunc pro tunc order the court is not confined to the minutes of the clerk, or of the court, or docket entries. In the cases which consider what is competent evidence for this purpose it will be noted that a paper in the cause is named as one of the sources from which sufficient evidence may be drawn. Gamble v. Daugherty, 71 Mo. 599; St. Francis M. Co. v. Sugg, 142 Mo. 358; Loring v. Groomer, 110 Mo. 639; Ross v. Railway, 141 Mo. 390. In this case
“John A. Hockaday,
“Judge Circuit Court Boone County.”
We are satisfied that the bill was, of sufficient probative force to show, without reasonable doubt, that it was ordered to be filed and that the record entry of such filing should then have been made.
But plaintiff further objects to the bill on the ground that it is the bill of exceptions of a party who died before it was allowed and ordered to be filed by the court. It is true that this bill was put in form and presented for allowance by the substituted trustee after the death of the trustee interpleader who was the party at the trial and who participated therein. While it is a self-evident proposition, as asserted by plaintiff, that a bill of exceptions can not be presented by a dead man, yet exceptions taken by the party while alive may be embodied in one bill and certified by the judge after the party’s death. The bill of exceptions is a record of matters of exception which were taken by the objecting party. The exceptions taken become a part of the cause as it progresses and the proper successor of the excepting party may use them in the further prosecution or defense of the case just as the original party taking them might have used them; and when a bill embody
This brings us to a consideration of the merits of the appeal taken by the interpleader in the principal case. He merely represents in this controversy the interests of the Sturgeon Savings Bank, the beneficiary in the chattel deed of trust in which he is the substituted trustee. We will state the case from the point of view of each party:
It appears that the mercantile firm of Robinson & Hombs did their banking business with that bank and became indebted to it in the sum of $2,000, for which the bank held the firm’s note. Robinson sold out his interest in the partnership to O. W. Barnett. The note representing this indebtedness was taken up and Hombs and Barnett separately made their note to the bank for $1,000 each. The business continued thence on under the style of Hombs & Barnett, they continuing to do business with the bank. They also became indebted to the bank in several promissory notes amounting approximately to $3,000. After this indebtedness had accrued to the bank, Hombs proposed to sell his interest in the partnership to Barnett, conditioned on the latter being able to get the money sufficient to pay on the goods. Barnett undertook to get the money from the bank, intending to secure it with the merchandise. The bank refused to advance any further sum, but insisted on being secured on what was already owing to it. It was then arranged between Ritchie the cashier of the bank, Hombs and Barnett, that Hombs and Ritchie should go to Columbia and adjust the matter. They did so and Hombs, in the name of Hombs & Barnett, executed a note for $4,800, and the deed of trust in controversy to secure it. This note included the indebtedness
Much of the foregoing was not a matter of dispute. But there was evidence tending to show that Ritchie, as cashier of the bank, conspired with Hombs and Barnett to defraud the attaching creditors, and that while taking the deed of trust to secure the bank’s indebtedness he had the further purpose and intent to aid Hombs & Barnett in hindering and defrauding the attaching creditors.
The principal complaint made by the interpleader relates to the instructions given by the trial court at the request of plaintiff. The first and second instructions modified by the court and given for plaintiff, were based on the fact shown in evidence that the indebtedness, represented by the two individual notes of Hombs and of Barnett for $1,000 each, was included in the total secured by the deed of trust which, it will be borne in mind, was made by Hombs alone in the name of the firm. The effect of the declaration in the instructions was that if these notes were included in the deed of trust without the assent of Barnett, the other partner it rendered the deed void as to the plaintiffs. That is to sav, that since the firm property could not be conveyed to secure the individual debt of the partners without the consent of such partners, then if Barnett did not consent to the deed it included a debt which could not be made a charge against the firm’s property, and was therefore fraudulent. All question of fraudulent intent is omitted from the instruction; the simple addition of an improper debt
The fourth and fifth instructions declared that if it was the intention of prombs & Barnett in executing the deed of trust to defraud their other creditors and that the bank had
Notwithstanding what we have just stated, we are not at liberty to say that the action of the court in giving the instructions was error, feeling concluded by the case of Alberger v. White, 117 Mo. 347. In that case instructions like these were approved by a majority of the court after a thorough consideration. It is, however, proper to say that the point of criticism presented by counsel here does not appear to have been presented or considered in the opinion in that case. But notwithstanding this, we do not feel justified in condemning instructions substantially the counterpart of those upheld in the case referred to.
With the exception of the two instructions herein first considered, we have discovered no substantial error. The objection made to some of the evidence admitted we believe not well founded. The facts and circumstances appearing in the case justify the ruling of the court. As to conversation with Cashier Ritchie, he appears by the record to be virtually the bank itself, and we believe the ruling in that respect not objectionable. The judgment is reversed and cause remanded.
Reference
- Full Case Name
- CURTIS HAYDON, Interpleader v. ALKIRE GROCERY COMPANY
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- 1 case
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- Published