Thorn & Maginnis v. Wallace
Thorn & Maginnis v. Wallace
Opinion of the Court
delivered the opinion of the court.
Appellants were made defendants to a bill exhibited by appellee as receiver of the Citizens’ Bank of Wil-
“That the said sum of six thousand five hundred dollars was paid to and received by said defendants*657 through the felony of the said MacLeod after they had every reason to know and be informed of his inability to pay said sums of his own means and money, and was actually received by the said Thorn & Maginnis and the members thereof with the utmost bad faith.”
One D. W. Huff is made a party defendant on the theory that he was a customer of the said partnership of Thorn &■ Maginnis, and that he is indebted to the said firm on account of his dealings in futures. L. H. Dinkins and Mrs. E. J. Blumenthall were made parties defendant, on the theory that they hold the legal title to certain real estate in said county as trustees of Thorn and Maginnis and their agent Blumenthall. The prayer of the bill is for a decree against Thorn & Ma-ginnis and their agent, S. Blumenthall, for the total amount of moneys received by them from G-. C. Mac-Leod, and for an, attachment in chancery, to be levied upon their said real estate in Mississippi. A general demurrer was filed by all of the defendants, and also the separate demurrer of Thorn and Maginnis and D. W. Huff.
While it is true that the receiver succeeds to the right and title of the Citizens’ Bank, no statute of our state gives to the bank the right to sue for and recover losses sustained by its cashier, MacLeod, in gambling on “futures.” Neither MacLeod nor the members of his family are parties to this litigation. In fact, it is frankly conceded by counsel for appellee that this bill cannot be maintained upon the theory that the bank has a right to recover any money lost in gambling and in the buying of futures. It is contended, however, that the receiver has the right to recover moneys unlawfully embezzled or abstracted by the cashier and received by Thorn & Maginnis with knowledge that the moneys were stolen. The only question now before us is a question of pleading. Does the bill of complaint state a cause of action? We think not. The bill does not charge that either Thorn & Maginnis or their agent,
The fact that4 the defendants are general dealers in cotton futures is a mere incident, and can have little direct bearing upon this case. This fact may be a circumstance tending to prove bad faith on the part of MacLeod as well as the defendants themselves. But the bill of complaint should not be bottomed upon mere suspicion or circumstances that would create a suspicion.
The decree of the learned chancellor will be reversed,' the general demurrer sustained, and the cause remanded, with leave to appellee to amend generally the bill of complaint within thirty days after receipt of mandate by the clerk of the court below.
Reversed and remanded.
Reference
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- 1. Gaming. Embezzled funds. Recovery by bank,. There is no statute in this state giving a bank the right to sue for and recover losses sustained by its cashier in gambling on “futures.” 2. Gaming. Recovery of funds. Sufficiency of petition. In a suit by the receiver of a bank against a broker, for losses sustained by its cashier in gambling on “futures,” which losses were paid to the broker, the bill must expressly charge that the money was received by the broker with knowledge that it was stolen. , 3. Same. In such case the bill of complainant should not be bottomed upon mere suspicion or circumstances that would create a suspicion, there should be clear and positive averments of knowledge and bad faith; notice by implication is not sufficient; money passes by delivering and any one trading with such cashier had the right to accept his money without an inquiry as to whether it was borrowed or stolen.