Bushnell v. Chamberlain
Bushnell v. Chamberlain
Opinion of the Court
This action was instituted in the court below by the plaintiff in error against Charles M. Chamberlain, James
It is contended that the evidence fails to support the verdict. Plaintiff resides at, and is engaged in the lumber business in, Kansas City, Missouri. For more than a year subsequent to April, 1890, the firm of Munson & Walker owned a lumber yard in the city of Lincoln, and during that time the plaintiff sold the firm on an average of about two cars of lumber per week, and the Cook Lumber Company also purchased a few car loads of lumber of Munson & Walker during the same period. The last named firm went out of business prior to February, 1892, but the members of the Cook Lumber Company were not aware of that fact until several weeks thereafter. In February, 1892, the last named company sent an order' to Munson & Walker for two car loads of oak lumber, and some two weeks later, without further correspondence, the Cook Lumber Company received the same, believing that the order had been filled, and the shipment made, by Mun-son & Walker. The Cook Lumber Company held a note against said firm, and credited thereon the price of the lumber before the company had been apprised of the dissolution of the firm of Munson & Walker, or that the plaintiff claimed to have furnished the lumber in dispute. The testimony introduced on behalf of the plaintiff tends to show that during the last of February, 1892, he made arrangements with C. C. Munson, late of the firm of Mun-son & Walker, to act as his agent in the sale of lumber in Nebraska upon commission; that thereafter Mr. Munson placed an order with the the plaintiff for two car loads of oak lumber to be shipped to the Cook Lumber Company, which order was filled and the lumber shipped about the
Error is assigned because the-trial court suppressed from the depositions of the plaintiff and -Munson the evidence relating to the assignment by the latter to the former of the account for the lumber in controversy. ■ We are, unable .to discover any prejudicial error in the ruling. The issue to be tried was whether the lumber was sold and delivered by plaintiff to the defendants. ■ If it was, and by mistake the material was billed as having be.en .sold by Munson; it required no formal assignment of the account to Mr. Bushnell by'Munson in order to entitle -the plaintiff to recover in the action. Therefore, the fact that there was a written assignment of the account is not important or material.
Complaint is • made of the giving of this instruction: ■“ If you find from the evidence that the defendants pur
Exceptions were taken to the refusing of the plaintiff’s first and second requests to charge, which are as follows:
“ 1. The court instructs the jury that if you believe from the evidence that the plaintiff sold the defendant, the Cook Lumber Company, the lumber mentioned in his petition through C. C. Munson, as agent, and that said lumber has not been paid for to the plaintiff, then the mere fact that, said agent by mistake billed the lumber to the Cook Lumber Company as though it had been sold by him individually and not by plaintiff is no defense to this action.. The further fact, also, that said Cook Lumber Company supposed they were buying the lumber from said C. C. Munson individually and not from the plaintiff through him as agent is no defense in this action.
“2. The court further instructs the jury that if they believe from the evidence that the plaintiff, being the owner of the lumber and the materials mentioned in the petition, sold the same to the Cook Lumber Company through his agent, C. C. Munson, and that said Cook Lumber Company has not paid for the same to said plaintiff and that said lumber was delivered to the said Cook Lumber Company as alleged, then you will find for the plaintiff ai. 1 assess his damages at what you believe from the evidence he is entitled to recover.”
Although not couched in the same language, the court, by the first instruction substantially covered the same
Affirmed.
Reference
- Full Case Name
- Albert Bushnell v. Charles M. Chamberlain
- Status
- Published