Cockrell Bros. v. Wood
Cockrell Bros. v. Wood
Opinion of the Court
There was rendered a judgment in this case in the district court of Lancaster county for the amount prayed .in the petition of B. E. Wood. The averments of this petition were as follows: “The plaintiff complains and for cause of action alleges that heretofore, to-wit, on April 15, 1892, the plaintiff sold to defendants and shipped to the city of Burlington, Iowa, at their request, one car-load of corn, for which the defendants agreed to pay plaintiff the sum of thirty-six cents per bushel of thirty-six pounds, if said corn should grade number three, and at the market rate of discount if said corn should prove of a lower grade, less” the freight from the town of Eustis, Nebraska, to Burlington, Iowa; that said corn was duly received at Burlington and the amount thereof was 56,200 pounds, and the market rate of discount on the same was one and one-lialf cents per bushel; that the freight on the same to Burlington was $112; that said defendants duly accepted said corn, but that they have at all times wholly neglected and refused to pay for the
By the terms of the agreement for the purchase of the corn, Mr. Wood was required to bill the car containing it to his own order at Burlington, Iowa, and notify J. E. Harris & Co., a corporation doing business as a grain dealer at the city last named. In his testimony Mr. Wood admitted that owing to the fact that he was then unacquainted with the business and terms connected therewith he billed the car directly to J. F. Harris & Co. As directed, however, he drew on Cockrell Bros, for the net value of the corn. The draft, with the bill of lading attached, was sent through the Farmers State Bank at Eustis for collection. The draft was payable to that bank, and for its amount Mr. Wood received a credit, of which he still has the benefit. Cockrell Bros., to evidence the fact that they had sold the corn, delivered to J. B. Christian & Co., of Omaha, the aforesaid bill of lading. Mr. J. B. Cliristian testified that the firm of which he was a member was then having some trouble with J. F. Harris & Co., and that Mr. Johnson, the vice president of the Citizens Bank at Omaha, was in the office when this draft for this particular corn came in, and took the bill of lading and drew on J. F. Harris & Co. for the amount named in the bill of lading, on account of J. B. Christian & Co. To this draft J. B. Christian signed the name of J. B. Christian & Co., and the Citizens Bank, the payee, forwarded it, with the bill of lading attached, for collection from the drawee, J. F. Harris & Co. It appears from testimony of J. F. Harris that the firm of J. F. Harris & Co. had received notice that a car of corn had been shipped to that firm, and that without the bill of lading being required the railroad company had delivered this car to the consignee. When the draft on J. F. Harris & Co., with the bill of lading attached, was presented to
Mr. Wood testified that as a matter of business integrity he paid this draft. Front this involved statement it will be profitable, perhaps, to single out the facts which bear upon the merits of this suit. In the first place, Wood drew on Cockrell Bros, for the value of the corn. This draft Cockrell Bros, paid to the Citizens Bank at Omaha, where it had been sent for collection. The transaction ends here so far as there is involved the rights of the parties with reference to the sale of the corn. By various representations, Cockrell Bros, afterwards induced Wood to pay back to that firm the amount previously paid to take up the draft drawn against the shipment of corn. The payment of tile draft drawn by Cock
Reversed and remanded.
Case-law data current through December 31, 2025. Source: CourtListener bulk data.