In re Hopper-Morgan Co.
In re Hopper-Morgan Co.
Opinion of the Court
About April 4, 1905, one Roger Morgan, treasurer of the Hopper-Morgan Company, a manufacturing corporation of New York state having its factory and place of business at Watertown, N. Y., now bankrupt, without authority or consideration to the company, issued some $50,000 of the paper of the company in notes for various amounts, made out on the note blanks of said company, payable to the order of “ourselves,” and indorsed, “Hopper-Morgan Co., Roger Morgan, Treas.” The indorsement was without authority. One of the notes in question here for $1,250 was also indorsed by Roger Morgan individually. These notes, aggregating $50,-000, were delivered to one Trautwine, under the agreement they should be used as collateral only, taken up and returned before maturity, and not become a charge against the company. They had no legal inception, although Trautwine agreed to pay Morgan a certain percentage for their use. The notes were at once fraudulently diverted by Traut-wine. These facts are not in dispute.
Trautwine delivered the notes to one Morton, a note broker of Boston, Mass., who was a party to the fraud evidently.. There is no evidence he was ever a holder in good faith or for value. The notes in question here were delivered by Morton to one Robinson, another note broker, who in turn delivered them to one Collins, another note broker, who in turn delivered them to one Hasseltine, another note broker, who was agent for the claimant here, John B. Pilling, and is therefore charged with any knowledge Hasseltine had. Hasseltine kept no record of his transactions, or of these transactions with reference to the notes in question. The claimant insists that Hasseltine took the notes in good faitlr-and dor value. The burden was on him to show- — prove —this fact, and to make full disclosure. Stewart v. Lansing, 104 U. S. 505, 26 L. Ed. 866; King v. Doane, 139 U. S. 166, 173, 11 Sup. Ct. 465, 35 L. Ed. 84; Lytle v. Lansing, 147 U. S. 59, 62, 13 Sup. Ct. 254, 37 L. Ed. 78; Pana v. Bowler, 107 U. S. 542, 2 Sup. Ct. 704, 27 L. Ed. 424. Failure to make.'full disclosure may'fatally weaken proof. Stewart v. Lansing, 104 U. S. 510 (26 L. Ed. 866). So evidence on the subject is to be carefully scanned. Lytle v. Lansing, 147 U. S. 68, 13 Sup. Ct. 258, 37 L. Ed. 78. “If the amount paid is greatly disproportionate to the real- value, the security may be regarded as having been obtained without paying anything for - it.” King v. Doane, 139 U. S. 174, 11 Sup. Ct. 468, 35 L. Ed. 84.
Hasseltine testifies, in substance: That he had sold notes to Pilling, father of claimant, in his lifetime, and since then had sold notes to Pil-ling. That he met Collins, who told him he had the $5,000 note and $1,250 note which he wished Hasseltine to take. That he paid Collins for the $5,000 note as follows: Was allowed $100 discount, gave him a note of $1,000 made by one Helm, indorsed by G. I. Robinson, another note broker,- with collateral; gave up to Collins his individual note of $2,500, secured by collateral, $140,000 of the common stock of the Lenox Hotel, of Boston, Mass.; also'returned to Collins $350
There is no evidence that this so-called collateral, or the checks and notes, were of any value. A clerk of Collins says he was dealing in notes of no value, makers of no responsibility, and this was done intentionally. There is evidence showing or tending to show that Pill-ing, Hasseltine, and the other brokers knew, at the time of this deal, that these Hopper-Morgan notes were in ill odor, worthless, and for some reason being hawked about Boston and transferred for about 10 cents on the dollar, but not on account of the financial standing of Hopper-Morgan Company. Inquiry would have disclosed all the facts regarding these notes. True, Morgan wrote two or three letters to other parties regarding certain notes, stating those were good and would be met. But those letters did not refer to these notes, and there is no evidence Hasseltine knew of them, or relied on the statements therein contained. I have given a general outline of the testimony only. There is no doubt in my mind that Hasseltine, who had had some of these notes before, knew the true character of these notes. I have no doubt it was a mere trade in “cats and dogs,” paper “cats and dogs,” and understood so to be. There was neither “good
Bona fide purchasers and holders of commercial paper, fair on its face and not dishonored, are always to be protected; but in this case the fraud of those who obtained and diverted the notes in question is imputed to subsequent holders and cast on this claimant the burden of showing he was a bona fide holder for value, or that he took from some one who was.. This he has wholly failed to do. A decided badge of bad faith is that the $5,000 note, before due, was voluntarily returned to Morgan by claimant or his agent, and the two notes, of $2,500 each, now presented, obtained from him in its place; such notes being payable at a later day. This was done, evidently, to enable them to put the smaller notes off on some innocent person. The storm they saw impending broke top soon. It is not credible that this claimant surrendered up and obtained two smaller notes payable at a later day in exchange for the $5,000 note, seeking the change himself, if he was a holder.in.good faith and for value. At the time of such exchange it was common knowledge that these notes were fraudulently issued and had been fraudulently diverted. The testimony of Collins and Has--seltine is self-contradictory, is full of inherent improbabilities and inconsistencies, and as a whole is not entitled to credence. The referee did not give it full faith and credit, and certainly 1 cannot.
Whether the-“stuff” which Hasseltine says he gave Collins for the notes was of any value is a question of fact, and I find it was not. It is strange that, if Hasseltine was purchasing the notes for Pilling, he should have paid part in “cats and dogs” belonging to Pilling, not in his possessibn, and part in checks of Collins, not presented, not produced here, and in an insurance, deal, with which Pilling had nothing to do and - in which he had no interest. Their story of the transaction is. so inconsistent .with honesty and fair dealing, and so improbable, except among those' seeking to hide the true nature and purpose of their deals, that I find the claimant is not a .holder of these notes in-good faith-and for value, and has failed to show that he was. Another badge of fraud is found on .one of the $2,500 notes, taken after claimant says he became the owner of the $5,000 note and made the exchange. That-is indorsed by some one, and the indorsement erased, inked over. This is not explained. In fact; both Pilling and his agent, Hasseltine, profess ignorance. That they are ignorant on the subject is beyond belief. When a witness willfully testifies falsely in one material regard, or conceals facts willfully in giving his testimony, the court may. disregard all he says. The testimony of both Pilling and Hasseltine is remarkable for what they' do not disclose regarding facts they must have known. This fact is of weight. Stewart v. Lansing, 104 U. S. 506, 26 L. Ed. 866.
The .referee was., right, in rejecting this claim, and his order disallowing same is approved and confirmed.
Reference
- Full Case Name
- In re HOPPER-MORGAN CO.
- Status
- Published