Buckingham v. McCracken
Buckingham v. McCracken
Opinion of the Court
This is a writ of error to the common pleas of Muskingum county, reserved from the district court for that county. The suit in the common pleas was brought on a bill of exchange-for $1,500, purporting to bo drawn by David B. Little, ¥m. McCall, Jesse Snodgrass, and William McCracken, on N. D. Lewis, cashier of the Girard 'Bank of Philadelphia, in favor of David B.. Little, and by him indorsed to the plaintiff, Benjamin H. Buckingham. Suit was brought against all the drawers of the bill, David B. Little being both drawer, payee, and indorser. William McCall was served with process. A writ was issued to the sheriff of Guernsey county, and served on Wm. McCracken, who was a, resident of that county; as to David B. Little and Jesse Snodgrass, the return was not found. McCall and McCracken, the only parties brought into court, severed in their pleading; each filed the, general issue, with an affidavit averring the truth of his plea, Mc-Cracken admitting in his affidavit that he signed the draft, but denying that his co-defendant, McCall, did. The case was submitted to the jury, who found a verdict in favor of McCall and against McCracken. The plaintiff moved for judgment on the verdict against McCracken, which the court refused, and proceeded to enter up a judgment in McCracken’s favor, non obstante veredicto. This ruling of the court is alleged by the plaintiff in error to be-erroneous. In the first place, we would say that, in our opinion the court erred in entering up judgment for the defendant non obstante veredicto. This is a judgment that can only be given for a plaintiff. The remedy for a defendant is to have the judgment arrested ; he can go no further. Smith v. Smith, 4 Wend. 468; Schermerhorn v. Schermerhorn, 5 Wend. 513. But the question to which counsel have called our attention, is, whether, from the record, the plaintiff had a right to judgment on the verdict against McCracken. The suit in this ease was brought, and *issought. to be maintained, under the statute of 1844 (42 Ohio Stat. 72), providing for a joint action against all the makers and indorsers of a note or bill, and authorizing a judgment against one or more of the defendants, although one or more of them might make a successful defense.
The defendant in error contends that the present case does not come within the purview of this statute; that the statute only applies to paper where there are both makers and indorsers. Little, who indorsed the bill, was a maker, and can not be considered as.
Case-law data current through December 31, 2025. Source: CourtListener bulk data.