Brooks v. First Presb. Church

Supreme Court of Pennsylvania
Brooks v. First Presb. Church, 135 Pa. 137 (Pa. 1890)
19 A. 817; 1890 Pa. LEXIS 1159
McCollum, Mitchell, Paxson, Sterrett, Williams

Brooks v. First Presb. Church

Opinion of the Court

Per Curiam:

When this case was called for argument, the counsel for the appellee moved that the appellant’s paper-book be suppressed, and the case non-pros’d, for the reason that but a small portion of the testimony had been printed, and that portion not as delivered, but in narrative form, and that important portions had been wholly omitted, or printed in such manner as to be misleading. An examination of the record disclosed the fact that a large amount of testimony had been omitted; and, while we had no reason to suppose that it had been done for the purpose of misleading the court, yet, as the omission was in direct violation of the Rules of Court, we could not wholly disregard the motion. The first assignment, however, raised a question of law which did not depend upon the testimony, and we decided to hear the case upon that alone, declining to hear argument upon, or to consider, the remaining assignments. This statement is made as explaining why no reference is made to the assignments Nos. 2 to 12, inclusive.

The first assignment alleges error in the exclusion of the Orphans’ Court record.. A very few words are sufficient to show that the record was properly rejected. It is true the plaintiff appeared in the Orphans’ Court, and objected to the credit of 119,257.14, which the executor had paid to the church as the residue of the estate of Alanson Lindley, deceased. But *141t-Le executor was no party to the fraud; he had paid the money out in good faith to the church, without notice, and without knowledge that the plaintiff had been overreached in the transaction. As between the plaintiff and the innocent executor, the plaintiff was in no condition to surcharge him; it would have been a wrong to have done so. But the church held the fruits of the fraud, and the plaintiff proceeded to recover it back. Under such circumstances, the Orphans’ Court record was no defence, and the learned judge below committed no error in rejecting it.

Judgment affirmed.

Reference

Full Case Name
ABBY M. BROOKS v. FIRST PRESB. CHURCH
Status
Published
Syllabus
1. The Supreme Court will not hear argument upon, or consider, specifications of error based upon testimony which the appellant, in violation of the Rules of Court, has neglected to present accurately and fully in his paper-books, although such omission has not been made for the purpose of misleading the court. 2. In an action to recover a distributee’s' share of a decedent’s estate, received by the defendant from the executor upon papers fraudulently obtained from the plaintiff, a record of the Orphans’ Court showing the dismissal of plaintiff’s exceptions to a credit taken therefor by the executor, is inadmissible as a defence, when the executor paid out the money in good faith and without notice of the fraud. 3. As between the plaintiff and the innocent executor, the plaintiff was in no condition to maintain the surcharge in the Orphans’ Court, in the proceedings upon the executor’s account, but the defendant in the action having the fruits of the fraud in its possession, the Orphans’ Court record was no defence to the action brought to recover it back.