Supreme Court of South Carolina, 1818

Barton v. Administrators of Dunlap

Barton v. Administrators of Dunlap
Supreme Court of South Carolina · Decided May 15, 1818 · Cheyes, Colcoclc, Gantt, Grimké, Johnson
9 S.C.L. 140

Barton v. Administrators of Dunlap

Opinion of the Court

The opinion of the Court was delivered by

Mr. Justice Cheyes.

*142I am of opinion, the evidence of a mistake * .... given by the plaintiff is in itself too vague and uncertain to countervail the receipts in full, the fairness and accuracy of which are testified by a witness of credibility and intelligence, and which ought the more especially to be final, as vouchers and documents were destroyed in consequence of the interchange of discharges: besides, the witness who was present ánd assisted, is ignorant of the fact, which is little more than suggested by the plaintiff’s witness. I also think, that the admission of proof on the subject of a mistake, when there was no notice of it on the pleadings, or in the plaintiff’s particular, was necessarily a surprise on the defendants, and ought not to have been suffered. I am, therefore, of opinion a new trial ought to be granted.

Grimké, Colcoclc, Gantt, and Johnson, J. concurred.

Case-law data current through December 31, 2025. Source: CourtListener bulk data.