Roberts v. Brown
Roberts v. Brown
Opinion of the Court
This case is 'before this' court upon a petition for rehearing. The former opinion of the court is reported
The evidence shows that in January, 1912, plaintiff was in Chicago. She was what is known in the millinery. business as “trimmer.” She claims that defendant came to. her in Chicago and employed, her to 'come to Aberdeen to act in the capacity of trimmer in a millinery shop in that city for the agreed term of 16 weeks; that, pursuant to said employment, she came to Aberdeen and worked in said shop for a period of 12 weeks, when defendant discharged her, without cause and without paying her a balance of $19.25 which she claims was due here for services actually rendered, and without paying her at all for the balance of her agreed term of employment. Defendant denies that he ever had a millinery shop in Aberdeen, that he ever employed plaintiff, or that she ever worked for him. He also denied that he had. paid her anything, or that he ever owed her anything.
It is a conceded fact that, a short time before plaintiff claims to have been employed by the defendant, the defendant purchased a millinery shop in Aberdeen, and that a certain Miss Campbell was put in possession and management of said shop. Miss Campbell claims that the shop was .purchased by defendant for her, .and that she was- the sole owner thereof. Plaintiff claimed that defendant and Miss Campbell were together in Chicago ■when she was employed, that defendant took part in the conversation that took place at the time of her employment, and that, in the course of said conversation, defendant said that he had bought a business (meaning the millinery shop) in Aberdeen, and that Miss Campbell was going to run it. Defendant admits that he was present and was introduced to plaintiff at the time of said 'employment, but denies that he took any part whatever in the conversation that took place between plaintiff and Miss Camp
At about the time plaintiff was discharged defendant took charge of and disbursed the daily receipts of the business. This’ was apparently done without obtaining permission from 'Miss Campbell, or even consulting her. He does not appear ever to have accounted to her for such receipts, nor did she ever assert any interest therein, or -object to the' disposition thereof by defendant. It is true that defendant and Miss Campbell denied all of plaintiff’s testimony touching defendant’s ownership of the business and his employment of plaintiff; but this presented only a question of the veracity of the witnesses that 'was for the determination of the jury. All of the above circumstances relative to the purchase, ownership, management, and disposal of the said millinery business were proper for the consideration of the jury in support of plaintiff’s theory that it was the defendant who employed the plaintiff, and that Miss Campbell never had any interest in the business, other than as manager for the defendant.
The judgment appealed from is affirmed.
Case-law data current through December 31, 2025. Source: CourtListener bulk data.