Ellsworth v. Gunton
Ellsworth v. Gunton
Opinion of the Court
The following is the note on which action was brought:
Washington, January 15th, 1845.
Sixty days after date I promise to pay M. N. Falls, or order, two hundred and fifty dollars for value received, with interest from date. Thomas B. Addison.
Endorsed by M. N. Falls and Erastus E- Ellsworth.
Declaration.
Whereupon the plaintiff, by Joseph H. Bradley, his attorney, complains that whereas, heretofore, to wit: on or about the first day of March, in the year 1845, at the county aforesaid, he being the true owner and holder of a certain promissory note, bearing date at Washington, to wit, at the county aforesaid, the 15th day of January, 1845, made by a certain Thomas B. Addison, whereby sixty days after the date thereof the said Thomas B. Addison promised to pay Moore N. Falls, by the name of M, N. Falls, or order, two hundred and fifty dollars for value received, with interest from.date, and delivered the same to said Moore N. Falls, and the said Falls endorsed and delivered the same to the plaintiff before it became due and payable; and the said plaintiff being the owner and holder as aforesaid of the said note, and wishing to collect the same, and being desirous to have the payment of the
Yet the said defendants, not regarding their said promise .and undertaking, did not, nor would when the said note was and became due and payable, to wit: on the 19th day of March, 1845, at the county aforesaid, lawfully and duly demanded payment of the same of the said Thomas B. Addison, but utterly failed and neglected so to do, and did not give due notice of the non-payment thereof to the said Moore N. Falls, whereby the said plaintiff utterly lost all remedy against and demand upon the said Moore N. Falls as endorsor on said note, and the said sum of money hath not been paid to the said plaintiff to this day; to the damage of the plaintiff $500, and therefore he sued.
Joseph H. Bradley Plaintiff’s Attorney.
On the 19th day of March, 1845, the note was presented at the maker’s last place of business in Washington, and
The usual plea was made by the counsel for the defendant.
The following instructions appear to have been given to the jury in the case:
If from the whole evidence aforesaid the jury shall find that the note in the said declaration mentioned was made upon a full consideration by said Thomas B. Addison and delivered to M. N. Falls, and was endorsed by said M. N. Falls, and was the property of the plaintiff at the time it fell due, and was deposited by him with the defendants, through their agent, William Fuller, for collection, that the maker of said note resided in Georgetown, that when the same became and fell due the defendants did not present thé same, neither at the place of business or abode of the maker of said note, and made no enquiry as to his place of business or abode, the plaintiff is entitled to recover, and the burden of proof to show that the notary did make such enquiry is on the defendants, and there is no evidence in this cause that he did make such enquiry.
Verdict for the plaintiff.
The following motion was made to set aside the verdict:
Because the jury have rendered a verdict for damages, with interest thereon, which defendants, by their attorney, objected to as illegal.
Motion overruled and judgment rendered on the verdict for the amount of the note, with interest, from January 15, 1845, and costs.
Case-law data current through December 31, 2025. Source: CourtListener bulk data.