Held v. Walker
Held v. Walker
Opinion of the Court
delivered the opinion of the Court:
If this case had been tried by the court without a jury, as is often done in appeals from justices of the peace, we would have unhesitatingly affirmed the decision. Eor we think that there was enough testimony to justify a jury, or a court sitting to try an issue of fact without a jury, to find that the plaintiff had held out Taylor as his general agent, authorized to receive and collect money, as well as to solicit orders; and that the defendant paid such agent in good faith. But the question which is before us, and which was before the court below, is not whether the testimony preponderated in favor of the defendant rather than in favor of the plaintiff, or whether there was a sufficiency of testimony on which to found a verdict for the defendant, but whether there was any conflict of testimony, or whether the testimony was so overwhelmingly in favor of the defendant that the court would not allow an adverse verdict to stand. We find that there was conflict of testimony which should have been submitted to the jury.
Perhaps no great importance should be attached under the circumstances, either to the plaintiff’s statement that no authority had been given by him to Taylor to collect money, or to the defendant’s statement that Taylor had assured him that he was so authorized, although these several statements raise an issue of fact. But the unquestionable facts upon which it is sought to base the claim of authority, the show of agency upon the stationery furnished by the plaintiff to Taylor, the placing of the bill of November 1, 1902, by the plaintiff in Taylor’s hands for presentation to the defendant, and the appointment
We think the case should have been submitted to a jury, and that it was error to withdraw it from their consideration. Eor this error we are constrained to reverse the judgment, with costs, and to remand the cause to the supreme court of the District, with directions to award a new trial. And it is so ordered.
Reversed.
Reference
- Full Case Name
- HELD v. WALKER
- Status
- Published
- Syllabus
- Principal and Aoent; Payment; Evidence. Where, in an action to recover for goods sold and delivered, the defense is payment to an agent of the plaintiff, and the testimony of the plaintiff is that the agent had no authority to collect money, but merely to solicit orders, while the defendant testifies that the agent told him that he was so authorized; and it further appears that the agent conducted a branch office for plaintiff, using letter-heads and bill-heads, furnished by the plaintiff, on which his name appeared as “Agent,” one of which letter-heads was used in soliciting the order from the defendant, and that the bill which defendant paid was made up by the plaintiff and placed in the agent’s hands for presentation to the defendant, it is error for the trial court to direct a verdict for the defendant, the question being one of fact for the jury, and not of law for the court.