Tayler v. Connors
Tayler v. Connors
Opinion of the Court
We are asked to disregard the answers of the jury because not supported by the evidence.' This we cannot do. From the nature of the issues the evidence took a wide range. It is claimed there was a holding out by the
To rebut such and other evidence of holding out the defendant introduced a number of exhibits, among others a butter wrapper reading “Clover Leaf Dairy, W. H. Phillips, Proprietor,” and some other exhibits of the same nature. It is claimed that the introduction of the butter wrapper was error because there was no evidence that Larsen had ever seen it. The claim was not only that defendant held himself out to Larsen as having an interest in the Clover Leaf Dairy, but that he held himself .out to the public as haying such interest. It was therefore competent by way of rebuttal to show just how the business was conducted and what representations- were made either orally or by other means, and the court properly received the butter wrapper in evidence.
It appears that Mr. Phillips was adjudged a bankrupt and that claims were filed in the bankruptcy proceedings after he ceased operating the dairy. Mr. Connors was permitted to testify over proper, objection that no other creditor of the daily had made any claim against him for money due it. This was error. It did not tend to throw any light upon how the dairy business was carried on, but related to what was done by its creditors after it ceased operating. Besides, there was a claim that defendant had orally held himself out to Larsen as interested in the dairy business, so that plaintiff’s evidence tended to show that he stood in a different relation to the defendant than did other creditors. In order to find as it did the jury must have believed the defendant,
It was established upon the trial that the defendant owned the “Clover Leaf Dairy Farm” and that Phillips leased the farm and ran the “Clover Leaf Dairy,” hence the consent by both parties that the court could find defendant was not a partner in fact. Recovery, therefore, had to be based upon defendant’s holding himself out as being interested in the business, and the jury were so clearly instructed. They, negatived the fact that he so held himself out, and we are led to the conclusion that they followed the instructions of -the
Error is alleged as to an instruction relating to the fifth question of the special verdict. 'The jury did not answer the question', and, owing to previous findings made by them, were not required to answer it. Under such a state of fact the error, if one existed, became harmless.
By the Court. — Judgment affirmed.
Reference
- Full Case Name
- Tayler and others, Executors v. Connors
- Cited By
- 1 case
- Status
- Published