Brewster v. Miller's Sons Co.

41 S.W. 301, 101 Ky. 368, 1897 Ky. LEXIS 209
CourtCourt of Appeals of Kentucky
DecidedJune 4, 1897
StatusPublished
Cited by20 cases

This text of 41 S.W. 301 (Brewster v. Miller's Sons Co.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Appeals of Kentucky primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Brewster v. Miller's Sons Co., 41 S.W. 301, 101 Ky. 368, 1897 Ky. LEXIS 209 (Ky. Ct. App. 1897).

Opinion

JUDGE PAYNTER

delivered the opinion of the court.

The plaintiff, Brewster, is a citizen of Louisville. From the allegations of the petition, there is an association in that city, known as the “Funeral Directors’ Association.” The defendants in this action are undertakers and members of the association, except the defendant, the Louisville Coffin Co., which is engaged in the business of manufacturing caskets.' On the 10th of December, 1893, the wife of the plaintiff died. He went to the defendants, C. Miller’s Sons, to engage their services and to buy articles necessary for her burial. Theyrefusedtoacceptemployment or furnish the articles necessary for that purpose, because, as they claimed, the plaintiff was indebted to them in the sum of $52 for burying his father. The defendants, other than the Coffin Co., re[370]*370fused to perform the necessary services and furnish the necessary articles for the burial of plaintiff’s wife. This refusal was made because of this claim of C. MilLr’s Sons that Brewster was indebted to them for previous services, etc., as stated. This is not a suit for tiie violation of a contract made by either of the defendants but because they would not enter into one with the plaintiff and furnish the services and the materials which he desired. It is alleged that the Funeral Directors’ Association is a trust and confederation and by reason of the terms and purposes of the trust, combination and conspiracy, the defendants refused to furnish any of the materials or render services, necessary for the burial of the plaintiff’s wife, and that the defendants refused for the purpose of enforcing by duress and oppression the collection of the debt due C. Miller’s Sons.. The articles of the association and by-laws, which plaintiff claims make it an unlawful trust, and a combination in restraint of trade, are as follows:

Article 5 of constitution reads:

“Each and every member of this association who shall, either directly or indirectly, sell, exchange, give, or hire, any part of his goods or equipments to or from, or in any way aid or assist any funeral director or branch establishment not a member of this association, shall on conviction thereof after a fair and an impartial trial be fined for each and every offense as provided in article 6 of this constituí tion.”

Article 6, section 1, reads as follows:

“if any member of this association be found wilfully guilty of violating any part of this constitution, by-laws, rules [371]*371or regulations, that may now or hereafter be adopted for the government of this association, where the penalty is not specified in the laws, shall, if convicted, after a fair and impartial trial and investigation of the same be fined ten ($10) dollars, for the first offense, twenty ($20) dollars for the second offense, fifty ($50) dollars for the third offense and expulsion for the fourth offense.”

Article 8, sections 1 and,2 read as follows:

Sec. 1. All manufacturers and dealers in caskets, coffins and funeral directors’ supplies of every name and nature whatever, are hereby requested not to sell any article in our line, to any funeral director or other parties, for use within the jurisdiction of this association, unless he or they be members hereof in good- standing.”
“Sec. 2. If any manufacturer, dealer or traveling salesman of the same, shall not fully and in every respect comply with the requirements of section 1, of this article, then, we, the members of this association, hereby agree and pledge ourselves to withdraw our patronage from him and the house represented, and will not purchase goods from them.”

Article 9, sections 1 and 2, reads as follows:

■ “Sec. 1. All manufacturers, liverymen and dealers in our line of goods who signify their intention to abide by the constitution, by-laws, rules and regulations of this association, who shall hold a judgment or an execution for over three months unpaid, against member of this association, for goods or livery work used in their business as funeral directors are requested to give this association an immediate written notice thereof, stating all facts in the case.”
Sec. 2. Any member of the association who shall have [372]*372judgment or an execution standing against him, as described in section 1 of this article, without good and sufficient cause, which shall be decided by the members present at any regular meeting, after a fair and impartial investigation, if it Be found that the member has met with, no unusual misfortune, he shall be expelled, or shall be given not to exceed ninety days to pay the same, and if not paid at the expiration of the given time, he shall then be expelled.”

Article 10, section 2, reads as follows:

“Sec. 2. Any member who shall be found guilty of expressing his opinion unfavorably on a reasonable and just bill of any other member to any party not a member hereof, shall if convicted, after a fair trial, be fined according to article 6 of constitution.”

Article 14 of constitution reads as follows:

“That there shall be established by the association a delinquent list, upon which shall be recorded the names of all persons who do not pay their bills. The association shall keep this list and furnish members with all names that are handed to be recorded on the same. The members shall each enter in a book for the purpose (which book shall be furnished to each member by the association) all names, amount of indebtedness, date of -bill, and funeral director to whom same is owing as soon as received from the association.” Article 4, section 2 of the by-laws of said Funeral Directors’ Association, reads as follows:
“The delinquent secretary shall receive from the members, a complete list of all the parties who fail to pay their bills for the burial of their dead, he shall record all such names in a proper book procured by the association. He [373]*373shall enter all lists furnished him in his book and immediately send copy of the same to each member of this association, and all members shall be allowed access to the delinquent secretary’s book at any time, and to take a copy of the same should they wish to do so. He shall be allowed six dollars for his services.

Article 11, sections 1, 2 and 4 of by-laws are as follows;

“Sec. 1. Members of this association shall furnish a list to delinquent secretary, from time to time, of all parties who do not pay their bills for the burial of their dead.”
Sec. 2. No member of this association shall wait upon any person who is indebted to any other member of this association until such indebtedness is settled, except it be for the burial of the person so indebted, in which case the undertaker having charge shall use every endeavor to have the old account settled, and any member who shall furnish articles to a person named in the printed “delinquent list,” or who shall persist in furnishing goods after having been notified by another member that they are indebted to him, shall be punished by a fine of not less than fifty ($50) dollars, or a larger amount at the discretion of the association.”
Sec. 4.

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Bluebook (online)
41 S.W. 301, 101 Ky. 368, 1897 Ky. LEXIS 209, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/brewster-v-millers-sons-co-kyctapp-1897.