Craig v. Craig's Adm'x.

29 Ky. 171, 6 J.J. Marsh. 171, 1831 Ky. LEXIS 150
CourtCourt of Appeals of Kentucky
DecidedJune 11, 1831
StatusPublished

This text of 29 Ky. 171 (Craig v. Craig's Adm'x.) 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
Craig v. Craig's Adm'x., 29 Ky. 171, 6 J.J. Marsh. 171, 1831 Ky. LEXIS 150 (Ky. Ct. App. 1831).

Opinion

Judge Buckner

delivered the opinion of the court.

Forman and others, having obtained judgments against Lewis Craig, he replevied the debts, with his brother Elijah Craig as his surety, by recognizances in the clerk’s office. Before they became due, being on the eve of his departure for New Orleans, he executed to Elijah a power of attorney, bearing date on the 15th of August, 1821, giving him the control of all his property, consisting of land, ne-groes, &c., with full authority, as his agent, to attend to all his business during his absence, which he accepted, and acted under it. Previous to his return, executions, in the cases alluded to, issued, for sums amounting to more than two thousand dollars. By the directions of the agent, the officer levied them upon a female slave named Rose, and her six children, the property of said Lewis; which were advertised ..and sold accordingly. Before the day of sale, Elijah and Whitfield Chug, who was also a brother of Lewis, entered separately into negociations with For-man, to whom much the largest portion of the money, to be raised by the sale, was due, for the purpose of obtaining the command of his executions. Forman, whb seems to have been kindly disposed towards Lewis Craig, under the influence of representations made to him ,by Elijah, that Whitfield’s object was.to speculate upon the misfortune and embarrassments of his absent brother, by purchasing the slaves for his own benefit, whilst he designed only to act as his agent, [172]*172by purchasing a family of slaves to which his brother was attached; and which, should he succeed in doing so, he intended to permit him to redeem, by paying the amount at which they might be cried off; refused to make any contract on the subject with Whitfield, but agreed to let Elijah have the benefit of his executions, if he would use them for the purpose proposed, it was accordingly stipulated, although the sale, as to Forman’s demands, were to be made for specie,, that Elijah Craig should execute his own note, with Chiles as his surety, to Forman, for the amount of the executions in his favor, payable in one year after date, in Kentucky bank-notes, and purchase the slaves in ilie way proposed; and a note was in that way executed' for $1,704 01.cent. On the day of the sale, which took place in the latter part of the full, or beginning of winter, 1821, it was made known by Elijah to the company present, that he was the agent of Lewis: and he then publicly expressed a hope that, as be xvas acting for the benefit of an unfortunate brother, none would bid against himl Whether the persons present were operated on, by the considerations urged, it is not important to enquire. No one^ however, did bid against him except Whitfield. The slaves were sold for specie as to Forman’s execution, and for Kentucky bank-paper as to the other executions, and were cried off to Elijah Craig, he being the highest bidder, at the price of $2,926; which xvas about txventy or thirty dollars less than the aggregate amount of all the executions, under which the sale took place. Elijah, at the same time, borrowed-of Forman $500 in Kentucky bank-notes, to enable him to pay the amount of his purchase aforesaid, for which he, with Chiles as his surety, executed his note.

On the return ofLewis from Orleans, feeling anxious to redeem the slaves, .but being without the necessary funds to accomplish his object, he entered into an arrangement with his brothers Whitfield and John, xvho agreed to aid him. The former advanced for that pur-, pose $597,in Kentucky bank-notes ;the latter advanced a.sum,-in Commonwealth’s paper, the amount of which, is the subject of controversy, which were paid.to For-man, for the purpose of obtaining from him, the notes executed by Elijah Craig and Chiles. There was still a balance due on those notes of $511, for which For-[173]*173man accepted the note of Lewis, with Whitfield and John Craig as sureties, payable in Kentucky banknotes; and in December, 1822, he assigned and delivered to Lewis the two notes, which had been executed to him by Elijah Craig and Chiles, that they might -be delivered to Elijah, and the slaves redeemed.

At' the time those sums- were advanced1, it was agreed by Lewis, Whitfield and John, that the two latter should have a lien On the slaves, if they should be obtained from Elijah, and if not, on the notes assigned by Forman, to indemnify them against responsibility as to the note for $511, in which, they had joined as Lewis’ sureties, and to secure to them the repayment of the sums advanced; and to this end, the notes were deposited with a Mr. Paxton for safe keeping.

On the Istof January, 1823, Lewis Craig, to whom they had been delivered for the purpose, tendered them to Elijah, and also tendered the thirty dollars, which the latter had paid, exceeding the amount of the two notes which he and Chiles had executed, and demanded a delivery of the slayes; which was refused, unless upon payment of four hundred dollars, as a compensation for his trouble and risk in keeping them; insisting, as a justification for his refusal, that Lewis was unable himself to redeem, but was attempting to do it through the aid, and for the benefit, of his other two brothers.

Not long after this Elijah, with the intention of se* curing the slave? to himself, demanded of Lewis a production of his and Chiles’ notes, declaring his ability and willingness to pay them immediately; but Lewis seemed disposed to evade the demand, and replied, that the notes had been deposited with another persorif or, in his language, hfd been placed win deposit.”

Elijah subsequently carried the money to John, and offered to pay it to him, who refused to receive it; saying, (hat the notes of Elijah were better than specie, because they (alluding to himself and Whitfield,; wantéd the negroes. Upon this, Lewis instituted his bill in chancery .against Elijah, making Chiles also a defendant, praying that he might be permitted to redeem the slaves, upon the delivery and cancellation of the $1,704 01 cent note, and of that for tf‘5O0, and [174]*174upon payment of the $30. Elijah answered, contest' *n8 ^le r‘ght set l,P> praying that his answer might be taken as a cross-bill against Lewis, and calling on John and Whitfield to answer it. Lewis answered, relying on the same grounds set forth in his bill; John and Whitfield did not answer directly; but each filed a in the nature of an interpleader, and each insisting upon an enforcement of his lien. Whitfield moreover alleged that, since the commencement of this controversy, he had paid off the note for §511 to For-man, in which he and John had joined Lewis as sureties. John charged, that he advanced, for the purpose of redeeming the slaves, a check, drawn on the Limestone bank in his favor, by one Carter, for a little upwards of$>1,200 in Commonwealth’s bank-notes, and calls on Lewis to answer to the allegation. Lewis admits, that John had advanced about fifteen dollars of the money paid to Forman; but expressly denies, that the check alluded to was advanced by John, or that he had ever agreod to give him a lien on the slaves, except for the fifteen dollars, and to secure him against responsibility on the note of $511 to Forman, which Whitfield subsequently discharged. He insists, that he and John, in partnership, owned an equal interest in the Union Mills, which (hey sold to Carter; that John had received his full portion of the price; and that the check alluded to had been drawn in John’s favor, who handed it to him, as a part of the price to which he was entitled.

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Bluebook (online)
29 Ky. 171, 6 J.J. Marsh. 171, 1831 Ky. LEXIS 150, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/craig-v-craigs-admx-kyctapp-1831.