Griffith v. Hubbard

67 N.W. 850, 9 S.D. 15, 1896 S.D. LEXIS 99
South Dakota Supreme Court·Decided June 24, 1896·Published·Cited by 7 cases

Opinion

Corson, P. J.

This is an appeal from an order of the circuit court refusing to vacate and set aside a judge’s order discharging the petitioner on habeas corpus. In the petition for the writ the petitioner set out a copy of the complaint, judgment and execution under which he was held by the defendant, Hubbard, as sheriff of Minnehaha county. The action, as appears from the complaint, was brought upon three promissory notes executed by the petitioner to the Esterly Harvesting Machine Company, and transferred by that company to John Sundback, who was the plaintiff in the action. The plaintiff, Sundback, for cause of action, alleged “that on or about July 20, 1885, the said defendant (Griffith), for a valuable consideration, made and delivered to the Esterly Harvesting Company, a corporation, his three promissory notes in writing, of which the following is a copy.” Then follow copies of the three notes, to each of which was annexed a representation in the following form: ‘ ‘For the purpose of obtaining the property for which this note is given, I, I. N. Griffith, certify that I am the owner,” etc., “of 160 acres of land,” etc., of the value of $3,000, and personal property of the value of $2,000. The complaint also contained the following allegation and prayer for judgment: “(2) That, to obtain the credit and property for which said notes were given, the defendant represented that he was solvent, and had real property valued at two thous- and five hundred dollars above all incumbrances, and had two thousand dollars worth of personal property over and above all indebtedness and exemptions. (3) That said machine company, relying on said statement and representations, and believing the same to be true, and not knowing the contrary, did sell property for which sa,id notes were given, to said defendant, on credit, and took his notes therefor, which, but for said representations, it would not so have done. (4) That said representations were false. (5) That this plaintiff, who was then their agent for the sale of said property for which said notes were given, and acting as such, guaranteed the payment of [19] said notes in writing, which, but for said representations afore-1 said made by the defendant, and not knowing the contrary, this plaintiff would not have done so. (6) That thereafter this plaintiff paid the said machine company the amount of said notes, under said guaranty, and the same were by the said machine company duly assigned for value to him, who is now the owner thereof. (7) That the defendant has not paid the same, or any part thereof, except the sum of twenty dollars paid thereon in the spring of 1888. Wherefore plaintiff demands judgment against the said defendant in the sum of two hundred and fifty-three dollars ($253), with interest thereon from April 1, 1888, at ten per cent per annum, upon a debt incurred for property obtained under false pretenses, and for costs and disbursements of this action.’’ The defendant not appearing, judgment was rendered against him in the usual form, for the amount of the notes, interest, etc., and in which it is recited: '“‘And it further appearing, after due examination of all the evidence offered, that all the allegations in the complaint are true, and that said debt was incurred for property obtained under false pretenses: Now, therefore, * * * it is hereby ordered and adjudged that the plaintiff have and recover against the defendant the sum of * * * upon a debt incurred for property obtained under false pretenses, together with,” etc. The execution follows the judgment, and recites that an execution was duly issued against the property of the defendant, and had been returned unsatisfied, and concludes as follows: “Now, therefore, in the name of the state of South Dakota, we command you that you arrest said judgment debtor, I. N. Griffith, and commit him to the county jail of said Minnehaha county until he shall pay the aforesaid judgment, together with all costs, or be discharged according to law.” The petitioner states that he was illegally imprisoned for the following reasons: “First. That the judgment in said action, and upon which said execution issued, does not authorize the issuance of an execution against the body of your petitioner, for the reason [20] that said judgment does not adjudge, and the complaint on which it is founded does not allege, that the defendant has been guilty of fraud in contracting the debt for which said action was brought. * * * Third. That no order of arrest was issued in said action prior to the judgment, and the allegations of the complaint to the effect that the debt was incurred for property obtained under false pretenses, not being material to plaintiff’s cause of action, do not authorize the arrest of defendant after judgment. Fourth. That the provisions of the statute authorizing the arrest of a defendant in an action arising out of, or founded upon, contract, are unconstitutional and void, being in contravention of Sec. 15, Art. 6, of the constitution.”

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Griffith v. Hubbard, 67 N.W. 850, 9 S.D. 15, 1896 S.D. LEXIS 99 (S.D. 1896).

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