Hayden v. Cretcher

75 Ind. 108
CourtIndiana Supreme Court
DecidedMay 15, 1881
DocketNo. 7319
StatusPublished
Cited by27 cases

This text of 75 Ind. 108 (Hayden v. Cretcher) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Indiana Supreme Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Hayden v. Cretcher, 75 Ind. 108 (Ind. 1881).

Opinion

Howk, C. J.

On the 14th day of September, 1877, David Hayden, then in full life, but since deceased, commenced this action against one Moses Rush and the appellee, Thomas 'Cretcher, as defendants. Hayden’s complaint contained three •paragraphs, the first two of which counted upon a promissory-note for $150, dated February 22d, 1873, alleged to ihave been executed by the said Rush and Cretcher, as part[109]*109ners, by the name of M. Rush & Cretcher, and payable one-day after date to said David Hayden. The third paragraph. counted upon an open account for $150, as money loaned by Hayden to said Rush & Cretcher, and as money had and received by them for said Hayden’s use, on said 22d day of February, 1873.

The defendant Rush made default. The appellee, Cretcher,. answered by a general denial, and by a denial under oath of the execution of the note in suit.

Upon the trial of the cause, the court made a special finding of the facts and of its conclusions of law thereon, in substance as follows:

“The court finds the facts in this cause to be as follows,, to wit:
“1st. In November, A. D. 1871, Moses Rush and Thomas. Cretcher were partners, doing business together in the town of Pierceton, Indiana, and as Such became indebted to various parties in various sums, amounting in the aggregate to. about $2,500 ; and, among other persons, the said firm owed A. D. Brandreth & Co. about $500, which debts were all •due, or about due, on the 1st day of November, A. D. 1872.
“2d. In November, 1872, the said parties dissolved pari> nership. Thomas Cretcher sold out his interest in the firm and its assets to his co-partner, Moses Rush, and Rush took all the partnership property and assets, and agreed with his. co-partner, at the time of such dissolution, in consideration thereof and. of the agreement then made between them, to pay all the partnership debts of said firm, among them the debt of said Brandreth & Co. ; and there were then turned over to said Rush by the firm assets sufficient Avherewith to* pay all the said debts of said firm, and fourteen hundred dollars in assets oyer and above such debts.
“3d. The said Rush then formed a co-partnership, in the same line of business before carried on by Rush & Cretcher* with one Matchett, and at the time of the execution of the-[110]*110note sued on was, with said Matchett, carrying on said business, of which plaintiff had knowledge.
“4th. No formal notice of dissolution was ever given by 'Rush & Cretcher, or either of them, to the creditors of the firm, or to any of the firm creditors.
“5th. At the time of such dissolution, the firm was not Indebted to the plaintiff.
“6th. About a week before the 22d day of February, 1873, Moses Rush concluded a negotiation with plaintiff for a loan of |300 in cash. Rush commenced this negotiation after he ;and Cretcher had dissolved partnership. He wanted the money to pay to Brandreth & Co,. Cretcher knew Rush was "trying to make the loan from the plaintiff, and that he was intending to use the money, if he obtained it, with which to pay Brandreth & Co., but did not know Rush was seeking to give the note of the firm for any part of such loan, or was intending or seeking to pledge the credit of the firm.
“7th. The plaintiff delivered over to the said Moses Rush '$300, the amount of said loan, about one week before the mote sued on was executed. At that time plaintiff and Rush .-had not arranged that the name of the defendant, Cretcher, was to be signed to any note given for this money, or any part of it. Plaintiff parted with his money, not upon the •credit of the firm of Rush & Cretcher, or upon the credit of ■Cretcher, as to the whole or any part of such loan.
“8th. At the time the note sued on was executed, it was given for $150 of the money so borrowed. The first knowledge plaintiff had that Cretcher or his name was to be in any way connected with the note sued upon, or with said loan, was when the note was signed, on the day of its date, .and passed over to him by Rush. When he received said note, he said to Rush that the firm of Rush & Cretcher was dissolved, and that he did not think Rush had a right to sign Cretcher’s name to the note, that Rush, by so signing, might get into trouble ; Rush replied that it was all right, that this [111]*111was an old partnership matter, and he had a right to so sign •the note; that it would be received by John O. Cretcher, and .plaintiff would have no trouble about it. Plaintiff then received the note sued on. At this time Rush had fair credit, was in business, and generally supposed to be in fair financial circumstances. In August, 1875, Rush failed in business, and is now insolvent, and was insolvent in August, 1875.
“9th. Cretcher knew that Rush had received the money for which the note was given, from Hayden, and knew that it was applied to the payment of the Brandreth & Co. debt, But did not know that his, Cretcher’s, name was signed fo the note, nor did he know that the money for which said note was given was in whole or in part procured on the credit of Rush & Cretcher jointly, or as to any part on the •credit of his, Cretcher’s, name. As soon as Cretcher ascertained his name Avas upon the note sued on, he called upon the plaintiff and informed him that the signature was not lis, and was Avithout his authority or consent.
“10th. The defendant Thomas Cretcher never authorized Moses Rush to sign his name to the note sued on, nor consented to the same.
“11th. The only transaction between the plaintiff and the •defendants is the one in these special findings set out.
“And the court, as conclusions of law, finds from the foregoing facts, that the note sued on is not the note of Thomas 'Cretcher, and that he is not legally liable to pay any part -thereof. (Signed) Elisha Y. Long, Judge.”

To the special findings of the court and its conclusions of laiv thereon, the plaintiff beloiv excepted, and moved the-court for a joint judgment against both defendants, on the special findings, as to the note, for the sum of $174; which motion waS overruled by the court, and to this ruling he excepted. Judgment Avas rendered against the plaintiff below for the appellee’s costs, and frorii this judgment this appeal is prosecuted by the plaintiff’s administrator.

[112]*112The appellant has assigned errors, as follows :

1. The court erred in its conclusions of law upon the facts-specially found-;

2. The court erred in overruling the plaintiff’s motion for a judgment upon the special findings, for $ —;

3. The court erred in overruling the plaintiff’s motion for" judgment upon the special findings, and the third paragraph of his complaint; and,

4. The court erred in overruling the plaintiff’s motion for a new trial.

Free access — add to your briefcase to read the full text and ask questions with AI

Related

Perkins v. Butler County
62 N.W. 308 (Nebraska Supreme Court, 1895)
Winslow v. State
32 N.E. 98 (Indiana Court of Appeals, 1892)
Lake Erie & Western Railway Co. v. Griffin
8 N.E. 451 (Indiana Supreme Court, 1886)
Willey v. State ex rel. Brown
5 N.E. 884 (Indiana Supreme Court, 1886)
Bays v. Conner
5 N.E. 18 (Indiana Supreme Court, 1886)
Warren v. Farmer
100 Ind. 593 (Indiana Supreme Court, 1885)
City of Anderson v. O'Conner
98 Ind. 168 (Indiana Supreme Court, 1884)
Doles v. State
97 Ind. 555 (Indiana Supreme Court, 1884)
Hight v. Taylor
97 Ind. 392 (Indiana Supreme Court, 1884)
Keesaer v. Brooks
95 Ind. 252 (Indiana Supreme Court, 1884)
Western Union Telegraph Co. v. Huff
26 N.E. 85 (Indiana Supreme Court, 1884)
McCormick Harvesting Machine Co. v. Embree
94 Ind. 85 (Indiana Supreme Court, 1884)
Town of Princeton v. Gieske
93 Ind. 102 (Indiana Supreme Court, 1884)
Louisville, New Albany & Chicago Railway Co. v. Zink
92 Ind. 406 (Indiana Supreme Court, 1884)
Deputy v. Page
92 Ind. 291 (Indiana Supreme Court, 1883)
Beck v. Bundy
92 Ind. 145 (Indiana Supreme Court, 1883)
Matlock v. Hawkins
92 Ind. 225 (Indiana Supreme Court, 1883)
Union Mutual Life Insurance v. Abbott
95 Ind. 238 (Indiana Supreme Court, 1883)
Gwynne v. Ramsey
92 Ind. 414 (Indiana Supreme Court, 1883)
Louisville, New Albany & Chicago Railway Co. v. Hagen
87 Ind. 30 (Indiana Supreme Court, 1882)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
75 Ind. 108, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/hayden-v-cretcher-ind-1881.