Hensley v. Brodie

16 Ark. 511
CourtSupreme Court of Arkansas
DecidedJuly 15, 1855
StatusPublished
Cited by5 cases

This text of 16 Ark. 511 (Hensley v. Brodie) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Supreme Court of Arkansas primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Hensley v. Brodie, 16 Ark. 511 (Ark. 1855).

Opinion

Hr. Chief Justice ENGLISH

delivered tbe opinion of tbe Court.

On tbe 22d of February, 1850, George Brodie brought an action of replevin in Pulaski Circuit Court, against Larkin Hensley for tbe following property: “One steam boiler and standpipe, one governor to a steam engine, and appendages thereto attached, one large band wheel and shaft, one large force pump with its appendages, and all tbe copper pipe thereto attached, which belonged to the engine, as erected by one Darwin Lindsey, one lifting cold water pump, with all the copper pipe thereto attached, one large flour bolting chest, steam-engine timbers, bolts, boiler door, and detached copper pipe, and two wrenches.”

The declaration was in the detinet, describing the property as above, alleging a bailment thereof by the plaintiff to the defendant, and a refusal to re-deliver on demand.

The defendant pleaded non detinet, and property in himself, to which pleas, issues were made up, the cause submitted to a jury at December term, 1851, and verdict and judgment for the plaintiff. The defendant excepted to the opinion of the court, in giving and refusing instructions to the jury, took a bill of exceptions, setting out the evidence and brought error.

It appears from the bill of exceptions, that upon the trial the plaintiff proved, by William E. Woodruff, that some four or five years before then, he being the owner and in possession thereof, sold to the plaintiff the boiler, pumps, and machinery connected with the steam engine mentioned in the declaration, which were then in a steam saw, and grist mill belonging to the witness, and which had been previously erected and worked by Darwin Lindsey, on the north-half of fractional block No. 108, in the City of Little Nock, and which fractional block witness had purchased of Lindsey, and was, at the time of the trial, the owner, and in possession thereof. Witness sold the engine, apparatus and pumps to the plaintiff for $500, received the consideration, and delivered them to him. Thinks he did not give a bill of sale, but plaintiff had the right to take the property, and did afterwards remove some of the articles of the engine away, and at all events it belonged to the plaintiff', who exercised ownership and control over it after the sale. Witness did not sell the bolting chest to plaintiff — knew nothing about it; there was none there when he sold the engine to the plaintiff. The machinery so sold to the ■ plaintiff, was then in the mill, and witness delivered it to the plaintiff, as above stated, who still let a portion of it remain in the mill; and had not taken away such portion when witness, afterwards, conditionally, sold the lot or block, on which the mill was situated, to Iioyt and Johnson. Witness contracted to sell them the lot, and executed to them a title bond therefor on the 1st of October, 1848, and delivered the possession to them, (the boiler and other machinery of the engine mentioned in the declaration, being then still in the mill.)

The title bond referred to, was shown to the witness, identified by him, and is copied in the bill of exceptions as part of the evidence.

After this title bond had been so proven, the court permitted the witness to testify, against the objection of the defendant, that at the time he sold said lot or block, with the mill on it, to Hoyt and Johnson, and executed to them said title bond, he specially reserved, by parol, the engine, boiler, machinery, &c., in controversy, as the plaintiff’s property, and that Hoyt and Johnson so distinctly understood it.

The defendant excepted to the opinion of the court, so permitting the witness to testify as to such parol reservation, when the contract was reduced to writing under seal.

Woodruff further testified, that Hoyt and Johnson, under said contract with him, used the saw and grist mill and the boiler, engine, and machinery, in controversy, that defendant acquired possession of the same under Hoyt and Johnson, and also used the mill and boiler, engine, and machinery in the mill, and was in the use and possession of them when this suit was brought. That Hoyt and Johnson never paid witness any part of the purchase money, agreed to be paid to him ; and, under the contract, forfeited all right. That after they had run away from Little Bock, the defendant told witness that he had not paid them anything on accoimt of his purchase of the lot and mill from them; but v itness afterwards understood, from some source not remembered, that defendant got the notes, which he had given to them from A. E. Thornton.

Bennett testified, on the part of the plaintiff', that the defendant was in possession of the mill, at the time the articles in controversy were replevied by the sheriff; they were in the mill-bouse, and defendant in the use of them. The boiler had been rolled out and repaired, and some of the articles of the machinery had been taken down, and others had not, but were in their proper places. The defendant was running the mill, and it could not have been run without the machinery mentioned in the declaration, or similar articles; the bolting chest was also fixed up in the mill. Defendant had refused to deliver the property in controversy to the plaintiff, on demand, before suit. "Witness was present when the sheriff executed the writ, &g. The articles mentioned in the declaration, and sued for by the plaintiff, constituted only a part of the steam engine originally in the Lindsey mill; the plaintiff having taken part of it away, after he purchased the engine from Woodruff. Witness helped plaintiff' to take it down. That when Iioyt and Johnson had the mill, the witness put in for them a part of a steam engine owned by him, which in connection with the part left by the plaintiff, and sued for by him, enabled Hoyt and Johnson to use the mill; and that both parts were there, and came into the possession of the defendant when he took possession of the property. Hensley, the defendant, lived with his family in a dwelling house on said lot or block, after Hoyt and Johnson left the premises.

The witness, on being asked by the plaintiff what he had heard the defendant say respecting the boiler and apparatus sued for, replied, in substance, that after the contract between Hoyt and Johnson and the defendant, and before this suit, he, the witness, heard defendant say that he would do what was right about it, or words to that effect, but did not mention the plaintiff, or any other person’s name.

Plaintiff proved by Robert Brodie, that about three years previous to the time of the trial, and before suit, he heard the defendant say to the plaintiff at the penitentiary: “ I understood the boiler and machinery in the mill is yours. I am poor, and not able to buy it, and I will pay you the same rent for them that Hoyt and Johnson were to pay you,” or words to that purport and substance. Plaintiff at the time had charge of the penitentiary,

Mercer testified for the plaintiff, that he first saw the bolting chest in controversy, at the plaintiff’s residence, and helped to haul it from thence to the penitentiary, and then to the steam mill above referred to. That about three years ago (before the trial) Hoyt and Johnson took possession of the steam mill, and witness helped to take the boiler, &c., to the penitentiary to be repaired, and they were then returned to the mill, and the plaintiff had the bolting chest taken to the mill, whilst Hoyt and Johnson were in possession of it.

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16 Ark. 511, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/hensley-v-brodie-ark-1855.