In re Dresser

124 F. 915, 1903 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 188
CourtDistrict Court, S.D. New York
DecidedJuly 20, 1903
StatusPublished
Cited by1 cases

This text of 124 F. 915 (In re Dresser) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, S.D. New York primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
In re Dresser, 124 F. 915, 1903 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 188 (S.D.N.Y. 1903).

Opinion

ADAMS, District Judge.

This is a motion on the part of the bankrupt Dresser for the continuance of an injunction, heretofore granted upon his petition, pending the return of an order for Mary R. H. [916]*916Mayer to show cause why she and her agents, and the Sheriff of the County of New York, should not be restrained from executing, or attempting to execute, an order granted by the New York Supreme Court for the arrest of Dresser in an action brought therein by Mayer to recover damages for the conversion of fifty $1,000 bonds of the Mexican Central Railway Company, delivered to the bankrupt on the 5th of November, 1902.

The petition alleges that on the 7th day of May, 1903, an involuntary petition was filed against Dresser and his partner and that thereafter, on the 9th day of July, 1903, they were duly adjudicated bankrupts ; that the action in the State Court was instituted and the arrest threatened and that unless the court should intervene to stay the execution of such order, the petitioner would be incarcerated in Ludlow Street Jail, the County Prison of New York County. The petition further alleges that the petitioner is in attendance upon this court by reason of his adjudication as a bankrupt and is ready and will at all times obey any and all orders that may be made by this court; that he is informed that the referee in charge of the case is about to call a meeting of the creditors. He therefore asks that the plaintiff Mayer be restrained until a final adjudication be had’ upon an application for discharge or until the time limited for such application has expired.

The plaintiff has filed the following affidavit in reply:

“State of New York, County of New York — ss.
“Charles W. Mayer, being duly sworn, deposes and says that he is the attorney in fact for Mary R. H. Mayer, the plaintiff in a certain action for conversion, in the New York Supreme Court, New York County, in which Daniel Le Roy Dresser, one of the Bankrupts in this proceeding is defendant, and in which an order of arrest has been issued, and that he resides at No. 267 Fifth Avenue, in the Borough of Manhattan, New York City.
“That he has personal knowledge of all the facts and circumstances connected with the transaction between Daniel Le Roy Dresser, and deponent, as attorney in fact for Mary R. H. Mayer. That all the said transactions were conducted by deponent personally.
“That although the form-of action of said complaint, stated simply, was one of conversion, in addition to the facts therein stated, and upon information and belief, the defendant, Daniel Le Roy Dresser obtained the said bonds by false pretences, and under a trust agreement to keep the said bonds in his possession, subject to the order of the said Mary R. H. Mayer, with intent to defraud the plaintiff in the action hereinbefore mentioned.
“On information and belief that, within two days after deponent deposited said bonds with said Daniel Le Roy Dresser, under said Trust Agreement, the said Daniel Le Roy Dresser disposed of said bonds for his own use, which was his intention at the time he induced deponent to deposit said bonds with him.
“That being in ignorance of the above facts deponent on the 9th day of February, 1903, demanded of said Daniel Le Roy Dresser the return of the said bonds, which said Dresser refused although the said Dresser at said time stated to deponent that he had the said bonds in his possession or under his control.
“That immediately upon deponent’s learning that the statement which Daniel Le Roy Dresser had made to him, to wit that he had in his custody the aforesaid fifty Mexican Railway bonds referred to particularly in the affidavit of deponent herein, among the papers on which the order of arrest in the Supreme Court of the State of New York, was granted, that thereupon deponent demanded of Daniel Le Roy Dresser that he should repurchase the same bonds, or at any rate should furnish the money for them. This, Dresser promised to do immediately.
[917]*917“That deponent knew, and Dresser well knew that Dresser was not acting as any broker or agent, but simply held these bonds subject to the order of Mary R. H. Mayer.
“That from the repeated promise of Daniel Le Roy Dresser made from day to day, and the promise of his Counsel, Charles S. Mackensie, that these bonds, or their face value would be paid, deponent waited.
“That instead of returning these bonds, or paying their value, the bankrupt made an assignment of all his property to the aforesaid Charles S. Mackensie, although on the 20th day of February, 1903, the following telegram which ■ Charles S. Mackensie admitted he sent to Clifford W. Hartridge about these bonds, was received by Clifford W. Hartridge
‘February 20th, 1903.
‘Clifford Hartridge,
‘149 Broadway,
‘New York.
‘Will see you as soon as I reach New York, about twelve o’clock. Arranged to deliver bonds. Charles S. Mackensie.’
“That, as deponent is informed and believes, that within an hour after said bankrupt, Daniel Le Roy Dresser, made the assignment to said Charles S. Mackensie, certain creditors brought through Messrs. Black, Olcott, Gruber & Bonynge, an action in this Court, to put said bankrupt, Daniel Le Roy Dresser, into bankruptcy.
“That furthermore, on information and belief, these creditors, through the above mentioned firm, after said creditors had been called in consultation,— to which consultation your deponent was not invited, nor about which was he ever notified, nor about which did he know anything except what he afterwards saw in the public prints, and heard from various people, — met and agreed to accept One hundred cents on the dollar for their claims, less ten per cent, for the above mentioned firm of lawyers.
“That thereafter, on information and belief, these creditors who were to be thus taken care of, adjourned these bankruptcy proceedings from time to time, with the understanding that they were to get their money on the 7th day of July, 1903.
“That your deponent, through his Counsel, Clifford W. Hartridge, notified both Morris J. Hirsch, and Charles S. Mackensie, that if some provision were not made for the returning of Mary R. H. Mayer’s bonds, or the payment for the same, that Mrs. Mayer would be compelled to take some action to protect herself, and that the only proper protection by way of an action that said Mary R. H. Mayer had, was an action for conversion.
“On information and belief deponent’s counsel was informed by Messrs. Tirscli and Mackensie that if any action was taken it would not only seriously harass Dresser, but would interfere with his being able to pay anybody.
“That deponent waited before serving or attempting to serve any order of arrest, or any papers in an action for conversion on the aforesaid Daniel Le Roy Dresser until after the 7th of July, 1903.
“That deponent is informed and believes that immediately after the 7th of July, to wit on the 8th or 9th of July, said Dresser voluntarily either moved, or permitted himself to be adjudged a bankrupt.

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

Related

In Re Thomashefsky
51 F.2d 1040 (Second Circuit, 1931)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
124 F. 915, 1903 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 188, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/in-re-dresser-nysd-1903.