Kimberly v. Arms

40 F. 548, 6 Ohio F. Dec. 409, 1889 U.S. App. LEXIS 2541
CourtU.S. Circuit Court for the District of Northern Ohio
DecidedNovember 22, 1889
StatusPublished
Cited by21 cases

This text of 40 F. 548 (Kimberly v. Arms) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering U.S. Circuit Court for the District of Northern Ohio primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Kimberly v. Arms, 40 F. 548, 6 Ohio F. Dec. 409, 1889 U.S. App. LEXIS 2541 (circtndoh 1889).

Opinion

Jacicsox, J.

Under and in pursuance of a mandate of the supreme court of the United States, a final decree in favor of complainant, Kimberly, was entered in'this cause in May, 1889. The defendants Arms and wife now make application to this court for leave to file a bill of review, for the purpose of vacating and setting aside that decree. The grounds chiefly relied on for annulling said decree, as set forth in the bill of review sought to be filed, are alleged errors of law apparent on the face of the record, newly-discovered evidence, and fraud on the part of Kimberly in procuring said decree. It appears from the record in the case and the proposed bill of review, which is presented with the application for leave to file, that in 1878 complainant, Kimberly, and defendant Charles 1). Anus entered into partnership for the purchase of mining interests and properties,- — Arms being the active partner in making the purchases and conducting the business of the firm; that in 18.79, while said partnership was still in existence, Arms, in connection with one Fairbanks, purchased an interest in the Grand Central mine, in Arizona, In 1880 the partnership of Kimberly & Arms terminated, and thereafter a controversy arose between them as to the interest acquired by Arms in said Grand Central mining property. Kimberly claimed that this acquisition, to the extent of Arms’ interest therein, was partnership property, in which he was entitled to share. This claim was denied by Arms, who insisted that it was purchased on his private account. Thereupon Kimberly, in September, 1881, filed his bill in this court, charging and alleging that Arms’ interest in said Grand Central mine was partnership property; that Arms had agreed with him in advance to make the purchase on joint account, and, alter it was acquired, had repeated that he had made it as agreed. Kimberly sought to have his interest declared, and for an account of profits. Arms answered the bill, denying the alleged agreement to purchase said interest on joint account, and insisting that it was well understood and agreed between himself and Kimberly that said purchase was made solely on account of himself and said Fairbanks. As a corroboration of his statement of the transaction, and as a further answer to the relief sought by Kimberly, Arms sot up the defense that in March, 1880, there was a settlement of all partnership matters between himself and Kimberly; that in that settle-[550]*550in out it was understood and agreed that he was to, and that he did, reserve to himself, as his absolute property, said interest in the Grand Central mine, etc. Such were the main issues made by the pleadings. After much testimony was taken on both sides, the parties, by consent, had the case referred to Hon. R., A. Harrison, as special master, to hear the evidence, and decide all the issues between them, with directions to make his report to the court in the premises, stating therein separately his findings of law and fact. In April, 1885, the special master made his report to this court, finding generally all the issues of fact and conclusions of law in favor of said Kimberly. To this report the defendants filed various exceptions. Said report and exceptions came on for hearing before Circuit Justice Matthews, who sustained said exceptions, set aside the master’s report, and dismissed the bill. From this decree, Kimberly appealed to the supreme court of the United States. The cause was heard on appeal in that court, and on March 5, 1889, a decision was rendered, reversing the decree below and remanding the cause to this court, with directions to confirm the report of the special master, and to take further proceedings not inconsistent with the opinion of the supreme court. See Kimberly v. Arms, 129 U. S. 512-530, 9 Sup. Ct. Rep. 355. In conformity with, and under the directions of, said mandate of the supreme court, this court, in May, 1889, confirmed said report of the special master, and entered a final decree in Kimberly’s favor, in accordance with its findings of fact and conclusions of law.

The bill of review, which defendants now apply for leave to file, seeks to open, vacate, and set aside that decree. But before making said application the defendants, during the term of court at which said decree was rendered, prayed an appeal to the supreme court, which was allowed upon their giving bond, with sureties, to be approved by the court. Such appeal-bond was duly executed and - approved, and said appeal, so far as this court is concerned, was thereby perfected before defendants presented this application for leave to file a bill of review. It is, however, stated in the bill of review which defendants ask leave of this court to file that it is not the purpose of defendants, as at present advised, to perfect their said appeal by filing the record and docketing this cause in the supreme court, as required by the rules of practice of that court. This averment does not, of course, amount to an abandonment of said appeal, nor to a definite purpose or intention to do so, but leaves the question of its further prosecution to the option of appellants. No new proceedings having been had in this court between the mandate of the supreme court and the decree based thereon, said appeal by defendants was no doubt improvidently taken and allowed. Still, it has the effect of transferring the cause, and the decree sought to bo reviewed, into the supreme court, where it will remain until heard and disposed of on the merits, or dismissed, under the provisions of the ninth rule of said court, for appellants’ failure to file the record and docket the case. The authorities settle that an appeal, in cases thus situated, will not be entertained by the supreme court. Stewart v. Salamon, 97 U. S. 361; Humphrey v. Baker, 103 U. S. 736; Hinckley v. Mor[551]*551ton, Id. 764. With said appeal pending in the supreme court, whether there rightfully or improvidently, this court clearly has no authority or jurisdiction to entertain a bill of review to impeach said decree, over which it has, for the present, at least, [no jurisdiction.]

A party cannot concurrently pursue the two remedies of appeal and bill of review for error apparent on the record, as the latter is only a substitute for, or in the nature of, a writ of error or appeal. It is accordingly settled (Ensminger v. Powers, 108 U. S. 302, 303, 2 Sup. Ct. Rep. 643) that while an appeal is pending in the supreme court, although there is no supersedeas, the circuit court has uo jurisdiction to vacate the decree in pursuance of the prayer of- the bill of review, because such relief is beyond its control. The appeal of Arms and wife having taken this cause, and the decree complained of, beyond the control of this court, thus depriving it of all authority, pending said appeal, to grant the relief sought by the proposed bill of review, leave to file the same cannot, for that reason, be properly granted.

But, aside from this difficulty in the way of granting defendants leave to file a bill of review, there are other objections, of a still more serious character, to the allowance of their application by this court. The decree of May, 1889, which the proposed bill of review seeks to impeach, is the decree, not of this court, but of the supreme court; and the only ¡lower which this court can rightfully exercise over the same is to carry it into execution. Thus, in Stewart v. Salamon,

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Bluebook (online)
40 F. 548, 6 Ohio F. Dec. 409, 1889 U.S. App. LEXIS 2541, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/kimberly-v-arms-circtndoh-1889.