Olmstead v. Keyes

2 How. Pr. 1
CourtNew York Supreme Court
DecidedApril 15, 1885
StatusPublished

This text of 2 How. Pr. 1 (Olmstead v. Keyes) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering New York Supreme Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Olmstead v. Keyes, 2 How. Pr. 1 (N.Y. Super. Ct. 1885).

Opinion

Haight, J.

The plaintiff as trustee collected the sum of $1,811 upon a life policy of insurance issued upon the life of Lester V. Keyes. This money was claimed by the defendant Helen M. Yosburgh and others, children of the deceased by his first wife; and also by the defendant Mary L. Keyes, his widow.

This action was brought to determine their conflicting claims. It was tried at the Cayuga special term and resulting in a judgment in which the defendant, Mary L. Keyes, was awarded the money in question and costs against the other defendants. Appeals were subsequently taken from the judgment upon the part of the defendants, Helen M. Yosburgh and others, children of the first wife, to the general term and court of appeals, and the judgment was in each court affirmed, with costs.

Motion was then made upon the part of Mary L. Keyes to compel Lemuel W. Bignall to pay her the costs allowed her upon the entry of the judgment of the special term, fifty-six dollars and seventy-five cents, and also the costs allowed her in the general term upon the affirmance of the judgment, seventy-eight dollars and ninety-four cents, upon the ground that Lemuel W. Bignall, after the entry of judgment and before appeal was taken, purchased the interests of the children by the first wife of the deceased and took an assignment thereof and then prosecuted the appeal in their names. The motion was denied, and from the order entered thereon this appeal was taken.

The first question which it becomes necessary to determine is, whether or not Bignall did in fact purchase the claim of Helen M. Yosburgh and others, children by the first wife? The papers read upon the motion disclose the following facts: Charles M. Baker’s affidavit states that he was the attorney [3]*3for the plaintiff in the action: “And is informed and believes that after the rendering and entry of the judgment and before any appeal therefrom the rights and claims and cause of action of the defendants Catherine C. Livingston, Helen M. Vosburgh, Bichard A. Keyes, Frederick A. Keyes, Cora Iona Keyes and Helen M. Vosburgh as administratrix of the goods, chattels and credits of Huldah Keyes, deceased, became the property of said Lemuel W. Bignall by assignment, purchase, transfer or contract therefor, and that said Bignall acquired his right, interest and property therein for the purpose of taking an appeal from said judgment to the general term of said court and also to the court of appeals, and did cause such appeal to be taken in the names of said defendants, both to said general term and court of appeals. That his information is derived from the statements made under oath by one Artemas C. Vosburgh, by one T. William Meacham and by said Lemuel W. Bignall; said statements under oath were made in course of proceedings supplementary to execution taken under an order, of which schedule “ B ” hereto annexed is a copy; that he was present when each of said statements were made, that they were reduced to writing and respectively signed in his presence by persons making them.”

He further states that in or about August, 1882, at Syracuse, bv. Y., he had a conversation with Lemuel W. Bignall in relation to the action and the judgment for costs rendered therein and in this conversation Bignall said : “ That when

he acquired his interests in said action it was understood or agreed that the defendants in whose names appeals were to be taken were to be relieved and protected against liability for further costs. Deponent then inquired what was the arrangement as to costs already in judgment before appeal to the General Term, to which said Bignall answered that nothing was said about that.

In the proceedings supplementary to execution referred to in the affidavit of Mr. Baker, the testimony of Artemas 0. Vosburgh appears, and is as follows: “ I am husband of [4]*4Helen M. Vosburgh, one of the defendants in above entitled action. While the action of J ohn Olmstead against Mary L. Keyes and others was pending, I acted as : gent for Frederick A. Keyes, Richard A. Keyes, Cora Iona Keyes, Catherine C. Livingston and my wife, and also Mrs. Vosburgh as administratrix. I was authorized to act as agent for each one of the above named defendants as their agent. I had a transaction with Lemuel W. Bignall; Mr. Bignall was to take the case from where judge Dwight left it, to the general term, and if necessary to the court of appeals, and in the event of his winning the case he was to pay me, as the agent for the above named parties, three hundred dollars, and in case of his losing the case nothing. All above three hundred dollars he was to keep for himself. I think a memorandum was written and signed by Mr. Bignall and myself. * * * Mr. Bignall was to take the case and I be relieved from any further expense in the case. I communicated this agreement to all whom I represented, and they ratified it.”

T. William Meacham also testified in the proceedings as follows: I know Lemuel W. Bignall; have had a conversation with him in reference to case of John Olmstead agt. Helen M. Vosburgh and others. I signed a bond or undertaking in this action for Mr.Bignall at his request; my recollection of it is he had purchased the claim of Mrs. Keyes’ children —■ that is, Mrs. Huldah Keyes’ children; one was Mrs. Vosburgh, Mrs. Livingston, Cora Iona Keyes, and I supposed of Frederick and Richard A. Keyes. He did not say when he obtained his interest.”

Lemuel W. Bignall himself also testified, in substance, that while the case of John Olmstead agt. Mary L. Keyes cmd others was pending in the supreme court he had a transaction with Helen M. Vosburgh and certain other defendants in relation to the matter in controversy; that it was after judge Dwight had rendered his decision and before the appeal was taken to the general term; that soon after judge Dwight gave his opinion, Mr. Vosburgh, the husband of Helen M. [5]*5Vosburgh, stated to him that he was not going to appeal the case; that he, Bignall, reported the statement to Mr. Marshall and that Mr. Marshall suggested that he should have Mr. Vosburgh transfer the case to him so that the case might be appealed to the general term and if necessary to the court of appeals; that in the transaction he dealt with both Mr. Vosburgh and Mrs. Vosburgh; that the'paper delivered to him was signed by Mrs. Vosburgh; that the whole object of the transfer was to enable Messrs. Huger, Jenney, Brooks & French to appeal the case to the general term and to the court of appeals if necessary. That he thought the chances of success were sufficiently sure to warrant his having it transferred to him. In case they succeeded he was to pay $300 in full payment. Otherwise the defendant’s were not to have anything. That his recollection is that Mrs. Vosburgh signed the only paper that passed between them.

In opposition to the motion, Mr. Bignall read his own affidavit in which he says that prior to January, 1879, Vosburgh became indebted to him in a considerable sum of money loaned to him which he could not collect from Vosburgh ; that one day Vosburgh stated to him the facts in this case and he became interested therein, believing that he might possibly be able by the collection of the same, to receive payment on his account. That after the trial and decision in favor of Mary L. Keyes, Mr. Vosburgh was somewhat discouraged, but that Messrs.

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
2 How. Pr. 1, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/olmstead-v-keyes-nysupct-1885.