Price v. Huddleston

79 N.E. 496, 167 Ind. 536, 1906 Ind. LEXIS 71
Indiana Supreme Court·Decided December 20, 1906·No. No. 20,856·Published·Cited by 11 cases

Opinion

Hadley, J.

Action by appellants on a contract in writing, for the value of goods sold. The questions presented arise on the sixth and seventh paragraphs of answer, and on the overruling of appellants’ motion for a new trial.

1. We are first met by appellee with a motion to' dismiss the appeal: (1) Because there is no properly authenticated precipe in the record; (2) because there is absent from the record certain papers and pleadings called for by the precipe. With respect to the precipe, there appears in the record, not immediately pre[538]*538ceding the clerk’s certificate, as required by the act of 1903 (Acts 1903, p. 338, §7, §641g Burns 1905), but at the head of the general bill of exceptions, what purports on its face to be a properly executed precipe, signed by the plaintiffs’ attorney, -and addressed to the clerk, calling for a complete transcript of the record for appeal. Appellee argues that the position occupied by the paper, and because there appears no file mark, and no entry or memorandum of the clerk, identifying the paper as a precipe filed in the case, we must disregard it, and treat the record as if no precipe had been filed; that is, as without proper authentication in this court. It is not necessary, for us to consider the question here propounded; for assuming, without deciding, that there is no precipe in the record, its absence will not furnish a sufficient reason for dismissing the appeal, as under the statute, when a party desires a complete transcript for appeal, he may request the same of the clerk, either orally or in writing, as he may elect. Workman v. State, ex rel. (1905), 165 Ind. 42. And when a transcript appears here without a precipe we will presume the request was orally given to the clerk for a- transcript that is full and complete. Elliott, App. Proc., §200.

2. 3. Appellee’s second reason for dismissal of the appeal is that the transcript does not contain copies of all the pleadings and rulings called for by the precipe. This fact, as a general rule, furnishes no ground for dismissal. It is incumbent upon an appellant to bring here such a transcript as will fully show and present the error relied upon. If he fails in any part of his transcript to make the error of the trial court clearly manifest, he will fail in his appeal. As a rule, there is no ground for appellee to complain that the transcript is not full and complete. But it sometimes happens that parts important to the appellant’s appeal, and parts necessary to the use of appellee in making a cross-assignment of error, or in showing that the error against the ap[539]*539pellant was harmless, and the like, are omitted from the transcript, by inadvertence or otherwise, in which case either party may have the record supplied or corrected by a writ of certiorari, but not dismissed. Miller v. Shriner (1882), 87 Ind. 141; Ewbank’s Manual, §§22, 210; Elliott, App. Pro., §216. The motion to dismiss the appeal is overruled.

4. In the formation of issues there were divers paragraphs of pleadings withdrawn, and carried out on demurrer, and in some instances it is not altogether clear what state the record was in. In consequence of these things the transcript appears somewhat awkwardly framed, but the sixth and seventh paragraphs of answer to the only paragraph of complaint remaining in when they were filed are, with the complaint, clearly in the record, and, since they present all the questions raised on the pleadings, we need not concern ourselves about the remainder.

Better to comprehend the answers complained of, we subjoin the substance of the complaint. It is alleged that the defendant, James Huddleston, by his certain order in writing, dated Eebruary 10, 1904, a copy of which is attached as exhibit B, directed the plaintiffs to ship to him by freight certain jewelry, and a show-case, particularly described in exhibit B; that the plaintiffs accepted said order, and, pursuant to its terms, shipped the goods so ordered to the defendant by freight, on April 16, 1904, the purchase price of which remains unpaid. Exhibit B contains a list of articles and their prices, designated as “factory samples of rolled gold plate, gold front, and gold filled, sterling silver, and oxidized finished articles in assorted patterns,” with terms of payment; also a stipulation that the plaintiffs would, at the end of thirteen months from date' of shipment, on certain specified conditions, buy for cash, at original invoice ' prices, all goods remaining unsold. Also a guarantee of the goods for periods ranging [540]*540from five to twenty years, and a promise to replace any goods returned on account of defective workmanship or quality, and in consideration of which the merchant agrees not to claim a failure of consideration, or that the goods were not such as ordered, until he has exhausted the terms of the warranty and exchange. There were certain other conditions and stipulations, and the following order was appended:

“Puritan Manufacturing Company. Factory.
Please ship at your earliest convenience the goods listed in this order amounting to $150, upon the terms named herein, all of which I fully understand and approve. Gentlemen’s line. Special attention to nice line emblem pins and buttons.
James Huddleston,
Owner of Store.
N. B. Marriott,
Salesman for Puritan Manufacturing Company.”

5. To this complaint appellee’s sixth paragraph of answer was that the goods shipped to him under the contract, as . set out in the complaint, were, at the time of shipment, and have been at all times since, of no value, and wholly worthless, and for that reason the defendant refuses to accept the same. We think the sixth paragraph of answer is good. It is responsive to the complaint, and alleges, in effect, that the goods shipped to him, under the contract, were not of the quality he contracted for, but were when shipped, and at all times since have been, of no value and wholly worthless, and for which reason he refuses to accept the same. It will be observed that this averment as to quality is general. If the allegation had been that the goods were worthless, or of no value, to the defendant, it would have been insufficient. LaFayette Agricultural Works v. Phillips (1874), 47 Ind. 259.

[541]*5416. [540]*540But a general averment that a thing is wholly worthless is equivalent to a declaration that it is entirely’ destitute [541]*541of value, and the delivery or tender of valueless goods under the contract in suit would amount to such a breach of the contract as would furnish a complete defense to an action for the purchase price. If the goods had been received, and were of any value, in the absence of a return or tender the plaintiff would be entitled to recover the amount of that value, even if the goods were not of the value and quality represented. Dill v. O'Ferrell (1873), 45 Ind. 268; LaFayette Agricultural Works v. Phillips, supra; Cates v. Bales (1881), 78 Ind. 285; Arnold v. Wilt (1882), 86 Ind. 367; Fleetwood v. Dorsey Machine Co. (1884), 95 Ind. 491; Smith v. Borden (1903), 160 Ind. 223, 230.

7.

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Price v. Huddleston, 79 N.E. 496, 167 Ind. 536, 1906 Ind. LEXIS 71 (Ind. 1906).

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