Pugsley v. Ozark Cooperage & Lumber Co.

141 S.W. 923, 162 Mo. App. 360, 1911 Mo. App. LEXIS 726
Procedural entryThis page is a short order in Pugsley v. Ozark Cooperage & Lumber Co.. Read the opinion of the Court — 154 Mo. App. 386
Missouri Court of Appeals·Decided December 5, 1911·Published

Opinion

REYNOLDS, P. J.

This is an action on a written contract for the sale of 400,000' barrel hoops. The petition is in two counts, the first Claiming $511.41, said to be the balance due on 330,000 hoops, the second claiming $507.50, said to be due on account of failure and refusal to accept and pay for 70',000 hoops. The contract given in evidence, in substance, sets out that plaintiff, in consideration of one dollar, to it in hand paid by defendant, “agree to sell” to defendant and the latter “agrees to purchase” from plaintiff, 400,000 six-foot hoops at $7.25 per thousand, and, to quote from the contract, “it being understood that all pay[365]*365ments are to be made to the Bank of Knobel. All f. o. b. ears Knobel, Ark. Shipment to commence at once and continue thirty days. All of the above stock to be first-class of the grade mentioned, and to conform to standard specifications as understood by the trade. The count of all shipments to be guaranteed by party of the second part; party of the first part to credit up to party of the second part all stock found to be in excess of the amount called for by their invoice, and to deduct all shortages, both at contract prices. Terms: Thirty days net, or one per cent discount for cash within ten days from date of invoice.”

The answer, after a general denial, pleaded payment and accord’and satisfaction, as well as failure to deliver 70,000 of the hoops of the kind contracted for.

At a trial before the court and jury there was a verdict for defendant on the first count, under the direction of the court, and one for plaintiff on the second count in the sum of $507.50', judgment following accordingly. From the judgment against it, defendant appealed to this court.

We transferred the case to the Springfield Court of Appeals under the provisions of an act of the General Assembly of this state (Session Acts. 1909', p. 396, now section 3939, R. S. 1909). There the judgment of the circuit court was affirmed on the ground that the abstract furnished by appellant failed to show that the motion for a new trial had been set out in the bill of exceptions, or there called for. The opinion of the Springfield Court of Appeals is reported under this same title 154 Mo. App, 386, 133 S. W. 859. When the case was transferred back to this court by the Springfield Court of Appeals in consequence of the decision of the Supreme Court in State ex rel. St. Louis Dressed Beef & Provision Co. v. Nixon et al., 232 Mo. 496, 134 S. W. 538, appellant, by leave of court, amended by interlining in the proper place in [366]*366the abstract of the bill of exceptions, the words ‘ Clerk will here insert same.” The abstract as now amended as to this reads thus: “And afterwards, to-wit, upon the 18th day of November, A. D. 1909, at the same term of conrt, and within four days after the rendition of said verdict, defendant filed its motion for a new trial; which said motion is in words and figures as follows, to-wit: (Cleric will here insert some). (See ante, pp. 17-18.) And thereafter, to-wit, upon the 20th day of December, A. D. 1909, at the December, 1909, term, to which said motion had been continued, the court did enter of record an order overruling defendant’s motion for a new trial. To which action of the court in overruling and denying said motion for a new trial, defendant at the time duly objected and excepted, and still continues to except.” The words inserted are those first above italicized.

In the abstract of the bill of exceptions this also appears: “Thereupon the court gave and read to the jury the following instructions upon the part of the plaintiff: (See ante, pp. 12-13). To which action of the court in giving said instructions, and each of them, defendant duly objected and excepted, and still continues to except.” Like entries appear as to all the other instructions given at the instance of plaintiff as well as to those given by the court of its own motion. Those given on motion of defendant, as well as those asked by defendant and refused, are referred to in the same way; that is to say, the instructions are not set out at all in the abstract of the bill of exceptions but are merely referred to as being’ found at such and such preceding pages of the abstract. Nolis there any recital that in the bill of exceptions there is any call for the clerk to insert them, as is. done by amendment with respect to the motion for a new trial. Referring to the pages in the printed abstract which are cited, we find, under the heading, “Abstract of the Record,” matter designated as instructions and [367]*367purporting to have been ashed, given or refused, as the case may be. The abstract of the record proper concludes with the recital that on a day named and within the time allowed therefor, the defendant presented its bill of exceptions which was thereupon signed, sealed and allowed and filed, and that “the said bill of exceptions is in words and figures as follows, to-wit:” Here follows the heading, “Bill of Exceptions,” and the abstract of that. At the end of this abstract of the bill of exceptions, are the signatures of the judge “presiding at the time of filing this bill,” and of the judge “presiding ... at the trial of this case.” Following this is the word, “Approved;” with the signatures of counsel for the respective parties, and following appears this: “Filed March 23, 1910. Chas. R. Graves, Circuit Clerk.”

Counsel for respondent contend that neither the motion for a new trial nor the instructions are before us and that there is nothing before us to show that any bill of exceptions was ordered filed by that judge or by an order of court.

Taking up these in their ordér, it appears, by the abstract of the bill of exceptions, that by the amendment above noted, made after the case came back to us from the Springfield Court of Appeals, that the motion for a new trial was properly called for to be copied by the clerk in the proper place in the' bill of exceptions. We hold this is a substantial compliance with section 2083, R. S. 1909, and that the motion is properly before us. [Sanguinette v. Mississippi River & B. T. R. Co., 196 Mo. 466, l. c. 486 et seq., 95 S. W. 386.] We know of no ease overruling this. Those cited by counsel for respondent certainly do not. The motion for a new trial and exception to the overruling thereof being duly preserved, permits us- to go into the proceedings at the trial in so far as relates to matters otherwise properly preserved in and by the bill of exceptions.

[368]*368We might dispose of all these objections to this abstract on the authority of the above case and of State v. Miller, 189 Mo. 673, 88 S. W. 607, there referred to, save for the decision of our Supreme Court in State v. Revely, 145 Mo. 660, 47 S. W. 787, where at page 662 almost the identical question here arising as to the instructions was passed on, it being there held that a reference to the motion for a new trial as being on such and such a page, without anything more, was not a compliance with the statute. In the case at bar, the defect as to the motion for a new trial has been cured, as we have before noted, but no such amendment has been made as to the instructions and we cannot consider them: We feel bound to hold this by the decision of the Supreme Court in State v. Revely, supra, reluctant as we are to determine cases on what at first glance appears to be a sacrifice of substance to mere form. But here there is more than mere lack of form. Instructions can only become of record when made so by being incorporated into the bill of exceptions.

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Pugsley v. Ozark Cooperage & Lumber Co., 141 S.W. 923, 162 Mo. App. 360, 1911 Mo. App. LEXIS 726 (Mo. Ct. App. 1911).

141 S.W. 923 (Pugsley v. Ozark Cooperage & Lumber Co.) — published by Counsel Stack Legal Research, free access to 12M+ legal documents.

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