Reyburn v. Queen City Savings Bank & Trust Co.

171 F. 609, 96 C.C.A. 373, 1909 U.S. App. LEXIS 4842
CourtCourt of Appeals for the Third Circuit
DecidedMay 17, 1909
DocketNo. 17
StatusPublished
Cited by7 cases

This text of 171 F. 609 (Reyburn v. Queen City Savings Bank & Trust Co.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Reyburn v. Queen City Savings Bank & Trust Co., 171 F. 609, 96 C.C.A. 373, 1909 U.S. App. LEXIS 4842 (3d Cir. 1909).

Opinion

GRAY, Circuit Judge.

In the court below, suit was brought by the defendant in error (hereinafter called the plaintiff) against the plaintiff in error (hereinafter called the defendant), on certain promissory notes made by the defendant, of which plaintiff claimed to have been the indorsee and bona fide holder for value. The case having been pleaded to issue, the same, under an agreement and stipulation in writing between the parties, came on to be tried before the court without a jury. At the conclusion of the trial, the learned judge of the court below made certain findings of fact and law, upon which he directed judgment to be entered in favor of the plaintiff. These findings, which, by exceptions duly made and sealed, are included in the record, are as follows:

J. B. McPherson, District Judge. This is an aclion brought by the plaintiff is endorsee, against the defendant as maker, of two promissory notes for $5,000 each, dne at four months from Oct. 20 and 25, 1906, respectively. The case having been submitted to the court without a jury, I find the facts to bo as follows:
1. In the fall of 1906, the defendant was in need of money to carry on a business enterprise in which he had an interest, and in order to raise the needed funds lie agreed with the Union Potteries Company, an Ohio corporation, through the agency of a broker in Now York City, to make five prom[610]*610issory notes oí $5,000 each. These notes were to be indorsed by the Potteries Company and negotiated wherever the money could be obtained, and the proceeds were to be divided equally between the Potteries Company and the defendant, by whom also the liability upon the notes was to be equally borne. The notes were duly executed toward the end of October and were placed in the broker’s hands to be negotiated. Certain circumstances, which it is not necessary to detail, aroused the defendant’s suspicions concerning the fairness and good faith of the transaction to which he had thus committed himself, and he took steps which resulted in the return to him of three of the notes. This action relates to the remaining two.
2. The notes in suit were offered to the plaintiff for discount by the Potteries Company about October 30th, and on that date the plaintiff addressed the following letter to the defendant:
“Mr. John E. Reyburn, Philadelphia, Pa — Dear Sir: We have this day been offered some 4 mos. paper of yours by the Union Potteries Co. for discount, they claiming that this paper was given by you in payment for stock sold to you in their company. Would you be kind enough to telegraph us at our expense whether this is the situation? And confirm same by letter.
“Hoping that you will give us the desired information, we remain,
“Resp. yours, The Queen City Savings Bank & ’Trust Co.,
“Ernst Von Bargen, See’y.”
The defendant replied under date of November 2d:
“Dear Sir: I have your favor of the 30th ult. and in reply beg to say that there must be some misunderstanding about the transaction in Union Potteries Co., as I have no understanding about taking shares of stock in that company. I did not wire because I thought it was better to communicate in writing with you. Yours very truly, John E. Reyburn.”
Thereupon the plaintiff, on November 5th, addressed a second letter to the defendant:
“Dear Sir: We are in receipt of your favor of the 2nd inst. and in reply will say that we do not understand your letter.
“AVe were offered two notes — one of October 20, 1906, and the other of October 25, 1906, for four months each at five thousand ($5,000) dollars each, signed by you, by Mr. Hart, Adce president of the Union Potteries Co., who claims that these notes were given in payment of stock in either the Union Potteries Co., Pittsburg, or the Huntington China Co., Huntington, AV. A^a., or both.
“In your letter you say you have no understanding about taking stock in the company. AVe wish you would let us know if you gave these notes for some other reason and whether they are your bona fide notes, and will be paid at maturity.
“We are sorry that we are putting you to all this inconvenience, but we would like to be on the safe side before we discount these notes for the Union Potteries Co.
“Thanking you in advance, we remain,
“Yours very truly, Ernst Aon Bargen, Secretary.”
This communication the defendant answered as follows on November 8th:
“Dear Sirs: I beg leave to acknowledge receipt of your letter of the 5th inst. regarding my two notes dated October 20th and October 25th, for $5,000 each. I desire to state in reply thereto that since writing you in answer to your letter of October 3d, the difference between the Union Potteries Company and myself' regarding stock has been satisfactorily adjusted.
“The 'notes in question will be paid at maturity.
“Very truly yours, John E. Reyburn.”
In reliance upon this correspondence the plaintiff discounted the two notes on November 12th and placed the proceeds, namely, $4,885, on each note, to the credit of the Potteries Company.
3. In consequence of the defendant’s suspicions, to which reference has been made in paragraph 1, he determined to stop the negotiation o'f the remaining two notes of the series, if possible, and on the evening of November 14th, he sent the following night telegram to the plaintiff:
[611]*611“Have discovered fraud since writing. Do not discount notes bearing my signature.”
This telegram was received by the plaintiff before banking hours on November 15th and was replied to as follows:
“Notes already discounted on strength oí your letter November 8th.”
This reply was confirmed by a letter of the same date.
4. On November 12th, the balance to the credit of the Potteries Company on deposit with the plaintiff was $1,778.14. This balance was increased by the discount of the notes to $11,548.14. On November 12th, the Potteries Company drew a check for $2,500 upon this balance; on November 18th, a cheek for $1,000; and on November 14th, two checks for $1,250 and $4,000 respectively. These checks were duly honored by the plaintiff.
5. There is no evidence of fraud or bad faith on the part of the plaintiff, or of any knowledge on its part of fraud or bad faith on the part of the New York broker or of the Potteries Company. The defendant received no consideration for the notes, either at the time of their execution or afterwards, and received no part of the proceeds of the discount; hut there is no evidence, if the fact, were important, that the plaintiff knew of the want of consideration or of the agreement that the defendant was to have one-half the proceeds of the discount.
6. Before suit was brought, the defendant refused to pay the notes either in whole or in part.

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Bluebook (online)
171 F. 609, 96 C.C.A. 373, 1909 U.S. App. LEXIS 4842, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/reyburn-v-queen-city-savings-bank-trust-co-ca3-1909.