State ex rel. Knott v. Crane

13 P. 773, 15 Or. 148, 1887 Ore. LEXIS 58
CourtOregon Supreme Court
DecidedApril 21, 1887
StatusPublished

This text of 13 P. 773 (State ex rel. Knott v. Crane) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Oregon Supreme Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
State ex rel. Knott v. Crane, 13 P. 773, 15 Or. 148, 1887 Ore. LEXIS 58 (Or. 1887).

Opinion

Thayee, J.

This suit had its origin in a suit in favor of Joseph Knott, deceased, against said S. W. Crane and Elizabeth Crane, to foreclose a mortgage executed by them upon certain premises upon which was situated a house, insured in their favor, and which had been burned, and the insurance money become payable to them. Said Joseph Knott, deeming his surety inadequate under the mortgage, had the Cranes enjoined from [149]*149collecting the insurance money in order to have it applied upon any deficiency of his debt which might be found due after a sale of the mortgaged premises and the application of its proceeds to its payment. The Cranes, however, in violation of the injunction, collected and used for their own benefit f730 of the money, and Knott had proceedings instituted against them for a criminal contempt. A warrant was issued for their arrest, upon which they were arrested, and thereupon they, and the said W. E. Crane and E. S. Crane, entered into an undertaking, of which the following is a copy:—

“State op OregoN,
“CouNty op Douglas,
“ In the Circuit Court of the State of Oregon for the county of Douglas.
State of Oregon v. S. W. Cram and Elizabeth Crane.
Whereas, a warrant of arrest having been issued on the twenty-fourth day of October, A. D. 1883, in the Circuit Court for the county of Douglas, charging S. W. Crane and Elizabeth Crane with the crime of contempt of court, and they having been duly admitted to bail in the sum of $500 each, we, S. W. Crane and Elizabeth Crane, principals, of Multnomah County, State of Oregon, and E. S. Crane and W. E. Crane, sureties, of the same place aforesaid, by occupation millers, hereby undertake that the said S. W. Crane and Elizabeth Crane shall appear and answer the charge above mentioned in whatever court it may be prosecuted, and shall at all times render themselves amenable to the order and process of the court, and, if convicted, shall appear for judgment and render themselves in execution thereof, or if they fail to perform either of those conditions, that we will pay to the State of Oregon the sum of $1,000.
“ Witness our hands and seals this twenty-sixth day of October, A. D. 1883.
“Elizabeth CraNE, [seal.]
“S. W. CraNE, [seal.]
“W. E. CraNE, [seal.]
“E. S. CraNE.” [seal.]

[150]*150The case herein was an action to recover the penalty mentioned in said undertaking. It was tried by the said Circuit Court without a jury. Said court found for the respondent, and the judgment appealed from was entered thereon. The question made here is, whether the facts found by the Circuit Court are sufficient to sustain the conclusions of law. The following are said facts: —

“1. It is not true that on May 14,1884, as alleged in the complaint, the undertaking upon which this action is based was, by the Circuit Court of Douglas County, declared forfeited or ordered prosecuted, but it is true that neither S. W. Crane nor Elizabeth Crane appeared in person at said time.
“2. That on May 20, 1884, the contempt proceeding against S. ~W. and Elizabeth Crane, mentioned in the complaint in this action, came on. for trial, when said parties appeared by counsel and said cause was tried, and said S. W. and Elizabeth Crane were each adjudged guilty of contempt and each fined one hundred dollars, and be committed to jail one day for every two dollars of such fine, or until said fine be paid; and it was further ordered and adjudged that the undertaking set out in the complaint in this action be and the same was at said time declared forfeited and ordered prosecuted.
“3. That neither said S. Vi. Crane nor Elizabeth Crane were present at said trial, or at any time during the term of court at which said cause was tried and said judgment entered, nor did either of said parties appear for judgment or render themselves in execution thereof.
“ 4. That said S. W. Crane and Elizabeth Crane both having failed and neglected to pay said fine or render themselves in judgment therefor, on June 25, 1884, a commitment was duly issued on the judgment mentioned in finding No. 2, and said S. Vi. Crane was arrested by the sheriff of Douglas County and placed in jail as directed in said judgment.
“5. That the appeal from the judgment mentioned in finding No. 2 was not taken until after said S. W. Crane was arrested by the sheriff of Douglas County as mentioned in finding Ño. 4 ”

[151]*151The findings do not set out all the facts alleged in the pleadings. By reference to the answers it will be seen that an appeal was taken to this court by the said S. W. and Elizabeth Crane, from the judgment referred to in said finding No. 2, where the same was affirmed, the case remanded to' the Circuit Court, and the judgment paid off, together with the costs of the appeal, which facts seem to have been conceded upon the trial hereof.

The only question that need be considered by this court is, the extent of the liability the undertaking imposed upon the parties executing it — whether, after S. W.^and Elizabeth Crane had been adjudged to pay the fine, and they had paid it, an action could be maintained against them to recover the one thousand dollars specified in the undertaking — whether the Circuit Court could legally declare the undertaking forfeited after an appearance of the parties, and submission to its jurisdiction in the proceedings in contempt. It will be seen by a reference to the statute upon this subject that the undertaking is not in strict accordance with the terms prescribed therein. Section 647 of the Civil Code provides that “the defendant shall be discharged from.the arrest upon executing and delivering to the sheriff, at any time before the return day of the warrant, an undertaking, etc., to the effect that the defendant will appear on such return day, and abide the order or judgment of the court or officer thereupon, or pay, as may be directed, the sum specified in the warrant.” This provision is the authority of the sheriff for requiring or accepting an undertaking, and he has no right to exact from the defendant, in such case, any other form of security for his appearance than that which it prescribes; and whatever the terms may be in an undertaking so given, its legal effect, if any is to be given to it whatever, must be determined in accordance with the provisions of said section of the Code. The previous section of the Code, section 646, provides that the court, or judicial officer, before whom the proceeding for a contempt is had, shall direct in the warrant of arrest whether the person charged may be let to bail for his appearance, and if he may be bailed, the amount in which he may be let to bail; and the conditions of the undertaking provided for in section 647 seem to [152]*152be in the alternate — that the defendant will appear and abide the order or judgment of the court, etc., or pay as may be directed, the sum specified in the warrant. It differs materially from a recognizance. In the latter, the recognizor acknowledges himself indebted in a sum of money to be paid, etc., if he failed to do some act.

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Bluebook (online)
13 P. 773, 15 Or. 148, 1887 Ore. LEXIS 58, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/state-ex-rel-knott-v-crane-or-1887.