Tam v. Shaw

10 Ind. 469
CourtIndiana Supreme Court
DecidedJune 22, 1858
StatusPublished
Cited by8 cases

This text of 10 Ind. 469 (Tam v. Shaw) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Indiana Supreme Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Tam v. Shaw, 10 Ind. 469 (Ind. 1858).

Opinion

Worden J.

This.was an action by Shaw, the appellee, against Tam, the appellant, in the Cass Common Pleas, on the assignment of a promissory note. The complaint states that on the 17th of April, 1854, one Nathaniel Sweet made his promissory note (of which a copy was filed), by which he promised to pay to one Henry Calloway, or bearer, 50 dollars, which note came into the possession of the appellant, who indorsed the same to the appellee. It is further alleged that on the 11th of September, 1854, and within one month after the note became due, the appellee commenced a suit before a justice of the peace, on said note, against the maker, Sweet, which cause was tried on the 29th of the same month; and that he failed to recover a judgment against Sweet, he proving that the note was obtained from him without consideration therefor. It is also alleged that the appellee gave the appellant due notice of the time said suit would be tried before said justice; and that the justice rendered judgment against the appellee for costs, and that the note and costs remain unpaid.

[470]*470To this complaint the defendant below demurred, but the Court overruled the demurrer.

The defendant below then filed an answer of nine paragraphs, as follows, viz.:

1. That said Sweet never made said note.
2. That said Shaw never sued him on it as alleged.
3. That the note did not fail for want of consideration.
4. That there is no record of any such suit or judgment.
5. That Tam, never assigned said note to Shaw.
6. That said Galloway never assigned said note to Tam.
7. That said defendant does not owe the plaintiff.
'8. That said note was not given without consideration.
9. That said note was founded on a good consideration.

There was a demurrer filed to the whole of this answer.

The record is silent as to the disposition of this demurrer, not showing that it was determined by the Court; but the plaintiff below afterwards replied to the 2d, 3d, 4th, 7th, 8th and 9th paragraphs of the answer (thereby waiving his demurrer so far as they are concerned), taking issue thereon. The cause, on the issues thus joined, was submitted to the Court for trial — a jury being waived — which resulted in a finding for the plaintiff below, and judgment was rendered accordingly.

Before judgment, the defendant below moved for a new trial, and filed his reasons therefor, alleging that the finding is contrary to law and not supported by the evidence. Motion overruled and exceptions taken, setting out all the evidence offered in the case, which consists of the note described in the complaint, and the indorsement thereon by Tam to Shaw, and the transcript of a justice of the peace nf the proceedings and judgment described in the complaint.

We have not examined as to the sufficiency of the complaint, for the reason that no exception was taken to the (overruling of the demurrer thereto. If there was error in (Overruling said demurrer, it was waived by the neglect to except. Zehnor v. Beard, 8 Ind. R. 96.

It was perhaps erroneous to proceed to the trial of the [471]*471issues of fact until the issues of law, r.aised by the demurrer to the 1st, 5th and 6th paragraphs of the answer, were disposed of. Gray et al. v. Cooper, 5 Ind. R. 506. But we cannot notice this error, as no exception was taken, and it is not assigned for error. On appeals to this Court there must be a specific assignment of all errors relied upon, or they will be considered waived. 2 R. S. p. 161, § 568.—Hollingsworth v. The State, 8 Ind. R. 257.

The errors assigned are—

1. That the Court erred in finding in favor of Shaw.
2. In overruling a motion for a new trial.
3. In rendering judgment against Tam.

The only question before us is, whether the evidence offered on the trial, makes out the case, and entitles the plaintiff below to judgment.

The note and indorsement offered in evidence, correspond with those set out in the complaint. The note was dated April 17, 1854, and payable four months after date, and assigned by Tam to Shaw on the 20th of May of the same year.

It appears by the transcript offered in evidence, that on the 11th of September, 1854, a suit was commenced by Shaw in the name of Henry Galloway, for the use of Shaw, against the maker of the note, Sweet, before.a justice of the peace of Carroll county, and the cause was set for trial on the 18th of the same month. On the 18th, the cause was dismissed for want of security for costs, the plaintiff not being a resident of that county; but on the 25th .of the same month, it was reinstated, and the time for trial fixed for the 29th of the same month, a new summons being issued returnable on that day. On the 29th, the parties appeared and the cause was tried, and judgment rendered in favor of the defendant therein, upon the ground, as appears from the justice’s transcript, that it appeared by the testimony “that the note was obtained without value received.”

This was all the evidence offered in the case, and upon it three questions are presented by counsel:

1. Was it necessary, under the issues, to prove notice to [472]*472the defendant below of the time of the trial before the iustice?
2. Can an action be maintained on the indorsement?
3. Has the plaintiff below shown due diligence to collect of the maker of the note ? or if not will laches discharge the indorser?

It will be observed that the complaint alleges that the plaintiff below “ gave the defendant due notice of the time said suit would be tried before said justice.” We have copied in this opinion the entire answer of the defendant, and we think there is nowhere contained in it a substantial denial of this allegation in the complaint. There was no proof of notice, but there was no need of any such proof, unless the matter was controverted by the answer. It is provided by 2 R. S. p. 44, § 74, that “ every material allegation in the complaint not specifically controverted by the answer, and every material allegation of new matter in the answer not specifically controverted in the reply, shall, for the purposes of the action, be taken as true.” We think that, under the pleadings in the case, the allegation respecting notice must be taken to be true.

There is also another view that may be taken of this point. From the record of the justice offered in evidence, it appears that the cause was tried on its merits, and judgment rendered for the defendant therein, the maker of the note, because it was given without any consideration. This record we think is prima facie evidence against the validity of the note, although the indorser had no notice of the proceedings. Howell v. Wilson, 2 Blackf. 418. It is not conclusive,

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10 Ind. 469, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/tam-v-shaw-ind-1858.