Village of Bellefontaine v. Vassaux

55 Ohio St. (N.S.) 323
CourtOhio Supreme Court
DecidedDecember 1, 1896
StatusPublished

This text of 55 Ohio St. (N.S.) 323 (Village of Bellefontaine v. Vassaux) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Ohio Supreme Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Village of Bellefontaine v. Vassaux, 55 Ohio St. (N.S.) 323 (Ohio 1896).

Opinion

Spear, J.

The ground'for reversal by the circuit court, as stated in the record, is that “The complaint in the proceedings before the mayor is not supported by evidence.”

Considerable space is taken in the brief for plaintiff in error with an argument in support of the proposition that the courts below were without power to review the judgment of the mayor upon the weight of the evidence. But opposing counsel in their brief respond that they do not care to discuss that question, for neither of the courts con. sidered the weight of the evidence, as no case was presented which called on them to do so. In this situation it appears unnecessary to enter upon the inquiry as to the power alluded to, and as its determination is not necessary to a decision of this case, a consideration of it may properly be left until a ease arises in which it is necessary.

We therefore look to the record to see if there is any evidence tending to support each material element of the complaint. Those are: That the defendant, between July 20, 1894, and August 23, 1894, at the village of Bellefontaine, kept a place where intoxicating liquors were sold at retail, other than at the manufactory, and otherwise than on prescription, or for exclusively known mechanical, pharmaceutical or sacramental purposes.

[325]*325The evidence shows that a refrigerating beer house owned by John "Wagner & Sons, of Sidney, Ohio, and of which defendant had charge, was maintained within the village at the time stated, in which a large number of kegs of beer, each containing four gallons, was kept. Two witnesses were called to testify to alleged sales. One, Harry Roof, testified, among other things, that he had not ordered any beer of Vassaux; that it was a question with him whether he purchased' from the defendant or from Wagner Bros., but that, between the dates named, he received of defendant, at the beer house, ten kegs of beer known as “pony” kegs, one at a time, and paid defendant for each keg as received at the beer house; that he paid ten times, one dollar each time; that this was in the village of Belief ontaine; that he bought the beer to drink; that he did not hold any prescription from any physician for beer; that each keg was marked with the letter “R,” and that the beer was an intoxicating liquor. The beer was hauled either by defendant or by Henry Vassaux, or one Hitqhins, wherever witness directed. From orders he had received witness would judge that Ed. Wagner ran the beer house; that he had seen him there, although he was not always there when witness got beer, nor did he pay Wagner for any of the beer. He ordered beer from Mr. Wagner, i. e., he would write to Mr. Wagner at Sidney, and then “I would receive an order from him for five kegs and showed it to Louis Vassaux at the beer house, and when I wished my beer would say to him I had received an order from Wagner Bros. Then after that I could order beer to the amount of five kegs. I would tell Mr. Vassuax ‘I want a keg of beer on my order.’ ”

[326]*326Another testified that he had not purchased any beer of Vassaux; that during the time named he received three four-gallon or “pony” kegs of beer of Vassaux,which were delivered at his house, one keg at a time, for which he paid the driver— Hitchins — on delivery one dollar each. Witness testified otherwise generally as the former witness, except that two kegs ordered by him had not been paid for or delivered to him. ‘The}'- will be paid for,” said the witness “when I receive them.”

The orders described by Roof were addressed to JohnWagner’s Sons, Sidney Ohio, and requested them to sell the writer five kegs beer at usual wholesale prices, and “ship same to me, care of your storekeeper, to be stored bjr you in your warehouse here subject to my order.” The response would be in substance a bill for the beer and the advice underneath: “We have shipped the above beer at Sidney to you at Bellefontaine, marked “R,”, care of our storekeeper, to be stored by us for you in our storehouse in Bellefontaine subject to your order.” (Signed) “John Wagner’s Sons.”

The order from the other witness, and response, were of similar form and substance.

All beer so ordered was shipped on a way-bill giving the names of those who had ordered, the number of packages requested, the initial mark on each keg, “with entire lot care of Louis Vassaux.”

The witness Hitchins testified that he was in the employ of the Wagners to drive the wagon and deliver the beer at Bellefontaine They paid him by the month. Vassaux was in charge of the beer house; was the storekeeper. Witness, and Vassaux unloaded the beer at the depot and stored it at [327]*327the beer house. The kegs were stored in racks, and over each an initial, being a rack for each letter of the alphabet. So that when Roof called and showed his order and asked for a keg of beer, it would be taken from the rack which had the initial of his surname over it, “R. ” Each keg had the initial of the consumer on it, but there would be no means of distinguishing Roof’s keg from any other that had “R” on it. Witness did not collect any money for any beer delivered; but the consumers sometimes deposited with him and he “put it up for Mr. Wagner.” He did not give the money to Vassaux, but put it in his trunk until Wagner came and then gave it to him; and Vassaux put what he received “in the same box.” In the opinion of witness he “simply received that money on deposit for the customers to pay it for them to Wagners’;” but should such money be lost he would be responsible to Wagner; he could, not hold the man from whom he got it. Vassaux had no authority over the beer other than to store and deliver it on the order of the purchaser. But if Mr. Roof or other customer, had appeared at the storehouse having an order, and demanded that beer in his name should be delivered without pay, it would not have been done. If, under like circumstances, the customer had presented the price, the beer would have been delivered at the place desig’nated. Just so much would have been delivered as was paid for.

Edw;ard Wagner, among other things, testified that the business of John Wagner’s Sons was brewing beer, ale and malt, and selling the same; that the place of business was at Sidney, but they owned the storehouse in Bellefontaine which had been described by other witnesses, of which Louis [328]*328Vassaux was the keeper. Witness had the exclusive control of it. John Wagner’s Sons had a government license to sell beer at retail in Bellefontaine. The method of making the sales and shipments was described, and he added: “We retain no control as .vendors over the beer thus sold and shipped after delivery to the railway station only to secure the money of Mr. Roof and to store it for him according to contract. When I delivered it, it was his beer, and I stored it in Bellefontaine for him as his property according to contract.” As to the authority of Vassaux to collect, he testifies: “Well, we told the customers they could deposit the money with Mr. Vassaux and he could keep the money for me till I came up here. Some of the collecting I did myself.”'

The foregoing embraces the salient points made by the testimony. What does it tend to prove?

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
55 Ohio St. (N.S.) 323, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/village-of-bellefontaine-v-vassaux-ohio-1896.