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10 Wend. 93

Boyd v. Brotherson

New York Supreme Court

Decided January 15, 1833

New York Supreme Court · decided 1833-01-15

This was an action against the defendant as the endorser of a promissory note for $800, made by W. A. M’Clelland and transferred by him to the plaintiffs. Previous to the transfer, the note was shewn hy M’Clelland to an attorney; jt then read thus : “ Six months after date, I promise to pay to the order of Philip Brotherson eight for value received, at the Mohawk Bank—Schenectady, May 1, 1829— and had the signature of M’Clelland as maker and of the defendant as endorser.

Good law ✅— No negative treatment on recordhow we know

Decided 1833-01-15

How this case has been cited

Cited by 19 later decisions — most recently November 1921

19 state decisions — followed in 12 states

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Later decisions citing this case, by decade. The current decade is in progress, and our corpus holds fewer opinions from the most recent years, so the latest bars are undercounted — not a real decline.

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¶1By the Court,

Savage, Gh. J.

¶2Had the note in this case been appropriated by the maker to the payment of any other precedent debt than the identical debt to secure the payment of which it was made, the latter part of the charge of the judge at the circuit would have been incorrect, according to the decision of this court in Rosa v. Brotherson, ante, 85; but as the note in question was appropriated according to the original intention, the charge of the judge in this respect does not affect the case. The question whether it was the intention of the parties to the note to have the words hundred dollars inserted therein after the word eight was fairly and properly submitted to the jury, who have by their verdict said that such was the intention. This settles the question of the defendant’s liability, unless the verdict is based upon improper-testimony. M’Clelland was a competent witness; his interest is neutralized. If the plaintiffs succeed, he is liable to the defendant for so much money paid for his, the witness’ use ; if the plaintiffs fail, then the witness remains liable to Boyd & Phelps on his original indebtedness. His interest being balanced, all other objections go to his credibility.

¶3New trial denied.

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