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13 Mass. 465

Parker v. Downing

Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court

Decided October 15, 1816

Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court · decided 1816-10-15

This was an action upon the case, against the defendant, as one of the constables of Lynn in the county of Essex, for not serving and returning an execution ; and it was tried here, at the sittings after the last October term, before Jackson, J. It appeared at the trial, that the plaintiff, in June, 1813, took Out an éxecution on a judgment recovered by him against one Daniel Hitchins, of said Lynn, for $51.72 damage, and $15.50 costs.

Cited by 1 later decisions — most recently June 1939

1 state decisions

Good law ✅— No negative treatment on recordhow we know

Decided 1816-10-15

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By the Court.

¶1The question here is, whether the money, due from the officer sued, had been paid over by him, before this action was commenced. He had paid it to Mr. Adams, who had been the plaintiff’s attorney in the suit for the money ; but whose power had ceased, when he received his bill of costs from the plaintiff, who took the execution into his own hands.

¶2The defendant must be charged with knowledge, that Mr. Adams had ceased to be the plaintiff’s attorney ; for the execution was delivered to him by another agent of the plaintiff, and a personal demand was made upon him for the money, after he had received it. He was also seen in conversation with the plaintiff, when, without doubt, payment was insisted on. He paid this money in his own wrong, and it is fortunate for him that the money fell *into good hands, for he would have been liable for any loss. If the plaintiff had sued him for the penalty given by statute, for not paying over the money after demand, his payment to Adams would have been no defence.

¶3Judgment on the verdict.

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