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13 S.C.L. 226

Caruth v. Allen

Supreme Court of South Carolina

Decided November 15, 1822

Supreme Court of South Carolina · decided 1822-11-15

TRESPASS, quare clausum fregit. — Tried at Abbeyille, Fall Term, 1822, before Mr. Justice Nott. This was an action of trespass, quare clausum fregit. The defendant pléaded liberum tenement-urn. - But in tracing up his chain of title, it appeared to have' occurred since the bringing of the action, and subsequent to the trespass which he was attempting to justify.

Decided 1822-11-15

Mr. Justice Nott

¶1delivered the opinion of the court:

¶2This court is satisfied with the directions given to the jury by the presiding judge in the court below. In the case of Singleton 8? Millet, fl Nott <§• McCord, 355,J the court, speaking of the plea of liberum tenementum. gays, “the plea admits the possession and the trespass charged in the plaintiff’s pleadings.” If therefore the plea admits the possession and the trespass, the plaintiff was entitled to a verdict — he ought not indeed to have recovered any thing more than nominal damages, perhaps not enough to have carried the costs; and that perhaps in any other form of action, would have been a good cause for not granting a new trial; but the verdict in this case establishes the right of the land in the defendant, when in. fact he failed to support his plea.

¶3The motion therefore must be granted.

Justices Gantt, Richardson and Colcoch, concurred*
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