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13 Tex. 59

Osborne v. Scott

Texas Supreme Court

Decided July 1, 1854

Texas Supreme Court · decided 1854-07-01

Petition by the appellant to enjoin the sale of plaintiff’s alleged homestead, under several executions. The defendants in the injunction were George W. Scott, the Sheriff of the county, and several plaintiffs in several executions. The Sheriff and another filed a general demurrer May 5tb, which was overruled on the 18th, whereupon the Sheriff filed an amended answer denying the allegation in the petition.

Decided 1854-07-01

Wheeler, J.

¶1The only matter presented by the record which requires notice is the refusal of the Court to grant a continuance, and to reinstate the case after it was dismissed.

¶2The affidavit for a continuance neither averred the use of diligence, nor any sufficient excuse for the want of it. That *61the plaintiff did not know what the answer would be, or whether the defendant would file an answer, was no excuse for not summoning her witnesses. A plaintiff must use reasonable diligence to obtain the testimony necessary to establish his case, irrespective of what may be the defendant’s answer. He cannot safely wait for the coming in of the answer before subpoenaing his witnesses; and if he do so, it will be at his peril. The continuance was rightly refused. (Hart. Dig. Art. 815.)

¶3The dismissal of the case was of the plaintiff’s election. It was entirely voluntary; and was not occasioned by any erroneous ruling of the Court adversely to the plaintiff. The motion to reinstate the case, therefore, was addressed to the discretion of the Court; and its refusal is not error. (Esterling v. Blythe, 7 Tex. R. 210.) The judgment is affirmed.

¶4Judgment affirmed,

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