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31 Ind. 418

Morehead v. Murray

Indiana Supreme Court

Decided May 15, 1869

Indiana Supreme Court · decided 1869-05-15

<p>'Contract.— Consideration.—Failure of.—Sale.—Suit on a note. Answer, that the defendant bought of the payee a certain number of fruit trees; that it was agreed by them that.said trees should be in good condition, and that if any of them should not grow, the seller would replace them with other good trees; that on the day the note, was given (in November), the seller delivered said trees, and represented them to be as provided for by said contract ; that the defendant, not being experienced in the nursery business, believing the trees to be as represented, in consideration thereof, executed the note, and properly set out the trees; that the same were not in good condition, but were wilted, and in bad condition, and wholly worthless; that defendant did not and could not know their condition till long after the note was executed; that they did not grow, of which the seller had notice on the 1st day of the next June; yet he had wholly failed to replace them.</p> <p>Held, that the answer was good on demurrer.</p> <p>.Same.—Evidence.—The trees were delivered to the buyer upon his written order directed to the seller, for certain trees at specified prices.</p> <p>Held, that parol evidence was admissible to prove an agreement of the parties at the time of making said order, that the seller should replace any of the trees that might not grow.</p> <p>Principal and Agent.—Declarations.—As steps in proving tho authority of one as an agent in the transaction in controversy, evidence of his similar transactions with different persons and of his delarations therein was held ■ admissible.</p>

Relies on Hynds v. Hays

Good law ✅— No negative treatment on recordhow we know

Decided 1869-05-15

How this case has been cited

Cited by 7 later decisions — most recently June 1923

7 state decisions

201869187018801890190019101920decided

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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Ray, J.

¶1There was no error in overruling the demurrer to the second paragraph of the answer. It denied that the trees and vines were of any value whatever.

¶2There was no error in allowing parol evidence of the memorandum on the back of the order. It was not a contract, but a simple memorandum, and proper for the witness to use to refresh his memory, but it should not have been introduced in evidence as a paper. As there was nothing in it of substance, however, this error cannot work a reversal. As to the objection to the proof of an agreement to replace the trees which should not grow, as being in contradiction to the order for the trees, there is no force in-it. The order was not a contract binding both parties, but simply an order, which required the person sending it to accept the articles ordered. An agreement to replace any •defective trees would not conflict with this written direction.

¶3The evidence of the witness Hilderman, as to the terms on which Rockwell sold trees to the defendant or to others, was not proper as proof of the contract in this case. It was not part of the res gestee. Hynds v. Hays, 25 Ind. 31. The agency not being proved, it could not bind the principal. hTor was the evidence of the witness Anther, that his trees did not grow, admissible, standing alone. But all this evidence was proper as steps in proving the authority of the agent; it would have -been made complete by showing the recognition by Miller, Swan & Co. of similar contracts.

¶4As the court should have charged the jury what effect to give to all this evidence, and as the charges given are not presented by the bill of exceptions, we must .presume in favor of the action of the court.

¶5The judgment is affirmed, with costs.

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