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5 Watts & Serg. 506

Muirhead v. Kirkpatrick

Supreme Court of Pennsylvania

Decided May 15, 1843

Supreme Court of Pennsylvania · decided 1843-05-15

William Muirhead against William Kirkpatrick. This was an action of debt founded on a promissory note not exceeding $372.44. The defendant pleaded payment and set-off. On- the trial the defendant gave in evidence an account of Ephraim Kirkpatrick against the plaintiff, which had been assigned to William Kirkpatrick the defendant before suit brought, amounting to $192.50.

Decided 1843-05-15

Per Curiam.

¶1— There was no evidence of withdrawal to warrant the leaving of the fact to the jury. The set-off was claimed, and evidence was given in support of it; but the principal witness being deemed incompetent, the defence was abandoned, and the defendant’s counsel retired. Had he meant to reserve the demand for a separate action, he would have said so; but he did not, and the arbitrators consequently passed upon it. A set-off is in the nature of a cross action, and may be withdrawn in analogy to suffering a nonsuit when the evidence is found to be too weak to support it; but like a nonsuit, the withdrawal of it ought to be explicit.

¶2Judgment reversed, and a venire de novo awarded.

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