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6 N.C. 237

Johnson v. . Knight

Supreme Court of North Carolina

Decided January 5, 1813

Supreme Court of North Carolina · decided 1813-01-05

vFrom Ausou. J The special case was this: Johnston, the Plaintiff, w as the subscribing witness to the bond on which this action of debt was brought; and on the trial, lie proved that the Defendants- had acknowledged the execution of the bond ; that one of them had promised to pay it, and the other had said he expected to have it to pay, and it would ruin him. The question submitted to this court was, whether this was a sufficient proof of the execution of the bond.

Cited by 2 later decisions — most recently January 1817

1 state decisions

Good law ✅— No negative treatment on recordhow we know

Decided 1813-01-05

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Locke, Judge,

¶1 delivered the opinion of the Court:

¶2 ' It has already been decided by this Court, and between this plaintiff and the defendants, that it is improper to receive evidence of the hand writing of the subscribing witness, who was the Plaintiff, and had taken a voluntary assignment of the bond in question. The case is again submitted upon another question, to wit:— *238 Whether the acknowledgment of the defendants, that, had given the bond and would pay it, be legal and pr0per evidence to be left to a jury to prove its execution. This point is expressly decided in the case of Abbott v. Plumb, (Doug. 216, 217 ;) and in the case of Cunliffe and Wife, and others, v. the Administrators of J. Houghton, (2 East, 187.) Lawrence, Justice, in delivering his opinion in this last case, decided in 1802, repeats this as a general principle of law : And although the evidence of the subscribing witness may be dispensed with, in cases of marriage, or in favour of executors or administrators, from necessity and in furtherance of justice, yet no case has been found where it has been dispensed with by reason of ihe subscribing witness becoming assignee. Let a nonsuit be entered.

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