Knight v. Craig Administrator

• Decision Date: 01 February 1810
• Citation: 3 L.Ed. 193,6 Cranch 183,10 U.S. 183
• Parties: M'KNIGHT v. CRAIG'S ADMINISTRATOR
• Court: U.S. Supreme Court

10 U.S. 183

6 Cranch 183

3 L.Ed. 193

M'KNIGHT v. CRAIG'S ADMINISTRATOR.

February Term, 1810

ERROR to the circuit court for the district of Columbia, sitting at Alexandria, in an action of debt upon a judgment and devastavit, brought by M'Knight against Craig, as executor of Mitchell.

After an office judgment by default against Craig, and a writ of inquiry awarded in November, 1807, at the rules, Craig died. At the July term, 1808, his death was suggested, and a scire facias awarded against I. G. Ladd, his administrator. At the July term,

1809, (being the fourth term after the office judgment,) Ladd appeared by his attorney, and offered to plead a special plea of plene administravit, by himself, as administrator of Craig, to which the plaintiff objected, but the court overruled the objection, and admitted the plea to be filed.

The substance of the plea was, that Craig had made a deed of trust of certain real estate to secure Ladd for his endorsements for Craig at the bank, by which deed Craig covenanted to indemnify Ladd. That Ladd had endorsed the notes of Craig to the amount of 8,000 dollars, which were discounted at the bank, and continued the endorsements to the time of Craig's death. That the bank had recovered judgment against Ladd as endorsor of some of those notes to the amount of 6,009 dollars, and that Ladd had paid other of the said notes to the amount of 3,174 dollars, to avoid being compelled by suit to pay the same. That the estate, mentioned in the deed of trust, having been sold, produced only 4,095 dollars, whereby the estate of Craig became indebted to Ladd in the sum of 5,138 dollars, and so much of the estate of Craig is liable to be retained by Ladd in satisfaction.

That Craig was bound to several other creditors by specialties in large sums, amounting to 10,000 dollars, and suits thereupon have been brought against Ladd, and are now pending; that he has in his hands personal estate of Craig to the amount of 960 dollars only, which is liable to be retained by him in satisfaction of the damage he has sustained by his endorsements for Craig, by virtue of the covenant for his indemnification, and to pay the specialty creditors aforesaid.

To this plea the plaintiff replied the office judgment and writ of inquiry awarded against Craig in his life-time in this suit; the subsequent death of Craig, and the scire facias against Ladd, as his administrator, returnable to November term, 1808.

The defendant rejoined that Craig died on the ___ day of _____, in the year 1807.

To this rejoinder the plaintiff demurred, and as signed as cause of demurrer, that the rejoinder is no answer to the replication, and is a departure from the plea.

The court below being of opinion that the plea was good, and the replication bad, rendered judgment upon the demurrer for the defendant.

The...