Motley v. Pike County

• Decision Date: 28 February 1911
• Parties: MOTLEY v. PIKE COUNTY.
• Court: Missouri Supreme Court

135 S.W. 39

233 Mo. 42

MOTLEY v. PIKE COUNTY.

Supreme Court of Missouri, Division No. 1.

February 28, 1911.

JUDGES (§ 22)—EXPENDITURES OF OFFICE— PROBATE JUDGE—"OTHER NECESSARIES."

Under Rev. St. 1909, § 4065, requiring the necessary expense incurred by the probate court for books, furniture, and other necessaries, to be paid by the county, a probate judge was entitled to recover from the county the expense of a janitor, in his office, and for telephone service; the latter coming within the term "other necessaries."

Appeal from Circuit Court, Pike County; David H. Eby, Judge.

Action by Robert L. Motley against Pike County. From a judgment for plaintiff in the Circuit Court, defendant appealed to the St. Louis Court of Appeals, and the case was transferred to the Supreme Court. Judgment affirmed.

L. G. Blair and Tapley & Fitzgerrell for appellant. E. W. Major, for respondent.

GRAVES, J.

Plaintiff was the judge of the probate court of Pike county, Mo. On February 7, 1907, he filed with the county court of said county an expense account, thus stated and itemized:

                Pike County, Missouri, in Account with R. L. Motley
                                   Judge of Probate
                1906. To cash for postage stamps and cards
                       from August 1, 1906, to February 1, 1907 $15 50
                      Aug. 29th. To cash paid for dustless
                       brush for probate courtroom........        2 25
                      Dec. 1st. To cash paid for express on
                       office supplies.....................         60
                1907. Jan. 9th. To cash paid for express on
                       office supplies.....................         40
                                                                ______
                                                                $18 75
                       Feb. 1st. To cash paid janitor for probate
                        courtroom from Nov. 3, 1907, to
                        Feb. 2, 1907, 13 weeks, at 75¢ a week...  9 75
                        Feb. 1st. To cash paid for rent of telephone
                        for use of probate court office to
                        March, 1907, 41 months, at $1 a month   41 00
                                                                ______
                                  Total amount due............  $68 00
                

The county court allowed all the items except the last two, i. e., those for janitor service and telephone service. From this judgment of the county court, the plaintiff appealed to the circuit court, where, upon a trial de novo, plaintiff had judgment for the full account, and the county appealed to the St. Louis Court of Appeals. That court certified the cause here because the county was a party thereto. The question here is whether or not the several items of this account are properly chargeable to the county. The evidence bearing upon each can best be stated in the course of the discussion of the point. This is a sufficient outline of the case.

1. The only items of the account attacked in this court are the latter two. Of these in their order. It stands admitted that the county of Pike was amply supplied with funds out of which to pay the account in toto, if it was liable therefor. It appears from the evidence that the county court employed a janitor to sweep out and look after the halls in the courthouse, but failed to employ one to look after the office of plaintiff or any other county...