Robinson v. Rice

• Citation: 20 Mo. 229
• Parties: ROBINSON et al., Appellants, v. RICE et al., Respondents.
• Decision Date: 31 January 1855
• Court: United States State Supreme Court of Missouri

20 Mo. 229

ROBINSON et al., Appellants,

v.RICE et al., Respondents.

Supreme Court of Missouri.

January Term, 1855.

1. It has been repeatedly held that, under the new practice, multifariousness is still an objection to a pleading. Different causes of action against different parties cannot be joined.

2. A husband in possession of slaves under a will which gives his wife a life estate cannot pass an absolute estate to a pruchaser.

3. Under the new practice, a party cannot state one cause of action, and ask that, if it proves unfounded, another cause of action may be tried. That is not a joinder of several causes of action.

4. Where a vendor is in possession of persnal property, and sells for full value, a warranty of title is implied.

5. Where a cause is tried by a court without a jury, the Supreme Court will affirm if the facts found support the judgment, without regard to the instructions given or refused.

6. The Supreme Court cannot review the action of the inferior court upon a motion to strike out parts of an answer, when they are only referred to in the record by line and page of the original.

Appeal from Cole Circuit Court.

This was an action under the new practice, commenced by the widow and heirs of James F. Clendenin, against S. O. Rice, and the heirs of Jane Lowe, and against S. O. Rice and Perry Askens, guardians for some of said last named heirs, for the specific recovery of two slaves named Matthew and Mary, children of a negro woman named Emily.

In 1829, Joab Barton died, leaving a last will, by which he bequeathed Emily and her increase to his daughter, “Jane Lowe, wife of Charles Lowe, for and during her natural life, and after her death, to her children, in full property forever.” After the death of Barton, Lowe took possession of Emily, who afterwards gave birth to two children, Mary and Charity. About 1836, Lowe sold and delivered Emily, Mary and Charity to James F. Clendenin, for the sum of $650. Afterwards, Emily gave birth to Matthew and two other children. In 1842, Clendenin sold Emily and her two youngest children to one Overton. The petition states that Charles Lowe died about the month of February, 1846, and his wife, Jane Lowe, died about the same time. The answer admits that Lowe and his wife died about the time stated in the petition; but in a subsequent part of the answer, it is alleged that Jane Lowe died on the 25th of Jan., 1845, and the court found that both Lowe and his wife died in 1845. The slaves, Matthew and Charity remained in possession of Clendenin up to his death, in Jan., 1846. About 1849, William Morrison and his wife, Mary, daughter of J. F. Clendenin, removed to Texas and took Charity with them, and had not returned at the commencement of this suit. Clendenin, at his death, left three children and a widow, who afterwards intermarried with Isaac L. Robinson. Robinson and wife and Morrison and wife, together with the other two children of Clendenin, were the plaintiffs in this action. The slaves, Mary and Matthew, remained in possession of the widow, administrator and heirs of Clendenin after his death until March 10, 1851, when they came into possession of S. O. Rice, one of the defendants. Rice was guardian of two of Lowe's children, and it would appear from the answer that he married one of Lowe's daughters, although it is not distinctly alleged, nor was there any proof upon the subject. Letters of administration were granted on the estates both of Lowe and Clendenin, and they had been finally settled when this suit was begun. Lowe left some personal estate, which was distributed among his heirs at the close of the administration, and also real estate which descended to his heirs.

The plaintiffs, in their petition, stated that the defendant, Rice, wrongfully obtained possession of the slaves and unlawfully detained the same. They prayed judgment for their restitution, and damages for the unlawful detention. The petition then proceeded to state that when Lowe sold the slaves to Clendenin, he executed a bill of sale containing a covenant of warranty, which had been lost.

The plaintiffs claimed that Clendenin acquired an absolute estate by the purchase from Lowe, and that they, as his heirs, were entitled to the slaves; but if the court should be of a different opinion, then they prayed a decree against the heirs of Lowe upon his covenant of warranty.

The defendants answered, setting up title under the will of Joab Barton. They alleged that the plaintiff, Robinson, carried the two slaves named in the petition to Arkansas, and when pursued, voluntarily delivered them up to the defendant, Rice, upon demand, without any force being used. They admitted the sale from Lowe to Clendenin, but insisted that Lowe only sold an estate for his wife's life, and denied any knowledge of a bill of sale with warranty. In conclusion, they ayed judgment for the return of Charity or for her value, for the value her hire from the death of Jane Lowe up to the present time, for the nire of Mary from the same date up to the time when she came into possession of Rice, and for the expenses of Rice in getting Mary and Matthew back from Arkansas, whither they had been taken by Robinson.

The record shows that a motion to strike out portions of the answer, which are refered to merely by line and page of the original, was overruled. The cause was heard by the court without a jury, and the facts found substantially as above stated. It was found as a fact that when Lowe sold to Clendenin, he executed a bill of sale containing a covenant of warranty. It was admitted that a suit was pending in Callaway county by the defendants against Overton, for the recovery of the slaves sold to the latter by Clendenin. During the progress of the trial, exceptions were taken to the admission and exclusion of evidence, which it is not thought necessary to notice. At the close of the evidence, several declarations of law, in the form of instructions, were asked on both sides, some of which were given and some refused. The court declared that neither plaintiffs nor defendants were entitled to any relief, and dismissed the petition, from which judgment the plaintiffs appealed.

Morrow, White and Parsons, for appellants.

1. The motion to strike out so much of the answer as relates to the alleged torts and conversions of Morrison and Robinson should have been sustained. The other appellants could not be affected by wrongful acts to which they were not parties. This part of the answer surely cannot be sustained by the law of set-off. The objection applies with equal force to the claim for hire. (New practice Act. art.6, sec. 7; Sappington v. Jeffries, 15 Mo. 630; Nidelet v. Wales, 16 Mo. 214.)

2. This court held in Freeman v. Freeman & Challis, (9 Mo.), that the husband is in law trustee of his wife's property, unless another trustee is appointed. This being the case, the sale by Lowe passed the title. If he was guilty of a breach of trust, his estate was amply sufficient to compensate the heirs of the wife in damages. The evidence shows that this was a bona fide sale. There is no evidence of notice of the will. It was not recorded, as required by law. (R. C. 1825, 792, sec. 9; 2 Story's Eq. 289, 290.)

3. The heirs of Lowe are bound by his covenant of warranty, even though not expressly named in it; and Lowe's estate having descended and been distributed, they are liable to the extent of the value of the property descended or distributed. (Booth v. Starr, 5 Day, 419; Boyce v. Burnet, 12 Mass. 410; Hutchison v. Stiles, 3 N. H. 408; 1 Little's (Ky.,) 397; 20 Pick. 2; 3 Murphy, 580; 2 B. Mon. 63; 4 Kent. 419.) This being a sale of personal property for a fair price by the party in possession, the law...