72 F. 283 | 2d Cir. | 1896
Prior to July, 1890, George M. Rollins, then of New York City, owned the Grade May, a pleasure yacht of about 30 feet in length and of about 5 tons burden. He was engaged in a number of electrical enterprises, and in the formation of car trusts, but be had no property, and was generally “short of ready money.” He owed the claimant, who was his law
The libelants’ counsel place their case upon the fact that they furnished necessary supplies to a vessel in a foreign port, upon the sole order of the master, in the absence of the owners, and that, under such a state of facts, the presumption is that there was a necessity for the credit of the vessel. The supplies were furnished upon the order of the reputed owner, who was also master and crew, and who was the only person who apparently had any connection with the boat. The application, to a case of this sort, of the rule respecting a lien for repairs and supplies furnished in a foreign port, upon the order of the master, would be a strained one. The rule had its origin in necessities of commerce, and to apply it to the case of supplies furnished to this tiny pleasure craft upon the order of the person who seemed to be the owner, and who was amusing himself with its management, is irrational. The question of credit must depend upon the facts and the probabilities, without the aid of technical presumptions. The material men were grocers, whose special business it was to supply vessels. The reputed owner and the purchaser lived, at the time, in Brooklyn, and was without property. The libelants had no other
The decree of the district court is affirmed, with interest and costs.