63 Ga. 220 | Ga. | 1879
On the 11th of March, 1878, Porter brought trover against Chipstead for a certain described ox. The plea was, not guilty. At the trial, the evidence as to title was conflicting, that for the plaintiff below tendmg to establish title in him, and that for the defendant tending' to establish it in one Grist, or rather in the wife of Grist. It appeared that the defendant, Chipstead, was in possession of the ox when the action was brought; but he testified, and nothing to tbe contrary was shown, that his possession was only as an officer of tbe law, a constable; and that he held it under legal process. The process was put in evidence. It was a possessory warrant issued by a justice of the peace, in favor of Grist against one Hodges, on the 9th of March, 1878, and was founded upon an affidavit made by Grist. Tbe affidavit and warrant were both in substantial conformity to the Code, §4082. The ox was described, and the warrant commanded that he be seized, and that Hodges be arrested. Upon it was a return by Chipstead, as constable, of such seizure and arrest, dated the same day the warrant issued.
We think the court erred in so charging, and that the verdict was contrary to law. Process is of two kinds, one of which directs the officer to seize the defendant’s property generally, and leaves the officer to find and identify it; the other directs him to seize some specific article or articles of property which are pointed out and described in the process itself, and which, if the process be legal and issued by competent authority, the officer must seize at his peril. Acting under the former species of process, he is left to inquire and judge for himself as to what particular property his process covers, and he must make no mistake to the injury of third persons; he must not take the property of strangers, for his process is no warrant to do that, but is warranted only for seizing the property of the defendant. 57 Ga., 596 ; 60 Id., 516. But acting under the latter species, he has no concern but to find what his process describes, and deal with it as the precept commands him. 13
Judgment reversed.