Crosby v. Harrison

Oct 5, 1874
Reporters:
,
Before:
Gray
Gray, C. J.

The motion of the defendants cannot be sustained as a motion ‍‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌‌‌​​​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​​​​‍to dismiss, because it is not founded on matter of law apparent on the record. It is not entitled, and was not treated by either party ‍‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌‌‌​​​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​​​​‍in the court below, as a plea or answer in abatement, as is conclusively shown by the defendants’ offer of evidence having been made to ‍‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌‌‌​​​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​​​​‍the court, whereas any extrinsic fact pleaded in abatement would be triable by a jury. If the court had authority to entertain the suggestion of ‍‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌‌‌​​​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​​​​‍a fraudulent abuse of process upon a summary motion, without putting the defendants to plead and try it in regular form, it was certainly within its ‍‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌‌‌​​​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​​​​‍discretion to decline to do so. Davis v. Marston, 5 Mass. 199. Morton v. Sweetser, 12 Allen, 134. Exceptions overruled.