54 Conn. 253 | Conn. | 1886
On March 30th, 1855, the plaintiff instituted a suit against the defendant, alleging that he had expended for Mm three hundred dollars; had sold and delivered to Mm goods, wares and merchandise of the same value; had bargamed and sold to Mm goods, wares and merchandise of the same value ; and that he had never paid therefor ; demanding two hundred dollars damages.
On December 29th, 1885, that suit still pending, the plaintiff instituted this, alleging in effect in the first count that on March 27th, 1885, the defendant warranted to the plaintiff that certain apples were in good marketable condition; that relying upon the warranty the plaintiff purchased them and paid the defendant 1367-y5^- therefor; that the apples were not marketable, and that the defendant knew that fact; that the plaintiff sold and delivered some of the apples to his customers as marketable ; that he was compelled to take them back; that Ms reputation suffered thereby; and that he expended two hundred and twenty-five dollars in sorting, packing and carting them. In the second count, that the defendant falsely and fraudulently represented the apples to be marketable; that induced thereby the plaintiff bought and paid therefor $367-^ ; that the defendant knew his warranty to be false and untrue ; that the apples were of no value; and that he suffered in reputation and expended money as set forth in the first count.
The defendant pleaded in abatement the pendency of the first suit, and that it is for the same cause of action as that set forth in this. The plaintiff replied, in effect, that the first suit is not for any of the causes of action set forth in this, but for an entirely different cause. The defendant re-affirmed the truth of his plea. Upon the trial the defendant introduced the file in the first suit and then offered himself as a witness for the purpose of proving that he never had more than one transaction with the plaintiff, and that previous to that suit. To this evidence the plaintiff objected as irrelevant, immaterial and inadmissible ; that it tended to contradict the file in the first suit; that the file must speak for itself; and that the issue must be tried solely
Under our Practice Act a plaintiff can attach the property of a defendant and summon him into court, upon a complaint which, while it must disclose a good cause of action, may do so in a very general way and be almost barren of details. It rests with the defendant to say whether the plaintiff shall have judgment without more, or whether he shall supply full details. The allegation in the first suit is in words as few and general as possible ; it is in effect that the plaintiff has expended a sum of money which it is the legal duty of the defendant to re-pay; it is sufficient to sustain a judgment without more if the defendant refrains from requiring more.
If the service of a complaint thus drawn fails to effect an adjustment and a trial must ensue, the act enables the defendant to require and the plaintiff to supply the omitted details, so that the complaint shall have the fullness, precision and truthfulness of ancient pleadings without their prolixity.
If the act permits a plaintiff to ask for and receive and enforce a judgment upon so general a statement of his claim, if he should thereafter institute a second suit, and in his complaint state a cause of action with particularity of detail, there must remain to the defendant the right to prove, even by oral testimony, that this last cause of action was the only one existing at the time of the first judgment and was the foundation upon which that rested. Supples v. Cannon, 44 Conn., 424, and cases cited in the reporter’s note
There is no error in the judgment complained of.
In this opinion Park, G. J., and Granger, J., concurred. Carpenter and Loomis, Js., dissented.