Ford v. Smith

Jul 1, 1855
Reporters:
,
Before:
Heydenfeldt
Heydenfeldt, J., delivered the opinion of the Court.

Murray, C. J., ‍‌​‌‌‌​​​‌‌‌‌‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌‌​‌‌‌‌‌​​​​​​​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​​​​‌​​​‌​​‌‌‌​​​​​​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‍concurred.

Upon the trial, the defendant introduced receipts of one Hesse to prove payments made to Hesse by defendant, on ‍‌​‌‌‌​​​‌‌‌‌‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌‌​‌‌‌‌‌​​​​​​​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​​​​‌​​​‌​​‌‌‌​​​​​​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‍the joint account of plaintiff and defendant, and for a proportion of which, plaintiff was claimed to be liable to ‍‌​‌‌‌​​​‌‌‌‌‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌‌​‌‌‌‌‌​​​​​​​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​​​​‌​​​‌​​‌‌‌​​​​​​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‍defendant.

These receipts were mere secondary evidence; the best evidence would have been the sworn testimony of Hesse as to ‍‌​‌‌‌​​​‌‌‌‌‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌‌​‌‌‌‌‌​​​​​​​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​​​​‌​​​‌​​‌‌‌​​​​​​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‍the payment tiiade to him, or of any one else who saw the money paid.

For the error in admitting ‍‌​‌‌‌​​​‌‌‌‌‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌‌​‌‌‌‌‌​​​​​​​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​​​​‌​​​‌​​‌‌‌​​​​​​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‍this evidence, the judgment is reversed, and the cause remanded.