36 Wash. 190 | Wash. | 1904
This is an action by the appellant, who was locator and owner of the Buckhom mining claim, situated in Okanogan county, state of Washington, upon a written agreement entered into between the appellant and the respondent, the respondent acting as trustee for certain other parties referred to in the agreement, viz., Patrick Donley, Gustavus A. Hutchinson, and John J. Stephens. The paper writing or agreement referred to is in the words and figures following:
“Escrow Deed. Jas. Grant to M. M. Walsh.
“To Republic Bank.
“% in. in Buckhorn M. claim, Myers Ck., Okanogan Co., Wash. .Consideration $200 — to be paid to said Grant on receipt by this bank of a satisfactory abstract of title to said mining claim,' then this deed to be delivered to said Walsh; he is to incorporate the said Buckhom Mining claim; the capital stock of said incorporation is not to exceed 1,000,000 shares of the par value of $1 per share, non-assessable; 150,000 shares of said capital stock is to be delivered to the said Jas. S. Grant as soon as corporation is complete; not less than 300,-000 shares of said stock to be placed as Treasury stock for the exclusive benefit of the corporation; the remainder of the stock to be divided equal between said Walsh and other owners other than said Grant; in case all agreements above mentioned are not well and truly carried out by said parties, then this deed to be void and of no effect.
“Witness: J. H. Hughes. (Signed) M. M. Walsh. “June 20th, 1898. James S. Grant.”
The complaint is too long to set forth in this opinion, but the substantial and material portions of the complaint are as quoted above. We are referring now to the second amended complaint. The answer substantially denies the allegations of the complaint; denies that the stock of the Monterey Gold Mining Company was of any value whatever; denies that the paper writing set forth in the complaint was an agreement between the parties to the action, but alleges that it was only a partial memorandum of the actual agreement, which was a verbal agreement, and was entered into only for the purpose of governing the action of the Republic Bank, in making the delivery of the deed by 'Grant to the defendant, for the undivided interest owned by said Grant in said Buckhorn mining claim; and alleges that the said Hutchinson, Stephens, and Donley had no interest, either legal or equitable, in the 287,000 shares mentioned in the complaint; that they had no interest, either legal or equitable, in the one-half interest in said claim which plaintiff transferred to defendant, nor did they or either of them pay any part of
The reply denied the affirmative matter of the answer. The answer and reply are, also, long and circumstantial, but upon these material issues the case went to trial. After the introduction of the testimony of the plaintiff, the defendant moved for a nonsuit, on the ground of insufficiency of the evidence to sustain the plaintiff’s complaint. This motion was granted by the court, on the theory that the action was an action for conversion, and that it had not been shown that the stock was, or had been, in the possession of the defendant. Judgment was entered in favor of the defendant for costs, and this appeal is prosecuted from such judgment
We think the court erred in sustaining the motion for nonsuit. Under the provisions of our code, a complaint is a plain statement of the facts upon which the plaintiff relies for relief. The'facts, as stated in this complaint, are that an agreement was entered into between the plain
We think there was sufficient testimony offered by the plaintiff, which if uncontradicted, would have sustained a judgment against the defendant for violating his contract. That being true, there was sufficient to submit to the jury, and the judgment will therefore be reversed, with instructions to try the issues on the pleadings as finally settled by the trial court.
Kullebton, O. J., and Andebs, Mount, and Hadley, ¿TJ., concur.