25 Kan. 640 | Kan. | 1881
The opinion of the court was delivered by
This was an action for false imprisonment. The defendants answered, setting up two defenses. The plaintiff demurred to the second defense, upon the ground that it did not state facts sufficient to constitute a defense. The court below overruled the demurrer, and this ruling is now assigned for error.
Said second defense was a plea in justification. It sets forth the following among other facts:
The defendant John Kohlar commenced a civil action against Philip Hauss, for the recovery of $45 and interest. He commenced the action before S. B. Thompson, a duly elected, qualified and acting justice of the peace. A. R. Head acted as his attorney in the case. He filed an affidavit for an order of arrest. The order of arrest was issued by the justice of the peace, and placed in the hands of W. W.
“John Kohlar, being duly sworn, says that he is the plaintiff in the above-entitled action ; that said plaintiff has commenced said action against the defendant Philip Hauss for the recovery of $45, with interest at the rate of eight per cent, from November 5th, 1878, and costs of suit; that said defendant is indebted to said plaintiff in said sum for property sold to him on the 5th day of November, 1878; that said debt is just, is due, and is wholly unpaid; that said affiant believes that said plaintiff ought to recover of said defendant said sum of $45, with interest from the 5th day of November, 1878.
“That said affiant is justified in the belief of the existence of the above particulars, by the following facts and circumstances, threats and declarations: That said defendant has said he did not intend paying the plaintiff, and that he never did intend to pay him from the time the debt was contracted to the present time.”
No motion was made to set aside said order of arrest, and no proceedings were'had with reference thereto, further than as above stated. Afterward the defendant, Philip Hauss, commenced this present action for false imprisonment against the plaintiff John Kohlar, and his attorney A. R. Head, and the justice of the peace S. B. Thompson, and the constable W. W. Norris; and the defendants justified as aforesaid. The plaintiff claims that this justification was entirely insufficient, because, as he claims, the affidavit, upon which all the proceedings connected with his arrest were founded, was absolutely void.
“First, That the defendant has removed or begun to remove any of his property out of the county, with intent to defraud his creditors. Second, That the defendant has begun to convert his property, or any part thereof, into money, for the purpose of defrauding his creditors. Third, That he has property or rights in action which he fraudulently conceals. Fourth, That he has assigned, removed or disposed of, or has begun to assign, remove or dispose of his property, or any part thereof, with intent to defraud his creditors. Fifth, That the defendant fraudulently contracted the debt or incurred the obligation for which suit is about to be brought. Sixth, That the defendant is about to abscond, with intent to defraud his creditors. The affidavit shall also contain a statement of the facts_ claimed to justify the belief in the existence of one or inore of the above particulars.” (Comp. Laws 1879, p. 705.)
It will also be seen that said §18 of -the justices’ code requires that the affidavit shall contain a statement of the facts claimed to justify the belief in the existence of one or more of ■ the grounds for the order of arrest. In the first para
Courts are not in the habit of extending by construction either laws or affidavits so as to impose restraint upon personal liberty. Besides, the creditor, being his own witness for the purpose of obtaining an order of arrest, he furnishing the affidavit upon which the order of arrest is issued, it is not
We think that the court below erred in overruling the demurrer. The judgment, of the court below will therefore be reversed, and the cause remanded with the order that the demurrer be sustained.