79 Mo. App. 425 | Mo. Ct. App. | 1899
This action is on a promissory note. A demurrer to plaintiffs’ evidence was sustained, the jury discharged and judgment entered for defendant.
Defendant executed the note to the partnership of Hays, Winterbower & Sims. The rate of interest and whether from date or maturity, were left blank when the note was delivered by defendant. Plaintiffs placed the note in the hands of Bedwell, a justice of the peace, for collection. It seems the note was first put in his hands unofficially and merely as a collecting agent, and that afterwards it was placed in his hands for suit. While in his hands, either as. a collecting agent, or as justice of' the peace, he altered it by inserting the figure “6” in the space left for the rate of interest and the word “date,” in the space left blank for the time at which interest should begin. This was done without plaintiffs’ knowledge or consent and when they discovered it had been done, they disapproved of it and Bedwell erased what he had thus put in.