4 S.C. Eq. 350 | S.C. Ct. App. | 1812
The defendant gave notice, that he would move the Court of Appeals to reverse the decree, upon the fellow* ing ground:
First, — That the decree was contrary to law and evidence.
And should he not succeed in reversing the decree, he will move for a re-hearing upon the following ground i
That on the trial, the defendant had his books of account in court, ready to prove the amount which was due him by the intestate, George Ruff, at the time of executing the bill of sale for the personal property, and was prevented from doing so, by the judge stating it to be unnecessary.
S. Farrow, defendant’s solicitor.
The appeal was argued, and a majority of the judges, Gaillard, Desaussure and Janies, delivered the following judgment, in affirmance of the decree of the Circuit Court:
(Signed,)
Theodore Gaixuard, Jun.
I concur in the above opinion.
Upon a reconsideration of the above case, I conti-uue of the same opinion which 1 entertained upon the circuit. There are, indeed, several unpleasant facts stated in the decree, but they are neither of my procuring or invention. They were sworn to, positively, by three witnesses, and were denied by none in as positive and unequivocal a manner as they were stated. These facts are as stubborn as they must have been unpleasant
(Signed)
W. D. James.
The judges Thompson and "Waties, delivered the following opinion for reversing the decree of the Circuit Court:
In taking this case into consideration, we cannot view it in such high colours of fraud as contemplated in the decree of the Circuit Court. With regard to the <ked of conveyance for the land, we consider it to have
In the whole of this transaction there appears to be nothing unfair. The bill of sale on the face of it, imports no' intrinsic evidence of fraud; and there is no ex-, trinsic evidence to justify the court in putting so harsh a construction on it. Indeed the testimony of Maj. Cannon and Mr. Coon, both respectable men, who subscribed ther instrument as witnesses, is conclusive as to its fairness.We also place very great reliance on the evidence of Mrs. Ruff, the mother. We cannot think so unfavorably of human nature, as to suppose that the mother would form a combination with a son possessing a vigorous mind, tó defraud one of weak intellectual faculties, of his whole estate: and it appears to the court that she advised George to enter into this contract. Upon the whole, we see nothing in this case which would justify the court in setting aside this contract: and we are of opinion that the decree should be reversed, so far as it relates to the bill of sale of the negroes.