41 S.C. 217 | S.C. | 1894
The opinion of the court was delivered by
On July 1st, 1890, J. A. Mooney and J. P. Latimer executed their sealed note, joint and several, for six hundred dollars, due one year after date, payable to Thoms Sloan, or bearer, interest from date at eight per cent, per annum, payable annually. On May 13, 1891, Sloan made the following memorandum on the note at the bottom: “I hereby extend date of payment of above note to January 1st, 1892, with privilege of payment before maturity.” The note not having been paid at maturity, action was brought on said note against J. P. Latimer, who answered, and after making a general denial of all liability, alleged by way of special defence that he did sign with J. A. Mooney such a note as is described in the complaint, but that he was a surety thereto, and that the memorandum above set forth constituted such an alteration of the contract and such an extension of the time of payment, as discharged his obligation as surety.
From this verdict and judgment thereon the defendant appeals upon the following grounds: I. Because the Circuit Judge erred in admitting in evidence a certain sealed note, signed by J. A. Mooney and J. P. Latimer, for six hundred dollars, of date July 1st, 1890, when it appeared from its face that it was not the same described in the complaint, in that it contained other stipulations than these mentioned. II. In refusing defendant’s motion for a non-suit: Because (a) the note and plaintiff’s own testimony showed that plaintiff, since its execution and delivery, had materially altered the terms thereof, by adding thereto other stipulations and agreements without the knowledge or consent of the surety, the defendant in this action. (&) Because it appeared from the face of the note, and plaintiff’s own testimony, that plaintiff had, since the execution and delivery o'f said note, extended the time of payment thereof for J. A. Mooney, the principal debtor, without the knowledge or consent of this defendant, the surety to said note, (e) Because there was no evidence entitling plaintiff to a verdict. III. In not holding that said note was void in so far as the defendant was concerned, in that plaintiff had added, since its execution and delivery, other material stipulations and conditions than those originally contained in the said note, without defendant’s knowledge or consent. IV. In sending the jury back into their room after they had rendered a verdict for the plaintiff, it in no way appearing that the ver
The judgment of this court is, that the judgment of the Circuit Court be reversed.