(After stating the foregoing facts.)
The first three grounds of the motion for a new trial are the usual general grounds. In an amendment to the motion are four grounds upon the overruling of which error is assigned. Ground numbered 4 is an elaboration of the general grounds. The fifth ground is as follows: “The movant points out and shows to the court that in the charge delivered to the jury upon the trial of the ease, by way of instructing the jury as to the contentions of the defendant, the court charged the jury as follows: In answer to the charges made in the petition and the claim set up therein the defendant has come into court and has filed an answer. I explained to you that you will have this answer out with you, and that you might read it in order to fully inform yourselves as to the nature of the defensive matter set up therein. As previously stated, he denies all of the material allegations that seek to set up any liability on his part to his brother. He denies that any sale was made by his brother to him upon the terms and conditions set forth in the petition, and also denies any liability as the result of any such contract of sale. He admits that late in December, the date you will ascertain from the answer, the 28th, I believe, or the latter part of December, that he did come into possession of the copartnership property, and that same was delivered to him by his brother with the understanding that he, W. A. Aultman, was to receive the same as a bailment, that he was to handle to the best advantage of both parties, that he was to care for the business, pay the debts, and finally, if any balance remained, to pay the plaintiff in the case, J. G. Aultman, his proportion of such remainder. That is the corn tention of the defendant in the case, you will of course understand. Now all of these matters and things are to be determined by you from a consideration of the evidence. The investigation has been a broad one. It has extended in many directions; but the outstanding, primary, central issue in the case is, did the plaintiff in the case at the time named in his petition make sale of his business or interest, whatever such interest may have been, to his brother, W. A. Aultman, at and for the sum of $20,000 ? It is not contended that any payment has been made. As a matter of fact it is denied by the plaintiff that any payment on the alleged contract has been
“The movant further shows that he, as the defendant in said case, set forth and insisted upon, as a part of his answer and plea to the plaintiff’s petition and action, certain affirmative matter, which .he quotes from the answer as filed and of record in said case, as follows, to wit: ‘As already stated, the plaintiff had been operat
Reverting to the portion of the charge of the court quoted in the •first part of this decision, and comparing same with the portion of his answer last above quoted, movant insists that the charge given was erroneous and harmful to the defendant; that the instructions were in substance and effect inconsistent with the defendant’s contentions as shown by his answer and plea, and were confusing and did confuse the jury as to the main and vital issues made by defendant’s answer; that the court did not elsewhere in the charge or in any manner give any explanation to relieve or to any extent mitigate the harmful effect of the portion of the charge pointed out.
The part of the charge set forth in this ground, considered with the quoted portions of the answer of the defendant, is not open to the criticisms made. There may be certain inaccurate expressions used, but the charge covered the issues dealt with in that portion of it fully and completely; and the court did not err in instructing the jury that the “outstanding, central issue in the case is, did the plaintiff in the case, at the time named in his petition, make sale of his business or interest, whatever such interest may have been, to his brother, W. A. Aultman, at and for the sum of $20,000?” The plaintiff himself testified that this offer was made and ac
In the last ground of the motion the movant sets forth lengthy excerpts from his answer and from the evidence and complains that the court did not submit to the jury the question as to whether the portions of the answer referred to and which were read by the court were true, or give the- jury any instructions regarding the same to govern them in passing upon the same; and movant contends that the jury could not have understood from the whole charge that such issues or contentions were to be passed upon in making the verdict. Upon consideration of the entire charge, the court sufficiently called the attention of the jury to the really material issues in the case; and if the defendant had desired a fuller instruction upon some particular contention in the pleadings, he should have submitted to the court an appropriate written request to charge. The court did deal at length with the portions of the answer of the defendant relating to the material and controlling issues made under the pleadings of both .parties and the evidence. None of the portions of the charge excepted to show material error.
This case, in the light of the pleadings of both parties and the evidence submitted by both parties, showed that there was a misunderstanding between the brothers, a disagreement between them as the interests of the two partners in the business, such misunderstandings as led them both to the conclusion---a proper conclusion, no doubt- — that the partnership should be dissolved and
Affirmed.
