Davis Watertown v. Richards

by Horace Gray

United States Supreme Court

115 U.S. 524

Davis Watertown  v.  Richards

 Argued: December 7, 1885. ---

This was an action, brought in the supreme court of the District of Columbia upon a guaranty of the performance by one John W. Poler of a contract under seal, dated December 17, 1872, between him and the plaintiff corporation, by which it was agreed that all sales of sewing-machines which the corporation should make to him should be upon certain terms and conditions, the principal of which were that Poler should use all reasonable efforts to introduce, supply, and sell the machines of the corporation, at not less than its regular retail prices, throughout the District of Columbia, and the counties of Prince George and Montgomery in the state of Maryland, and should pay all indebtedness by account, note, indorsement, or otherwise, which should arise from him to the corporation under the contract, and should not engage in the sale of sewing-machines of any other manufacture; and that the corporation, during the continuance of the agency, should sell its machines to him at a certain discount, and receive payment therefor in a certain manner; and that either party might terminate the agency at pleasure. The guaranty was upon the same paper with the above contract, and was as follows:

'For value received, we hereby guarantee to the Davis Sewing-machine Company of Watertown, N. Y., the full performance of the foregoing contract on the part of John W. Poler, and the payment by said John W. Poler of all indebtedness, by account, note, indorsement of notes, (including renewals and extensions,) or otherwise, to the said Davis Sewing-machine Company, for property sold to said John W. Poler, under this contract, to the amount of three thousand ($3,000) dollars.

'Dated Washington, D. C., this seventeenth day of December, 1872.

'A. ROTHWELL.

'A. C. RICHARDS.'

Under the guaranty were these words: 'I consider the above sureties entirely responsible. Washington, December 19, 1872. J. T. STEVENS.'

At the trial the above papers, signed by the parties, were given in evidence by the plaintiff, and there was proof of the following facts: On December 17, 1872, at Washington, the contract was executed by Poler, and the guaranty was signed by the defendants, and the contract and guaranty, after being so signed, were delivered by the defendants to Poler, and by Poler to Stevens, the plaintiff's attorney, and by Stevens afterwards forwarded, with his recommendation of the sureties, to the plaintiff at Watertown, in the state of New York, and the contract there executed by the plaintiff. The plaintiff afterwards delivered goods to Poler under the contract, and he did not pay for them. The defendants had no notice of the plaintiff's execution of the contract or acceptance of the guaranty, and no notice or knowledge that the plaintiff had furnished any goods to Poler under the contract or upon the faith of the guaranty, until January, 1875, when payment therefor was demanded by the plaintiff of the defendants, and refused. At the time of the signing of the guaranty the plaintiff had furnished no goods to Poler, and the negotiations then pending between the plaintiff and Poler related to prospective transactions between them. The court instructed the jury as follows: 'It appearing that, at the time the defendants signed the guaranty on the back of the contract between the plaintiff and Poler, the plaintiff had not executed the contract or assented thereto; and that the contract and guaranty related to prospective dealings between the plaintiff and Poler; and that subsequently to the signing thereof by the defendants the attorney for the plaintiff approved the responsibility of the guarantors, and sent the contract to Watertown, N. Y., to the plaintiff, which subsequently signed it; and no notice having been given by the plaintiff to the defendants of the acceptance of such contract and guaranty, and that it intended to furnish goods thereon and hold the defendants responsible,-the plaintiff cannot recover, and the jury should find for the defendants.' A verdict was returned for the defendants, and judgment rendered thereon, which, on exceptions by the plaintiff, was affirmed at the general term, and the plaintiff sued out this writ of error, pending which one of the defendants died and his executor was summoned in.

Jas. G. Payne, for plaintiff in error, Davis S. M. Co. of Watertown, N. Y. C. C. Cole and Wm. A. Cook, for defendants in error, Almarin C. Richards and another, Ex'rs, etc., and another.

GRAY, J.

Notes