Clark v. Smith

Upon appeal from the City Court of Hew York to this court we are concluded by the judgment of affirmance below with regard to the weight of the evidence, and are to examine only rulings upon questions of law, duly excepted to, for reversible error. Arnstein v. Haulenbeek, 16 Daly, 382 ; Smith v. Pryor, Id. 169; Rowe v. Comley, 11 id. 318; Meyers v. John, 4 Misc. Rep. 185 .

The action was brought to recover for goods sold and delivered, and defendant had, prior to the trial, offered judgment for the sum found by the jury to be due. Payments had been made to plaintiff from the proceeds of defendant’s business, by defendant’s clerk Petersen, which, in the aggregate, according to defendant’s books of account, brought the account between the parties to a figure which corresponded to defendant’s contention. The payments were by note in two instances, and by cash in the remaining cases. It was claimed by plaintiff that the former payments were made on the account of Petersen individually, and that the latter were applied upon an earlier indebtedness of defendant’s, this indebtedness not

Here was certainly a question for the jury upon the issue litigated, and, moreover, the credibility of the only three witnesses called was for the jury’s determination. Petersen was somewhat discredited by the contradiction appealing between his versions of the sale of the business to defendant as given upon the trial, on the one hand, and in his sworn statement in supplementary proceedings under a certain judgment, on the other. Neither the testimony of the plaintiff nor of the defendant was conclusive, even when uncontradicted, being that of parties interested in the issue. Wennerstrom v. Kelly, 1 Misc. Rep. 173 ; 51 N. Y. St. Repr. 522 , and cases there cited. The few exceptions taken to rulings upon evidence are unavailing upon this appeal, no ground of objection having been stated. Malcolm v. Lyon, 46 N. Y. St. Repr. 921 ; Meyers v. Cohn, 4 Misc. Rep. 185 . But, upon an examination of them, we find no prejudice to appellant.

Stress is laid upon the one remaining exception in the case, which was taken to the court’s refusal to instruct the defendant to take the affirmative upon the issue. It is argued that upon the pleadings the defense of payment was the only issue

We assume, as contended by appellant, that the answer was insufficient to raise a material issue touching the allegations of the complaint (Abbott’s Tr. Br. Pleadings, §§ 585, 587), but it is inconceivable that the plaintiff was harmed because he was constrained to prove what was already admitted. The only issue litigated was that of payment, and there is nothing in the record to indicate that the plaintiff was forced to assume, or that he did assume, the burden of proof with regard to that defense. Indeed, it appears that he did not do so, and the court properly instructed the-jury that the burden of proof of payment was upon the defendant. The only effect,, therefore, of the ruling that the affirmative was with the plaintiff was to deprive the defendant of his right to begin and conclude and to bestow the advantages to be derived from the exercise of the right upon the plaintiff. The beginning and conclusion in judicial trial has been uniformly regarded as an advantage (17 Am. & Eng. Ency. of Law, 194; Onus Probandi, 603), and only the denial of the right to present ground for reversal. 1 Thomp. Trials, § 226, note 2, and cases cited. The bestowal of the advantages where the right thereto does not exist cannot, therefore, afford a valid ground of complaint. Mere error is never sufficient to warrant the interference of the appellate court. The error for which a reversal is to be directed must be one which operated prejudicially to the appellant. Tracey v. Altmyer, 46 N. Y. 598 , 604; Appleby v. Erie Co. Sav. Bank, 62 id. 12, 18; Carman v. Pults, 21 id. 547; Briant v. Trimmer, 47 id. 96.

The judgments of the General and trial terms of the court below should be affirmed, with costs.

Bookstaveb, J., concurs.

Judgment affirmed, with costs.