Huntley v. Huntley

by John Marshall Harlan

United States Supreme Court

114 U.S. 394

Huntley  v.  Huntley

For several years prior to June 27, 1874, the appellee, Charles C. Huntley, was engaged on numerous routes in the west and north-west in the business of transporting the mails of the United States and passengers. On some of those routes S. S. Huntley was interested with him, while on others he was his general manager and agent, with unrestricted authority to conduct the business as in his judgment was best for his principal. Among the companies in which C. C. Huntley had an interest were the Northwest Stage Company-engaged in transporting mails and passengers on routes in the state of Oregon and in the territories of Utah, Idaho, and Washington-and the Oregon & California Stage Company, which was engaged in like business on the route from Oroville, California, to Portland, Oregon. In the former company, Bradley Barlow and James W. Parker each had an undivided interest of one-third, while C. C. Huntley and Adam E. Smith had each an undivided interest of one-sixth; in the latter, Barlow, C. C. Huntley, Harker, and one Sanderson had each an undivided interest of one-fourth. On the twenty-seventh day of June, 1874, Parker, by bill of sale, transferred to C. C. Huntley his interest in the property and assets of both those companies. The consideration paid was $75,000, for which the vendee executed his several promissory notes to Barlow, who indorsed them to Parker. On the twenty-second day of December, 1874, the following instrument of writing was executed by the parties thereto:

'Know all men by these presents that whereas, Bardley Barlow, is the owner of one-half of the stock, property, and effects of what was known as the Northwest Stage Company, and S. S. and C. C. Huntley are the owners of one-third of said property, and Adam E. Smith is the owner of one-sixth of said property, and each of the said parties share respectively in the above proportions in all the mail routes lately operated by said company, and are to share in the future on all those routes in the above proportions in the ownership, profits, losses, and expenses appertaining thereto or incident to the obtaining said mail routes, and it is agreed between us that the said Barlow shall have full power and authority to collect the pay on said routes during the present contract term for the benefit of said parties herein named in the proportions to each party hereinbefore stated, and that full powers of attorney in all cases shall be made and delivered to the said Barlow to collect all mail pay on all routes now owned or hereinafter acquired by the aforesaid parties, or either of them, in the territory embraced by the service of the late Northwest Stage Company.

'In witness whereof, we have hereunto set our hands and seals, this twenty-second day of December, A. D. 1874.

'BRADLEY BARLOW. [Seal.]

'C. C. HUNTLEY. [Seal.]

'S. S. HUNTLEY. [Seal.]

'ADAM E. SMITH. [Seal.]

'In the presence of-

'J. L. SANDERSON.'

Shortly after the execution of that paper, C. C. Huntley, for $30,000, sold to Barlow one-half of the interest in the Northwest Stage Company which the former had purchased from Parker.

The present suit was instituted by S. S. Huntley on the fourteenth day of December, 1878, against C. C. Huntley, Barlow, and Smith. The bill alleges, among other things, that plaintiff and defendants were the owners of the stock, pr perty, and effects of the Northwest Stage Company, and that their respective interests are distinctly set forth and agreed upon in the before-mentioned writing of December 22, 1874; that Barlow had purchased Smith's interest, and, under the authority given him, had collected all the mail pay earned by the company for its contract term ending June 30, 1878, but had not made a final settlement, in respect of such collections, with those interested with him; that he had, also, sold the property of the company for $75,000, but had not fully accounted therefor; that C. C. Huntley denied that plaintiff had any interest in that property or in its proceeds, and, unless restrained, would collect and appropriate to his own use all the proceeds and profits arising from the one-third interest which originally stood in the name of C. C. and S. S. Huntley, one-half of which, that is, one-sixth of the entire property, belonged to plaintiff. The prayer of the bill was for an ascertainment of the amount in Barlow's hands, in respect of the said one-sixth interest, and that plaintiff have a decree for such sums as may be justly due him.

C. C. Huntley, in his answer, denies that plaintiff ever acquired any interest in the purchase from Parker, or that the paper of December 22, 1874, of the signing of which he had no recollection, was intended to be anything more than a declaration or admission of the parties that Barlow was authorized to receive the money that might become due to the company from time to time. He says: 'I did not in said paper writing intend to admit, nor have I ever admitted, nor do I now admit, but, on the contrary, deny, that the said plaintiff was, or is, or was to be, an equal owner with me in the said one-third interest in said Northwest Stage Company, its property, profits, assets, etc., except in the event of the repayment to me of the said sum of $45,000, so expended in the purchase of said shares as aforesaid, with interest thereon; and, although no agreement to that effect was ever entered into, I have always been, and am now, willing that the said plaintiff shall have all the profit that has been made or derived in respect of one-sixth interest in said Northwest Stage Company, and said one-fourth interest in said Oregon & California Stage Company, since the first day of July, 1874, provided there be first repaid to me the said cost price of said purchase, to-wit, the said sum of $45,000, with interest from June 27, 1874.'

By the decree of the court below, in special term, it was adjudged that plaintiff recover of the defendant Barlow one-sixth of the property and money in his hands of the Northwest Stage Company, and the latter was enjoined from paying to C. C. Huntley any part thereof. The cause was referred to an auditor to ascertain the amount of plaintiff's interest, and to state all proper and necessary accounts. Upon appeal to the general term that decree was reversed, with costs.

Wm. F. Mattingly and Enoch Totten, for appellant.

J. H. Ashton, Nathl. Wilson, and W. D. Davidge, for appellees.

Mr. Justice HARLAN, after stating the the foregoing language, delivered the opinion of the court:

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