Case Name: HOWE et al. v. SCHWEINBURG
Court: New York City Court
Jurisdiction: New York
Decision Date: 1892-12-22
Citations: 21 N.Y.S. 469
Docket Number: 
Parties: HOWE et al. v. SCHWEINBURG.
Judges: 
Reporter: West's New York Supplement
Volume: 21
Pages: 469–470

Head Matter:
HOWE et al. v. SCHWEINBURG.
(City Court of New York, General Term.
December 22, 1892.)
Trial—Direction oe Verdict—Uncontradicted Witness. In an action by lawyers for services, where the issue is as to the contract under which the services were rendered,plaintiffs’ clerk is not so interested in the result as will render necessary the submission to the jury of his evidence as to the contract, where he is unimpeached and uncontradicted by other witnesses or by circumstances, and his evidence is natural and probable, and the direction of a verdict, on his evidence,' in plaintiffs’ favor, is proper. Fitzsimons, J., dissenting.
Appeal from trial term.
Action by William F. Howe and Abraham H. Hummel against Isabella Schweinburg, as administratrix, etc., of Philip Schweinburg, deceased, for service. At a trial a verdict was directed in plaintiffs’ favor, and defendant appeals.’ Affirmed.
Argued before EHRLICH, C. J., and FITZSIMONS and NEW-BURGER, JJ.
Abram Kling, for appellant.
David Leventritt, for respondents.

Opinion:
EHRLICH, C. J.
The plaintiffs declared upon and proved a special contract, by which the intestate, prior to his death, agreed to pay the plaintiffs a specified sqm of money, as a fee, if they succeeded in accomplishing, certain results, which they ultimately brought about, after the expenditure of time and labor. The plaintiffs received part of the fee, and the trial judge directed a verdict in favor of the plaintiffs for the balance. The evidence of Moss, the plaintiffs' clerk, as to the contract relied upon, is full, positive, clear, and uncontradicted, and the witness stood unimpeached. Within the rule, therefore, that where an unimpeached witness gives testimony uncontradicted either by other witnesses or circumstances, and, moreover, natural, plausible, and probable, such testimony is conclusive, must be accepted by the court, and need not be submitted to the jury. Kelly v. Burroughs, 102 N. Y. 93, 6 N. E. Rep. 109; Lomer v. Meeker, 25 N. Y. 361; Plyer v. Insurance Co., 121 N. Y. 692, 24 N. E. Rep. 929. There is no "merit in the exceptions, and no error requiring a new trial. It follows that the judgment must be affirmed, with costs.
NEWBURGER, J., concurs.