Case Name: Nancy Marble, Appellant, v. Frank B. Towman, Respondent
Court: New York Supreme Court, Appellate Division
Jurisdiction: New York
Decision Date: 1896-05
Citations: 5 A.D. 613
Docket Number: 
Parties: Nancy Marble, Appellant, v. Frank B. Towman, Respondent.
Judges: 
Reporter: Appellate Division Reports
Volume: 5
Pages: 613–614

Head Matter:
Nancy Marble, Appellant, v. Frank B. Towman, Respondent.
Justice’s Court — technical defects in its judgments not regarded. — legal evidence defined— Code of Cieil Procedure, § 8063.
Upon an appeal by the plaintiff from a judgment entered upon a decision of a County Court, reversing a judgment for the plaintiff rendered by a justice of the peace, the defendant insisted upon technical defects in the replevin papers to which he had objected before joining issue, and that the reception in evidence of a verified copy of a bill of sale upon the trial of the action was improper. It appeared that upon the return day of the summons the defendant appeared and answered the complaint, hut that he did not appear upon the adjourned clay when the plaintiff proved her case.
Held, as the statute required the appellate court to render judgment according to the justice of the ease, without regard to technical errors or defects which did not affect the. merits, the plaintiff was entitled to retain her judgment;
That while the. plaintiff, upon the defendant’s default, must prove her case by legal evidence, this rule must bo taken to mean merely that evidence must be given which tends to establish the truth of the facts alleged in the complaint;
That such evidence need not necessarily be primary evidence because secondary evidence was evidence, and, in the absence of objection duly made, was admissible.
Appeal by the plaintiff, Nancy Marble, from a judgment of the (Bounty Court of 'Montgomery county in favor of the defendant, entered in the office of the clerk of the county of Montgomery on the 8th day of -Tune, 1895, upon the decision of the court reversing the judgment rendered by a justice of the peace, in an action to recover possession of certain chattels.
Frank L. Anderson, for the appellant.
Frank B. Towman, respondent, in person.

Opinion:
Per Curiam :
The defendant apppeared upon the return of the summons and answered the complaint, but did not appear upon the adjourned day upon which the trial was held. The plaintiff proved her case, and thus established her right to the judgment appealed from. The Code of Civil Procedure, section 3063, directs that " The appellate court must render judgment according to the justice of the case, without regard to technical errors or defects which do not affect the merits." The defendant urges technical defects in the replevin papers to which he objected before joining issue, and also that a verified copy of the original hill of sale was received in evidence upon the trial. Ve can give effect to none of these objections without disregarding the rule above quoted, which, since the defendant, after appearing and answering, left the case undefended, we are the less inclined to do.
The cases which hold that, when the defendant makes default, the plaintiff must prove his case by legal evidence, mean evidence which has probative force; that is, evidence of facts tending to show the truth of the complaint, not necessarily primary evidence, because secondary evidence is evidence, and in the absence of objection is admissible. Hearsay testimony, as a general rule, is not evidence of the fact in question, hut only of what some third person said about it. So of opinions ; they do not prove the fact, hut what the witness thought it was. These examples illustrate the cases referred to. This case was established by legal evidence.
The judgment of the County Court should he reversed, with costs, and that of the justice affirmed.
All concurred.
Judgment of County Court reversed, and judgment of Justice's -Court affirmed, with costs of this appeal and of County Court.