Case Name: Wesley Morrison v. J. J. Hodges
Court: Supreme Court of Texas
Jurisdiction: Texas
Decision Date: 1860-10
Citations: 25 Supp. Tex. 176
Docket Number: 
Parties: Wesley Morrison v. J. J. Hodges.
Judges: 
Reporter: Texas Reports
Volume: 25 Supp.
Pages: 176–177

Head Matter:
Wesley Morrison v. J. J. Hodges.
The affix of guardian or administrator to the plaintiff’s name is mere personal description, and inconsistencies in such description in the record are immaterial, because the whole may be stricken out as surplusage.
Error from Gonzales. The case was tried before Hon. Fielding Jones, one of the district judges.
Hodges, who was the guardian of the minor children of Virginia and Calpurnia Jones, heirs of A. Jones, deceased, sued Wesley Morrison, James G. Wilson, and Asa C. Hill. •
The citation described “Hodges, administrator” of A. Jones, deceased. The judgment was by default, and was in favor of “Hodges, administrator, as aforesaid.” The error-bond is payable to “Hodges, administrator.”
The petition for a writ of error speaks of the assignment of errors filed, but none appears in the record.
Parker $ Miller, for plaintiff in error.
—The judgment is in favor of J. J. Hodges, administrator. It does not conform to the pleadings. (Whitehead v. Herron, 15 Tex., 128; Sayles’ Prac., §586; Rowan v. Lee, 3 J. J. Marsh., 97.) The petition in error follows the judgment, and the citation in error served on J. J. Hodges describes defendant in error as guardian for Virginia and Calpurnia Jones.
Mr. Harwood,, for defendant in error,
suggested delay, which opened the whole case.

Opinion:
Bell, J.
—The plaintiff describes himself, in the petition, as the guardian of the minor children, Virginia and Calpurnia Jones. The note sued on describes him as the "guardian of the minor children of A. Jones, deceased." He is also described as guardian in the citation. But the judgment is rendered in Ms favor, naming Mm as J. J. Hodges, administrator, as aforesaid." -He had nowhere before been called administrator, excejpt in the statement of the cause preliminary to the entry of judgment. He is called " administrator " in the bond for error and in the citation in error.
Although all this exhibits great negligenc'e in maMng up the record in the different stages of the cause, we do not think it is error, for wMch the judgment can be reversed. The words "guardian," &c., and "administrator," may be treated, wherever they occur, as mere surplusage, or as merely descriptive of the person named.
"We will decline, however, to award damages, because of the suing out of the writ of error. The judgment is
Apeirmed.