Case Name: Eliza Wilson v. Michael Colman and Owens Lyons
Court: United States District Court for the District of Columbia
Jurisdiction: United States
Decision Date: 1807-06
Citations: 1 Cranch 408
Docket Number: 
Parties: Eliza Wilson v. Michael Colman and Owens Lyons.
Judges: (Duckett, J., absent,)
Reporter: Reports of cases argued and determined in the Supreme Court of the District of Columbia (District of Columbia - reported by Mackey)
Volume: 1
Pages: 408–408

Head Matter:
Eliza Wilson v. Michael Colman and Owens Lyons.
To prove a partnership, parol evidence cannot be given of the contents of printed cards, bearing their joint names, nor are the cards themselves evidence unless traced to the defendant. Nor can general reputation of partnership be given in evidence.
Indebitatus assumpsit for board, lodging, and washing, of Coleman & Lyons, and Richardson their apprentice. The witness spoke of printed cards which he had seen bearing their joint names.
Mr. Jones, for the defendant,
Lyons, objected to evidence respecting the cards, unless they were produced and traced up to the defendant.
Mr. John Hewitt, for the plaintiff,
asked the witness whether the defendants were not generally reputed partners.
Mr. Jones objected, and the Court decided the question to be improper.

Opinion:
The Court
(Duckett, J., absent,)
said they must produce the cards ; they could not give parol evidence of their contents.