Case Name: First National Bank v. Cornell et al.
Court: Supreme Court of Ohio
Jurisdiction: Ohio
Decision Date: 1884-01
Citations: 41 Ohio St. 401
Docket Number: 
Parties: First National Bank v. Cornell et al.
Judges: 
Reporter: Ohio State Reports, New Service
Volume: 41
Pages: 401–402

Head Matter:
First National Bank v. Cornell et al.
Error to the District Court of Greene County.
Little Shearer, for plaintiff in error.
8E. H. Munger and J. A. McMahon, for defendants in error.

Opinion:
By the Court.
After objection made by the bank, the trial court allowed the plaintiffs to testify to an oral con tract for a deposit, and interest thereon, made by them at the bank, in business hours, with the defendant's cashier, who died before the trial.
Held: Sections 5241 and 5242, Rev. Stats., enumerate as the classes of persons whose death shall affect the competency of others as witnesses, parties, assignors, executors, administrators, guardians, trustees, heirs, devisees, legatees, partners and joint contractors. All these are principals. The omission of agents, a class whose members equal, if they do not exceed, all the others combined, was evidently intentional. To so construe the last clause of paragraph 8, sec. 5242, as to add agents to said enumerated classes, would be judicial legislation. Cochran v. Almack, 39 Ohio St., 314, and Steinberger v. Hanna, 42 Id., 305, approved and followed.
Judgment affirmed.