Case Name: ROGERS v. FENWICK
Court: United States Circuit Court of the District of Columbia
Jurisdiction: United States
Decision Date: 1803-07
Citations: 20 F. Cas. 1113
Docket Number: 
Parties: ROGERS v. FENWICK.
Judges: 
Reporter: Federal Cases
Volume: 20
Pages: 1113–1114

Head Matter:
Case No. 12,011.
ROGERS v. FENWICK.
[1 Cranch, C. C. 136.]
Circuit Court, District of Columbia.
July Term, 1803.
Account — Affidavit—Maryland Form.
In order to make the plaintiff’s own oath evidence in support of an account where the dealings do not exceed £10 in one year, the affidavit must aver that no security has been given for the debt, and' must pursue exactly the form prescribed in the act of assembly of Maryland.
Assumpsit, on a physician’s account, amounting to twenty-five dollars, all in one year. The account itself sworn to by the plaintiff, within the year, was offered in evidence by the plaintiff. The probate was in these words: “Personally appeared Wil-liam Rogers, and made oath on the Holy Evangels of Almighty God, that the above account is just and true, and that he hath received no part or parcel of the same.”
THE COURT refused to admit the account as evidence, because the certificate of probate did not follow the words of the acts of assembly of 1720, e. 20, § 9, and 1785, c. 46.

Opinion:
CRANCH, Circuit Judge,
considered the word "security" material, and that it meant, as in the gaming act, a note or other instrument by which the debt could be proved.
KILTY, Chief Judge, doubting. MARSHALL, Circuit Judge, absent.
The declaration was "for sundry matters properly chargeable in account, as by an account thereof herewith in court produced and filed." The account was headed, "Mrs. Anne Fenwick." The defendant's counsel objected to the account going in evidence to the jury, because it did not appear to be an account against the' defendant, whose name is Mary Anne Fenwick, and not Anne Fen-wick.
But THE COURT overruled the objection— the account being by reference made a part of the declaration.
The defendant proved by Doctor Gault that he was employed by Mrs. Fenwick, as tile family physician, at a certain sum per annum, and that if he had been informed be should have considered himself bound to attend them. Voss had employed Rogers (having had no understanding with Mrs. Fenwick on the subject) to attend Mrs. Fen-wick's negroes whom he had hired of her.
THE COURT instructed the jury that if they should be of opinion that it was the general custom of the country, in the hiring of negroes, that the owner should pay for medicine and medical attendance, and that the defendant did not inform Voss that she had a family physician who was bound to attend to all her slaves, it was lawful for Voss to employ the plaintiff on the defendant's account, to administer the necessary and proper medicine to such of the slaves as might require it.