Case Name: Woods v. Courter et al.
Court: Philadelphia County Court of Common Pleas
Jurisdiction: Pennsylvania
Decision Date: 1785-09
Citations: 1 Dall. 141
Docket Number: 
Parties: Woods v. Courter et al.
Judges: 
Reporter: United States Reports
Volume: 1
Pages: 146–146

Head Matter:
SEPTEMBER TERM, 1785.
Woods v. Courter et al.
Evidence. — Ship’s register.
Lewis, for the plaintiff. Sergeant, for the defendant.

Opinion:
The register of a ship, or, in other words, an affidavit made by one of the defendants (who, however, was not in court, the return, with respect to him, being nonest inventus), stating that the ship belonged jointly to him and other- persons, being copied from the books of the naval officer, and certified under his seal of office, was allowed, after argument, to be read in evidence against the defendants.
And Shippen, President, mentioned the case of the protest of a master of a vessel, which had been allowed to be evidence in his favor. (See Nixon v. Long, ante, p. 6.)
The defendant's counsel took a bill of exceptions to the opinion of the court, which, however, was never prosecuted, as the plaintiff eventually suffered a nonsuit.