Case Name: Wilcox v. Powers Adm'r. of Poor
Court: Supreme Court of Missouri
Jurisdiction: Missouri
Decision Date: 1839-10
Citations: 6 Mo. 145
Docket Number: 
Parties: Wilcox v. Powers Adm'r. of Poor.
Judges: 
Reporter: Missouri Reports
Volume: 6
Pages: 145–147

Head Matter:
Wilcox v. Powers Adm'r. of Poor.
Appeal from the Circuit Court of Pike County.
An administrator may avail himself of an equitable defence to a á<f -mand, presented to the county court for allowance against a deceased estate.
Weds for Appellant.
First, The failure of the clock to perform is no defence at law to the note. The party would be left to his action on the warranty. One cause of action cannot be set off against another
Second, In equity the failure of the warranty could only be a defence to the note in case of the insolvency of the war-rantor or under such circumstances as that an action on the warranty would be unavailing.
Third, Admitting the equity jurisdiction of the county court, the defence is not made out.

Opinion:
Opinion of the court delivered by
Napton Judge,
Wilcox presented to the county court of Pike county, fox allowance against the estate of Emanuel Poor deceased, a note executed by said Poor, in his life time, to one William Alton for $38. On the back of the note was the endorsement: "This note is given for a clock which is warranted to be a good time piece for six months. If it should fail said Poor is to be furnished with one that will. (Signed) Alton." The execution of the note by Poor and of the warranty by Alton were admitted. A son of the deceased proved that the clock did keep good time about five months with a few occasional stoppages, at the expiration of which time the clock stopped, on account of the breaking of a chord attached to ono of the weights, and that the alarm did' not go off as well as could have been desired, for what cause witness could not say; that some time in the fall of the. same year, after the expiration of the six months during which the clock was warranted to run well, Wilcox called at his fathers house, remained all night and repaired the clock by putting in a new chord; that since that time the clock has run tolerably well, except a few occasional stoppages ; and that some time after said note became due, some one called on Ins father for payment, but his father refused, saying that Alton might sue on it. This was in substance all the evidence. The county court refused to allow the note, from which decision Wilcox appealed to the circuit court. The circuit court affirmed the opinion of the county court, and the plain tiff appeals to this court. According to the decision of this court, in the case of Davis vs. Cleveland, 4 Mo. Rep. 206, the county court committed no error allowing the defendant to -avail himseli of an equitable defence; the only question is, whether the circuit court exercised its discretion soundly in affirming the judgment of the county court, upon the facts, thereby depriving the apPe^ant benefit of a new trial, Rev. Co. § 35, p. 63-4-8. There was not sufficient proof of the failure of the warranty, for- the defendant did not show any facts from which an inference could be drawn that the clock was not a good time piece. True- it stopped when the chord attached to the weight broke, and it occasionally stopped after the chord was mended, but whether these stoppages wTere owing to the negligence or carelessness of the owner in failing to 'wind it np at suitable periods, does not appear. No deficiency in the mechanism was shown, or that it was not well adapted to the ends it promised to accomplish. There is such an entire abscence of testimony on these points as well warranted, in our estimation, a new trial. Judgment reversed and cause remanded.
An admin istrator ma y of an udetlnTt0 presented to oourt°fort3al. ^ ah?st°a f eased estate.