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Watts v. Lynch

June 1, 1886 - Opinion

Unanimous

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Date Record Text Type Party PDF
June 1, 1886 Watts v. Lynch Current page Opinion Supreme Court Reporter

Watts v. Lynch.

Money paid upon a wager on the result of an election may be recovered back, under Gen. Laws, c. 272, ss. 12, 13.

Assumpsit, to recover 150 deposited by the plaintiff with a stakeholder, about November 1, 1884, upon a wager with the defendant as to the result of the coming presidential election. The defendant won the bet, and the stakeholder thereupon paid over the money to him. Facts agreed.

Osgood & Prescott, for the plaintiff.

Sulloway, Topliff & O'Conner, for the defendant.

Blodgett, J.

Section 12 of c. 272, Gen. Laws, makes void all bets and wagers upon any question in which the parties have no interest in the subject except that created by the wager; and s. 13 gives the loser a right of action against the winner for any money or property won and received by him upon such bet or wager. Consequently the otherwise fatal objection of particeps criminis does not avail against the plaintiff; and as the agreed facts suggest no other defence, nothing appears which precludes him from a recovery.

Judgment for the plaintiff.

Smith, J., did not sit: the others concurred.