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3 F.(2d) 867

made an order referring the cause to a master, to hear and determine the same and report to the court his findings of fact, and conclusions of law, with recommendations thereon; that order providing for a reference to the master of the testimony already stenographically taken in the case, and for the master hearing such additional evidence as may be material, relevant, and pertinent to the cause. Thereafter, pursuant to a request of Judge Wilson, the hearings in the case were before Judge Atwell. Judge Atwell overruled a motion made by the appellee to set aside the above-mentioned order of reference made by Judge Wilson. The master made a report stating his conclusions of fact and of law, and recommendations thereon. Upon hearing by the court of appellant's exceptions to the master's report, some of those exceptions were sustained, and the remainder thereof were overruled. Thereupon the court rendered its decree, which adjudged that the appellee have and recover of and from appellant $19,000, with interest thereon at 6 per cent. per annum from November 2, 1918, and costs of court. The appellant appealed from that decree, and the appellee sued out a cross-appeal.

[1-3] Some contentions made in behalf of appellant, and grounds on which those contentions are adversely disposed of, are indicated by the following statement: As the averments of the bill showed voidable transfers of assets of the bankrupt within four months before the filing of the petition in bankruptcy, the court of bankruptcy had jurisdiction of the suit by the trustee in bankruptcy for the recovery of such assets. Bankruptcy Act, §§ 60b, 67e and 70e, as amended (Comp. St. §§ 9644, 9651, 9654). As the legal title to the bankrupt's assets in question stood in the name of the appellant, averments of the bill showing that he held those assets in trust for the bankrupt, with the result that the bankrupt's asserted right was an equitable one, a bill in equity for the enforcement of that asserted right was maintainable. Even if Judge Wilson's right to act in the case was effected by the filing of the affidavit of bias and prejudice after the trial of the case was commenced by him (Judicial Code, § 21 [Comp. St. § 988]), the action of Judge Atwell in overruling the motion to set aside the order of reference made by Judge Wilson amounted to a ratification of such order by Judge Atwell.

[4-6] Equity rule 59 does not deprive a court of the power in such a case as the instant one to make such an order of refer

ence to a master as the one which was brought into question. There was ground for the conclusion that the case was an exceptional one, involving matters of account, the investigation of books and accounts with reference to apparently complicated transactions. In such a situation it is within the discretion of the court to refer the case to a master, to hear the evidence and report his findings and conclusions; the court retaining the power to review such findings and conclusions. Holt Mfg. Co. v. Best Gas Traction Co. (D. C.) 245 F. 354. The appellee's right to institute and prosecute this suit was not affected by the pendency and prosecution of another suit brought by the appellee against the appellant (Walker v. Wilkinson [C. C. A.] 296 F. 850), the latter suit not involving the alleged transfers of alleged concealed assets of the bankrupt which were brought into question by this suit. Reversible error was not committed by permitting a witness for the appellee, who testified as to admissions made by the appellant, when examined as a witness in another proceeding, to refresh his memory by reading a stenographic report of that testimony made by another person; the witness stating that he had an independent recollection of the testimony as it was given and stenographically reported. Breese v. United States, 106 F. 680, 45 C. C. A. 535.

Findings by the master, which were approved by the court, included the following:

"The Walker Grain Company, since 1908, has transacted all its banking business through the American National Bank of Fort Worth, Tex., as has J. L. Walker; an account being carried there in the name of Walker Grain Company, and one in the name of J. L. Walker. All drafts drawn by persons selling grain to the Walker Grain Company were paid through said bank, and all grain sold with draft attached was collected through said bank, and the credits and debits shown by the bank account of Walker Grain Company represents the amount of said drafts, and as illustrative of the immensity of its business, its credits by virtue of drafts drawn by it on purchasers of grain from it, as shown by said account, amounted to $13,365,000 during the year 1917, and the debits for that year were something less, and said account likewise reflects a very large business during preceding years, especially the years. 1915 and 1916, and the first part of the year 1918, the business having increased each year.

"The amounts for which drafts were drawn by the Walker Grain Company on purchasers of grain from it were immediately placed to its credit in said American National Bank, and it would usually take from three to five days for the bank to collect said drafts, and during the busy season the bank was daily paying drafts for grain purchased by the Walker Grain Company, and frequently it would pay drafts amounting to $100,000 or $200,000 or $300,000 in one day, when the Walker Grain Company had no actual money in the bank, but only credit for the drafts drawn on purchasers for grain sold; the grain purchased by it being nearly always diverted in the same car to the purchaser. Hence, from the inception of the account with said bank, in 1908, before it would agree to pay drafts coming in or to give credit for the drafts going out, it required J. L. Walker to personally guarantee it against any overdrafts or other indebtedness of the Walker Grain Company to it, and required him to subject his personal account, in which he testified the bank required him to keep 'so much money,' to the payment of any such overdrafts or other indebtedness, and said bank was permitted to daily transfer moneys from said J. L. Walker account to the account of the Walker Grain Company to cover such overdrafts, and when sufficient outgoing drafts were collected to cover the overdrafts, the moneys were transferred back to the account of J. L. Walker, and going back as far as the year 1915, and up to February 23, 1917, the books of said bank show that it did almost daily transfer from the said J. L. Walker account to the account of the Walker Grain Company large sums of money to cover its overdrafts. This agreement between the bank and J. L. Walker was reduced to writing in 1915 or 1916.

"On February 23, 1917, a change in form, but not in substance, was made in the agreement between J. L. Walker and the American National Bank with respect to the manner of taking care of the overdrafts referred to in the preceding paragraph, and for that purpose a new account was created in said bank in the name of J. L. Walker, Trustee, and the first deposit in said account was made on February 23, 1917, amounting to $60,000, and on April 20, 1917, another deposit was made in said account amounting to $60,000, making an aggregate of $120,000 in said trustee account, and the same never did exceed that amount. The first deposit of $60,000 was transferred

from the personal account of J. L. Walker upon his order or direction, by the bank, to said trustee account; $51,500 of the second deposit of $60,000 was checked out of the Walker Grain Company account by check dated April 20, 1917, and payable to J. L. Walker, which check was executed by the 'Walker Grain Company by J. L Walker, President,' for the purpose of having it deposited to the credit of said trustee account, and which was accordingly done, and the balance of said $60,000, amounting to $8,500, consisted of a number of checks which J. L. Walker testified were executed to him by Union Grain Company and deposited in said trustee account by said J. L. Walker. Under the agreement between J. L. Walker and the bank, J. L. Walker could not draw checks against the trustee account without the permission of the bank, and it was given absolute control of said funds, in so far as the paying of any overdrafts or other indebtedness of the corporation to it was concerned."

Other findings were to the following effect: In June, 1917, $75,000 of the amount to the credit of the trustee account was invested in Liberty bonds, which were delivered to the bank to be held in the trustee account. The cash to the credit of the trustee account was paid out on checks given by the appellant within four months before the filing of the bankruptcy petition. The Liberty bonds held in that account were delivered to him on November 2, 1918, after the bankruptcy adjudication.

It is disclosed by the opinion rendered that the amount of the recovery awarded by the decree appealed from was the result of the conclusions that the above-mentioned $51,500 was property belonging to the bankrupt, but that appellant was not liable for the whole of that amount, because $32,500 of the amount in the trustee account was used in paying overdrafts in the bankrupt's account in said bank; the principal amount awarded by the decree, $19,000, being the difference between $51,500 and $32,500.

In behalf of the appellant it was contended that the above-mentioned check for $51,500 was received by him in payment of notes of the bankrupt to him, evidencing debts owing to him by the bankrupt. Both the master and the court found against that contention. The evidence relied on to support that contention was not such as to warrant this court in setting aside the justmentioned conclusions successively reached by the master and the court. Evidence ad

3 F.(2d) 867

duced well supported the conclusion that $51,500 belonging to the bankrupt went into the trustee account, and that to that extent the bankrupt continued to be the beneficial owner of the funds held by the bank in that account.

The appellee and cross-appellant does not contend that he was entitled to any recovery based on the allegations and proofs as to investments in real estate of moneys received from the bankrupt by the appellant and cross-appellee. He does contend that all of the $120,000 which went into the trustee account should be treated as property of the bankrupt's estate, and subject to be applied to the payment of its debts, though a substantial part of the money which went into that account was held by the appellant in his own name and right prior to the creation of any debt which the bankrupt still owes. The ground of that contention is that funds of the appellant which went into that account really became part of the bankrupt corporation's capital, because those funds were contributed to meet the obligations of the bankrupt's business, and were intended to be subject to the risks of that business.

[7] Without denying that that contention should prevail, if the ground relied on to support it existed in fact, we are of opinion that it cannot properly prevail, because the evidence adduced did not prove that the money of the appellant which went into the trustee account was intended by him to be used as capital of the bankrupt, or to be subject generally to the risks of the bankrupt's business. Before and after that money went into the trustee account, the appellant, by written contract with the bank, was personally obligated to guarantee "any overdraft or other obligations, liability, or indebtedness" to the bank "which may at any time be created or exist" against the bankrupt. That obligation was incurred in favor of the bank alone, and the bank alone became entitled to the benefit of the additional security afforded by the trustee account deposit. One who furnishes security for specified liabilities of another does not by so doing make what he puts up as security the property of the debtor, or subject to all of the latter's liabilities. This is true, though the furnisher of security is a stockholder of a corporation which has some of its liabilities so secured. What is so put up as security does not become an asset of the corporation, and subject to be applied to the satisfaction of its liabilities generally. By guaranteeing and securing

the bankrupt's liabilities to the bank, the appellant did not make his property so furnished as security subject to be applied on the bankrupt's liabilities to other parties.

[8] As above indicated, $32,500 of the amount in the trustee account was used, within four months before the filing of the bankruptcy petition, to discharge liabilities of the bankrupt to the bank for which the appellant was a guarantor or surety. Even if it can properly be inferred that the $32,500 came, not from that part of the fund in the trustee account which belonged to the appellant, but from the part of that fund which resulted from the deposit therein of $51,500 of the bankrupt's money, the stated use of the $32,500 was at a time and under such circumstances as to give rise to a voidable preference, whereby the appellant was benefited, with the result of entitling the appellee to recover from the appellant the amount so paid. The appellant, the president of the bankrupt and the surety or guarantor of its liabilities to the bank, with knowledge of its insolvency, within four months prior to the filing of the bankruptcy petition, brought about the payment of the $32,500 on liabilities of the bankrupt to the bank, whereby he was benefited in the amount of such payment; he at that time having reasonable cause to believe that such payment would effect a preference. A result was that a preference arose, the amount of which was recoverable from the appellant by the appellee, the trustee of bankrupt's estate. Bankruptcy Act, § 60 (Comp. St. § 9644); Newport Bank v. Herkimer Bank, 225 U. S. 178, 32 S. Ct. 633, 56 L. Ed. 1042; Paper v. Stern, 198 F. 642, 117 C. C. A. 346; Cohen v. Goldman, 250 F. 599, 162 C. C. A. 615; Watchmaker v. Barnes, 259 F. 783, 170 C. C. A. 583; Collier on Bankruptcy (11th Ed.) 899. An effect of the decree rendered was to enable the appellant to retain the benefit of a preference, which was voidable at the instance of the appellee.

We conclude that the appellant received the benefit of all of the $51,500 beneficially owned by the bankrupt which went into the trustee account, and that this occurred under such circumstances as to make him liable to the appellee for the whole of that sum, with interest thereon. The appellant takes nothing by his appeal. On the crossappeal of the trustee of the bankrupt's estate, the decree appealed from is modified, by making the amount awarded to the plaintiff in the suit the sum of $51,500, with interest thereon at the rate of 6 per cent. per

cart den.

annum from the 2d day of November, 1918,
together with all court costs. As so modi-
fied, the decree is affirmed; the costs of
the appeal and of the cross-appeal to be
taxed against the appellant, the defendant
in the court below.

Modified and affirmed.

268 IN 201 69 LED.

//Into WALKER GRAIN CO. WILKINSON
upct. 636
Ct.636.

v. WALKER (two cases). WALKER v.
WILKINSON.

(Circuit Court of Appeals, Fifth Circuit.
January 24, 1925.)

Nos. 4346, 4406, 4407.

1. Appeal and error 1204-Duty of District
Court to give effect to mandate of Circuit
Court of Appeals, affirming order of District
Court.

It is duty of District Court to give effect
to mandate of Circuit Court of Appeals, affirm-
ing prior order of District Court requiring
president and principal stockholder of bank-
rupt corporation to pay to trustee money ap-
propriated by him as salary during period inter-
vening filing of petition in bankruptcy and ad-
judication.

2. Courts 284-Action on bond taken pend-
ing hearing in District Court held to arise un-
der laws of United States.

On referee's appointment of receiver in
bankruptcy, pursuant to power conferred by
Bankruptcy Act, § 2(3), being Comp. St. §
9586, and General Orders and Forms in Bank-
ruptcy, No. 37, taking of bond conditioned on
bankrupt's delivery to receiver of property of
bankrupt coming into his possession pending
hearing by District Court was impliedly au-
thorized, so that suit thereon was one arising
under laws of United States.

3. Bankruptcy 100(1) Adjudication in
bankruptcy dates back to date of filing of pe-
tition.

7. Bankruptcy 113-Order for delivery of all assets of bankrupt to receiver held suffcient to render nondelivery a breach of bond.

Where, on referee's appointment of receiver, bond was given conditioned on bankrupt's delivery to receiver of assets of bankrupt which might come into his possession pending hearing in District Court, and District Court affirmed order and authorized receiver to take possession of all assets, though another District Judge subsequently allowed a deduction, there was a sufficient order requiring delivery of "all" assets, and nondelivery was breach of the bond.

8. Bankruptcy 113-Trustee may proceed by plenary suit on bond, notwithstanding another proceeding by summary order, to obtain payment of same amount.

That trustee in bankruptcy's undertaking to enforce by summary order delivery of assets to him by president and principal stockholder of bankrupt corporation does not preclude him from proceeding as well by plenary suit on bond conditioned for such delivery.

9. Bankruptcy 113-Introduction in evidence of copy of bond sued on is unnecessary, in absence of denial of execution.

In action on bond conditioned on delivery of all assets of bankrupt to receiver or trustee in bankruptcy, where execution of bond is not denied, it is unnecessary, under Rev. St. Tex. art. 1906, to introduce copy of bond in evidence. 10. Bankruptcy 113-In action on bond conditioned on delivery of assets, deduction of salaries and expenses held error.

Where, on referee's appointment of receiver of alleged bankrupt corporation, bond was given conditioned on bankrupt's delivery to receiver of assets coming into his possession pending hearing in District Court, held, in action on such bond, it was error to permit deduction of salary of bankrupt's president and expenses.

Petition to Superintend and Revise and in Error and Cross-Error to the District Court of the United States for the Northern Dis

Adjudication in bankruptcy dates back to trict of Texas; William H. Atwell, Judge. date of filing of petition.

4. Bankruptcy 113-Trustee in bankruptcy
is real beneficiary, and may sue on bond pay-
able to United States for benefit of petition-
ing creditors.

Trustee in bankruptcy, as successor of re-
ceiver, is real beneficiary of bond conditioned
on bankrupt's delivery of assets which might
come into his possession pending hearing in
District Court, and may sue on such bond,
though payable to United States for benefit of
petitioning creditors.
5. Bonds

sue thereon.

122-Real beneficiary of bond may

In the matter of the bankruptcy of the Walker Grain Company. On petition of W. W. Wilkinson, trustee, to superintend and revise an order of the District Court refusing to enforce summary order requiring J. L. Walker to pay over certain moneys, and also suit by W. W. Wilkinson, trustee, against J. L. Walker as surety on bond, wherein defendant brings writ of error to review judgment for plaintiff, and plaintiff brings cross-writ of error. Petition to superintend and revise granted, with directions,

In Texas, real beneficiary of bond may sue and judgment in second suit reversed on cross-writ of error, with directions.

thereon.

6. Bankruptcy 113-Form of remedy on
bond given receiver in bankruptcy is governed
by lex fori.

Form of remedy on bond given receiver in
bankruptcy is governed by lex fori.

See, also, 292 F. 395; 294 F. 939, 951; 295 F. 123; 296 F. 850; 3 F.(2d) 867.

Stanley Boykin and H. C. Ray, both of Fort Worth, Tex. (Geo. M. Conner and

3 F.(2d) 872

Capps, Cantey, Hanger & Short, all of Fort Worth, Tex., on the brief), for petitioner, defendant in error, and plaintiff in error on cross-writ of error.

J. A. Templeton, of Fort Worth, Tex., W. E. Spell, of Waco, Tex., Clay Cooke, of Fort Worth, Tex., and G. A. Stultz, of Wichita, Kan., for respondent, plaintiff in error, and defendant in error on cross-writ of error.

Before WALKER and BRYAN, Circuit Judges, and DAWKINS, District Judge.

BRYAN, Circuit Judge. These suits arise out of bankruptcy proceedings instituted against the Walker Grain Company.

No. 4346 is a petition to superintend and revise an order of the District Court refusing to enforce a summary order theretofore issued by it, which required the respondent, J. L. Walker, to pay over to the trustee of the bankrupt the sum of $5,290, which he had collected from the bankrupt and appropriated to his own use as salary during the period intervening the filing of the petition in bankruptcy and the adjudication.

No. 4406 is a plenary suit by the trustee against J. L. Walker as surety on a bond, dated October 7, 1918, for $25,000, payable to the United States for the benefit of petitioning creditors, and conditioned to deliver to W. W. Wilkinson, receiver, all the property, funds, and effects of which the bankrupt was at that time possessed, or which might come into its possession at any time pending hearing by the District Court. The referee on October 7, 1918, entered an order appointing Wilkinson receiver, and authorizing him to take immediate possession of the assets of the bankrupt, and this order was on November 26, 1918, in all things confirmed by the District Judge. However, the bankrupt remained in possession of its property, by reason of the giving of the bond above mentioned and another bond on appeal to this court, until November 22, 1919, when the Walker Grain Company was adjudicated a bankrupt, after which the receiver, Wilkinson, was appointed trustee in bankruptcy.

The petition in the suit on the bond (No. 4406) alleged that, pending the hearing before the District Court on November 26, 1918, the bankrupt became possessed of money and property of the value of $37,000, which it had never delivered to the receiver or any officer of the bankrupt court. The petition prayed judgment for the full amount of the bond. Walker in his answer denied the averments of the petition and

demanded strict proof, and pleaded further
that whatever amounts of money the bank-
rupt failed to pay over to the receiver or
the trustee had been properly paid out to
carry on its business, and that none of the
funds received by it had been wrongfully
converted, used, or appropriated. At the
close of the evidence each of the parties
moved for a directed verdict in his favor;
the trustee for the full amount of the bond,
and the defendant Walker that the trustee -
take nothing by his suit. Thereupon the
court found that the bankrupt had collected
$25,812.99 from the assets of the bankrupt
estate, which it had failed to pay over to
the receiver or the trustee. From this
amount the court deducted $14,065.52, of
which $5,290 was allowed as salary to the
defendant Walker, and the balance as rea-
sonable and necessary expenses for the hire
of clerks and employees, and for the preser-
vation of the bankrupt estate.

[1] In Walker v. Wilkinson, 295 F. 123, this court affirmed the order of the District Court requiring Walker to pay to the trustee in bankruptcy the sum of money involved in the petition to superintend and revise. Upon the record as presented to us in this case, it is not claimed that Walker is unable to comply with that order. It therefore was the duty of the District Judge to give effect to the mandate of this court. Illinois v. Ill. Central Railroad Co., 184 U. S. 77, 22 S. Ct. 300, 46 L. Ed. 440; Farmers' & Mechanics' National Bank v. Wilkinson, Trustee, 45 S. Ct. 144, 69 L. Ed. —, decided by the Supreme Court January 5, 1925.

In No. 4406 the contentions are: (1) That the court was without jurisdiction, because there was no diversity of citizenship, and no law of the United States requiring or authorizing the taking or giving of the bond sued on; (2) that, inasmuch as the bond was made payable to the United States for the benefit of petitioning creditors, suit could not be brought thereon by the trustee, who is neither the payee nor beneficiary therein named; (3) that the condition of the bond required the delivery of the assets of the bankrupt estate only upon an order to that effect being made by the district court, whereas the court, instead of requiring all of such assets to be delivered to the trustee, allowed a part thereof to be applied to salaries and expenses, and further that the trustee was undertaking to enforce by a summary order the payment to him of the sum so withheld; and (4) that the court admitted in evidence a copy of the bond and did not require the original to be produced.

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