Watkins v. Ellis

On June 2, 1897, Ellis brought suit against Watkins in a justice’s court, on an account. The summons was returnable to a term of the court to be held on the 19th day of June. On June 12 the defendant filed a plea, in which he denied that he was indebted to the plaintiff on the account sued on. At the term of the court to which the summons was returnable the case was called in its order for trial, and the defendant not appearing, the plaintiff testified in his own behalf to facts which would make out his case, and thereupon the justice rendered judgment against the defendant for the amount…