Osborn v. . Robbins

Appeal from the Supreme Court. — The action was on a note made by the Defendants on the 13th of January, 1860, for the sum of $500, payable, with interest, to Burrill Rice and Esther Jane Rice, or bearer, one year from date. The defence was that the note was made without legal consideration, and was obtained by extortion and fraud, to procure .the liberation of the Defendant Sterling Robbins, who was under duress as a prisoner, upon a charge of felony, preferred by the payees of the note; that the charge was false; that the claim, which was made the pretext for extorting the note, had been…