Seeman v. Philadelphia Warehouse Co.

Respondent brought suit in the district court for Southern New York to recover for the conversion of a quantity of canned salmon pledged to it as security for a loan. The pledgor, who had fraudulently regained possession, sold the salmon to petitioners. The defense set up was that the transaction between respondent and the pledgor was usurious and therefore void under the law of New York, where the pledgor conducted its business and where petitioners contend , the pledge agreement was made.

The trial court charged the jury that the New York law was applicable. The jury returned a verdict for…