The defendant Battle had the responsibility to hire out a group of slaves belonging to some infant children, acting as their next friend. The auctioneer stated that he accepted bids for a woman and the plaintiff Ricks's was the highest, but subsequently Battle refused to accept Ricks's notes for the hire on the grounds, she stated, that he was a man who was notoriously cruel to slaves and who was unfit to hire them. She claimed to have told him and other people this many times before. The court directed the jury that regardless of any previous claims Battle might have made with respect to Ricks's fitness to hire slaves, if the auctioneer had accepted Ricks's bid as the highest without having received specific instructions from Battle that he should not accept bids from Ricks, then the hire was sound and Ricks was entitled to damages. The jury found for Ricks and Battle appealed. Judgment affirmed by the Supreme Court.
