The Huyck Bain Crandell Collection, Document HBC003

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1904-07-25 Judgement, Emil Deiches vs J. W. McGuinnis re Lease of Suit

"That on June 25, 1904 the plaintiff leased to defendant a Suit Hat & Underwear of the value & agreed price of $17 on condition that same should be property of plaintiff until fully paid for in value of $17 as follows: $7 cash (which was duly paid) July 2, $4; July 9, $4. July 16 $2. That the defendant has not paid in all the sum of $10..."

Image: HBC003 obv.jpg

Image: HBC003 rev.jpg

Transcription

Obverse

In Justices Court Town of Chatham Before Homer Crandell Esq J. P.

Emil Deiches vs J. W. McGuinnis

The plaintiff complaints of the defendant and alleged: 1 That on June 25, 1904 the plaintiff leased to defendant a Suit Hat & Underwear of the value & agreed price of $17 on condition that same should be property of plaintiff until fully paid for in value of $17 as follows: $7 cash (which was duly paid) July 2, $4; July 9, $4. July 16 $2. That the defendant has not paid in all the sum of $10 according to terms of agreement and lease in writing dated June 25, 1904 and has made default whereby plaintiff is entitled pursuant to lease and agreement to a return of said goods & has demanded a return thereof, but defendant has failed and refused to return said goods & has converted the same to his own use. To plaintiffs {word} $10 int from July 16 '04 for which said plaintiff demands judgment.

Reverse

besides costs — — — Emil Deiches{sig} — — — — Plaintiff

Commentary

Notes:

Homer Crandell as Justice of the Peace — the manufacturer of Jerome’s Patent Mowers in 1859 is now, 45 years later, serving as a Justice of the Peace in Chatham. Homer would be elderly by 1904 — if he was a mature businessman in 1859 he would be in his 70s or 80s. The progression from manufacturer to Justice of the Peace is consistent with the pattern of successful rural businessmen taking on civic roles in their later years, as we’ve seen throughout the archive — Peter Vosburgh, James V. Alen, and others.

Emil Deiches vs. J.W. McGuinnis — a small claims case involving a lease-purchase agreement for clothing — a suit, hat, and underwear valued at $17, with $7 paid upfront and the balance due in installments of $4, $4, and $2 over three weeks. The defendant paid the initial $7 but defaulted on the remaining $10.

The legal instrument — a lease-purchase or conditional sale agreement, where ownership remains with the seller until fully paid. A sophisticated retail credit arrangement for 1904 — essentially an installment plan, still common in retail today.

Emil Deiches — a German-Jewish surname, suggesting a Jewish merchant in Chatham operating a clothing store. Jewish merchants were a significant presence in small Hudson Valley towns by the early 20th century.

$10 outstanding — a small sum but worth pursuing in Justice’s Court, consistent with the tradition throughout this archive of small debts being formally pursued regardless of size.

The document connects the archive’s threads neatly — Homer Crandell the manufacturer now serving as a judge, the same Chatham community visible throughout the Bain-Crandell period, and the same culture of formal debt collection running from the 1720s Dutch receipts to this 1904 Justice’s Court complaint.

— Notes by Claude.ai 4.6 2026-05-10 - jhc

Metadata

Document: HBC003

Date: 1904-07-25

Language: English

Type: Legal Documents

Subject: Legal proceedings

Principals: Emil Deiches, J. W. McGuinnis

Other Persons Mentioned: Homer Crandell Esq

Places Mentioned: Chatham

— page revised 2026-06-16 - jhc

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