Mahony

This action was one brought by plaintiff, an attorney and counselor at law, to recover the sum of $650, alleged to be the reasonable value of certain legal services rendered by him to defendant. Judgment went in his favor for the sum of $250. Motion for a new trial was made and denied, and defendant appeals.

It is claimed that the evidence is insufficient as a matter of law to warrant the finding of the trial court that plaintiff rendered and performed for and on behalf of the defendant professional services of the value for which judgment was given.

The facts leading up to the controversy may be briefly stated as follows: Defendant had purchased through a brokerage firm known as Andrews & Co., of which one H. B. Blackstone was manager, certain shares of stock in a corporation. Defendant was induced to make the purchase by Blackstone upon representations that the stock was a safe and profitable investment. Blackstone was instructed to purchase fifty shares of the stock at the market price. The stock was not listed but was dealt in as a curb stock on the New York Curb Exchange. Defendant was ignorant of its value, and he relied entirely on the statements of Blackstone with…