John Tompkins and Adam Murray were partners in a trading firm known as Tompkins and Murray. They brought suit against Leonard Wheeler et al., alleging that the defendants had breached their contract with the complainants by failing to pay for goods they had purchased from them. The Supreme Court of Pennsylvania ruled in favor of the defendants, finding that there was no evidence to support the claim made by John Tompkins and Adam Murray. The complainants appealed this ruling to the United States Supreme Court, arguing that there was sufficient evidence presented at trial which should have been considered when making its decision. After reviewing all of the facts, including testimony from witnesses on both sides, as well as other relevant documents submitted into evidence during trial proceedings,the U.S Supreme Court reversed Pennsylvania's ruling and found in favor of John Tompkins and Adam Murray; awarding them damages for breach of contract due to Leonard Wheeler et al.'s failure to pay for goods purchased from them

In the dissenting opinion of John Tompkins, surviving partner of John Tompkins and Adam Murray v. Leonard Wheeler et al., Justice McLean argued that the Court should have found in favor of the complainants. He believed that they had a valid claim to ownership over certain property located in Ohio which was sold by their firm without their knowledge or consent. The majority opinion held that since no deed was executed for this sale, it could not be enforced under state law and thus did not confer any legal title upon them. However, Justice McLean disagreed with this conclusion as he felt there were sufficient facts presented to establish an equitable right on behalf of the complainants even if a formal deed had never been issued. Furthermore, he noted that although some time had passed between when the sale occurred and when it came before court, such delay should not bar relief from being granted given all other circumstances surrounding case at hand