Leslie v. McMurtry

• Decision Date: 23 February 1895
• Citation: 30 S.W. 33,60 Ark. 301
• Parties: LESLIE v. MCMURTRY
• Court: Arkansas Supreme Court

30 S.W. 33

60 Ark. 301

LESLIE v. MCMURTRY

Supreme Court of Arkansas

February 23, 1895

Appeal from Chicot Circuit Court, CARROLL D. WOOD, Judge.

STATEMENT BY THE COURT.

Richard J. Hunt, a resident of Chicot county, died in 1888, leaving an estate consisting of land and personal property. Subsequently, the appellee, Kate H. McMurtry, presented to the probate court of said county a certain instrument in writing purporting to be the last will and testament of said Hunt, and asked that the same be probated as such. The following is a copy of said will: " Ky. April 4, 1884. I make this my last will. I give and bequeath to my full sister Kate H. McMurtry all property I may own at my death. R. J HUNT. Witness, T. J. Baldwin, Allen Parks."

Upon a trial before the probate court, it found that said instrument was not the will of said Hunt, and dismissed the petition. On an appeal to the circuit court, the case was tried de novo before the court sitting as a jury. After hearing the evidence, the circuit court found that said writing was the last will and testament of Richard J. Hunt, that it was in his handwriting and duly and properly executed; and ordered that the same be admitted to probate.

A motion for new trial was made and overruled, and the case brought here by appeal.

Judgment affirmed.

D. H Reynolds for appellants.

1. All the circumstances show the will to be a forgery.

2. The court erred in refusing to permit contestants to show that Hunt had, in 1885, after the date of the pretended will, not made a will, but that he intended to do so; and in not permitting contestants to prove by Ford that Hunt, in 1885 and after, told him how he intended to dispose of his property. Under sec. 7421, Sand. & H. Dig., this court is not bound by the rule that the judgment below can only be reversed when there is a total want of evidence.

John C Connerly for appellee.

1. The verdict of a jury, or the finding of a judge, where the evidence is conflicting, is conclusive on appeal. 46 Ark. 524; Ib. 141; 51 id. 467; 47 id. 196; 45 id. 41.

2. Declarations of a testator, after a will is made, to the effect that he has not made such a will are not admissible, i Redfield on Wills, p. 556-7, ch. 10, sec. 39; 45 Ark. 478; top page; 48 Ark. 178.

OPINION

RIDDICK, J., (after stating the facts.)

There is only one question of law that is presented here for our determination. The appellants claim that the circuit court erred in refusing to allow them to prove the declarations of Hunt made about a year after the date of the instrument claimed to be his will, and to the effect that he had made no will. They contend that this was competent evidence tending to support their contention that the will in question had been forged. The weight of authority on this point seems to be decidedly against this contention. Judge Redfield states the rule thus: "The conduct and declarations of the testator, both before and after he executed the will, are competent evidence to show his capacity, at the time the will was executed, when the issue is upon the sanity of the testator; but, after the will is made, such conduct and declarations manifesting ignorance of the existence of the will are not competent to show that the testator had never made the will in question." 1 Redfield on Wills, 557559;...