Reynolds v. Reynolds

• Decision Date: 05 March 1923
• Docket Number: No. 22855.,22855.
• Citation: 249 S.W. 407,297 Mo. 447
• Parties: REYNOLDS v. REYNOLDS.
• Court: Missouri Supreme Court

249 S.W. 407

297 Mo. 447

REYNOLDS v. REYNOLDS.

No. 22855.

Supreme Court of Missouri, Division No. 1.

March 5, 1923.

Appeal from Cape Girardeau Court of Common Pleas; John A. Snider, Judge.

Action by Marguerite M. Reynolds against James G. Reynolds. Judgment for plaintiff, and defendant appeals. Affirmed.

D. W. Karraker and Spradling & Burrough, of Cape Girardeau, for appellant. Oliver & Oliver, of Cape Girardeau, for respondent.

JAMES T. BLAIR, J.

On respondent's petition for divorce and alimony the trial court dissolved the marriage, and gave judgment went for $20,783.76 alimony in gross, and this appeal followed.

The marriage occurred in 1907, and the parties lived together until October 1, 1919. The petition charges, in great detail, cruelty endangering respondent's life, indignities, and adultery on the part of the husband in 1913 and 1919. The answer admits the truth of the charge of adultery in 1913 and the contracting of "a loathsome disease" from that connection, but pleads condonation of that offense, denies the other charge of adultery, and avers that appellant treated respondent with kindness and affection.

It is unnecessary to go into detail with respect to the evidence concerning the charges of indignities and cruelty. That evidence fills much of the record, and centers about the charge of excessive sexual relations enforced by mental duress. With respect to this it is enough to say that the evidence was sharply conflicting. D. B. testified that in 1919 she was employed at the Reynolds home, and appellant on several occasions seized her and had intercourse with her. Her testimony was unequivocal, and was not shaken on cross-examination. At a time near the last of these instances respondent's mother, a visitor in the household, chanced to see appellant as he held the girl and was endeavoring to induce her to submit to him. This provoked inquiries by respondent which resulted in exposure of the illicit relations. The deposition of this witness, who was of foreign descent, somewhat ignorant and unfamiliar with English and court proceedings, had been taken previously, by appellant. On her direct examination by appellant's counsel on that occasion she testified frankly as to her relations with appellant. Counsel then cross-examined his witness, and secured the answer upon which he relies to impeach her. The answer chiefly relied upon is one made to a bifurcated question. She had already testified in detail to her relations with appellant, and had further testified that when, on inquiry, she had told respondent of them, respondent had said "this would be the last time she would live with him, and got ready and packed her things;" that respondent asked whether witness would "help her out" when she "had to go to court;" wanted her as a witness; and the girl said she told respondent she would testify. Counsel asked her:

"Now, then, isn't it true, L____, that Jim Reynolds never had anything to do with you, but Mrs. Reynolds and Mrs. Machen got you to say that? Isn't that true now? A. Yes, sir. Q. Mrs. Machen and Mrs. Reynolds got you to say that? A. Yes, sir. Q. And it is not true, is it? A. What Mr. Reynolds did to me? Yes, sir."

On cross-examination witness explained that by saying Mrs. Reynolds and Mrs. Mach-en told her to say this, or that she did not mean they told her to tell anything except the truth, but always insisted she tell nothing else. On the trial the witness said she did not intend to give any testimony in her deposition different from her testimony on the trial. She denied she had done so, She had had-but one year in school where English was taught. Appellant denied her charges. Respondent separated from appellant October 1, 1919, the day L. B. told her of appellant's conduct. The evidence shows respondent to be a woman of high character. This is not questioned. She performed her duties as a housewife at all times, and frequently accompanied appellant upon his trips to his Illinois farms, where his duties of supervision required his presence for considerable periods. On these occasions respondent did the housekeeping, as in their Cape Girardeau home. She wrote his letters and aided him in other ways. Appellant makes no real complaint of his wife. He is a man of considerable wealth, which will be more particularly stated and considered in connection with the question raised concerning the allowance of alimony.

I. It was incumbent upon respondent to make out her case by a preponderance of the testimony. The trial court has found that she did so. While this court is not absolutely bound by that finding, yet this is a case of conflict of testimony of such a character that considerable deference is due the trial court. Cherry v. Cherry, 258 Mo. loc. cit. 403, 404, 167 S. W. 539; Hoecker v. Hoecker (Mo. Sup.) 222 S. W. loc. cit. 389. This is true with respect to all the issues of fact in the case. The witness L. B. was before the court and so was appellant. There is no suggestion in the evidence that her testimony was inspired by any motive save the obligation of her oath as a witness. She was not of bad reputation. There is no evidence she had relations with others, and her testimony clearly shows that appellant's attentions were unwelcome, and were resisted. If appellant is right, this girl went upon the stand and, without any motive shown or of which the evidence creates a suspicion, deliberately swore her own reputation away. The rule respecting corroboration of the evidence of a paramour is not clearly applicable to the facts of the case, is not a hard and fast rule (Delaney v. Delaney, 69 N. J. Eq. loc. cit. 603, 61 Atl. 266), and is now weakened by the fact that it had its origin in considerable part from the fact, which no longer exists, that the parties were not competent to testify. In the circumstances, it cannot be held that the trial court was wrong in his finding.

II. Complaint is made that testimony was admitted in violation of the, rule protecting confidential communications.

(a) The rulings attacked in the brief were with respect to respondent's testimony concerning appellant's enforcement of his alleged inordinate sexual desires. Respondent was asked as to his character in this respect, and replied that he was "of an intense nature," and his expectations of sexual gratification were of daily occurrence, and sometimes more frequent, when they were together. Counsel for appellant then asked whether any one was present when "this inordinate desire was communicated to" respondent, and, when informed that no one was, objected that these "conversations, acts, and desires" were privileged communications. Cases stating the general rule (McPheeters v. McPheeters, 207 Mo. App. 634, 227 S. W. loc. cit. 873; Revercomb v. Revercomb [Mo. App.] 222 S. W. loc. cit. 905) are cited. There is in the questions and answers objected to in the brief nothing in the way of conversation unless the word "demands" necessarily implies conversation in such a connection. The argument of counsel implies that it does. If so, there never could be proof of cruelty resulting from inordinate sexual demands if the rule is as appellant contends. This has been held not to be the law (Maget v. Maget, 85 Mo. App. loc. cit. II.), even if appellant were right in assuming that the testimony In question necessarily involved a conversation between the parties. He is not correct in that assumption.

(b) It is argued it was error to admit evidence of sexual excesses in the absence of a showing that appellant had knowledge they were injurious to respondent's health. Maget v. Maget, 85 Mo. App. loc. cit. 13. The evidence of the excesses, if any, was competent, and the question whether the appellant had knowledge of their effect was one of inference from all the facts in evidence.

III. That part of the judgment, relating to alimony, to which he objects, appellant sets out as follows:

"And it is further ordered, adjudged, and decreed by the court that the defendant pay to the plaintiff by way of alimony in gross and in lieu of her inchoate dower in the defendant's real and personal property and estate the sum of $20,789.76, and that she be hereafter barred from setting up or claiming dower or other rights in the lands and personal property of said defendant."

Appellant insists that the court had no power under the law and the pleadings to render judgment attempting "to adjudicate and settle all questions of property rights." The cases cited are Ecton v. Tomlinson, 278 Mo. 282, 212 S. W. 865; Davison v. Davison, 207 Mo. 702, 106 S. W. 1; Fisher v. Fisher (Mo. App.) 207 S. W. 261; Aylor v. Aylor (Mo. Sup.) 186 S. W. 1068; Hasselbach v. Kleissle (Mo. App.) 224 S. W. 75. In Davison v. Davison dower and homestead had been assigned the widow, and the clerk included in the judgment a recitation that "the same is vested in the said Florence M. Davison during her natural life or widowhood." The court held this was wholly ineffectual since the statute fixed the duration of the interest and left the court no power with respect to that. What the widow took as to quantity of property she took by virtue of the assignment; and what she took as to the duration of the tenancy she took by virtue of the statute. The property assigned by the court became hers for the statutory period by...