Opinion

Brown v. Foster

  • 112 Mo. 297
  • 20 S.W. 611
  • 1892 Mo. LEXIS 218
Court
Supreme Court of Missouri
Filed
Nov 28, 1892
Status
Published
Author
Barclay
On the bench
Barclay, Bbace, Black, Sherwood
Cited by
2 cases
Authority
More cited than 75.5%

The opinion

Barclay, J.

This is a suit by the heirs at law of' Mr. Nathan F. Brown to set aside a transfer of certain real property by him, made a few weeks before his death. The transfer was to his wife by means of a. *299 deed to Mr. Foster, who in turn conveyed to Mrs. Brown. These deeds were delivered simultaneously, and may be treated, for the purposes of this casé, asoné transaction.

Mr. Foster and Mrs. Brown are the defendants.

The substance of plaintiffs’ charge is that the transfer was procured by the fraud and undue irtffuence of Mrs, Brown; that Mr. Brown, at that time, was extremely aged, and so enfeebled by disease as to be incapable of making a deed or transacting business.

These charges were denied, and, upon a hearing,, the court found for defendants.

Plaintiffs then appealed after taking formal steps-for that purpose.

Only two points are now urged.

I. The plaintiffs contend that the finding was against the weight of evidence. We have .examined the entire testimony. In it there is abundant foundation for the finding, as well as some evidence to the contrary, supporting plaintiffs’ theory. •

The burden of proof was and is upon the plaintiffs to establish by a preponderance of evidence the facts on which they rely. But we think that their testimony has not discharged them of that burden. A review of its details is unnecessary, and would be of no-practical utility as a precedent.

II. Plaintiffs’ other supposed ground for reversal is that the trial court erred in permitting Mrs. Brown tó testify. When she was called first, the court, upon plaintiffs’ objection, excluded her. Afterwards, when plaintiffs had closed their testimony in rebuttal, defendants recalled her. Upon objection then, the learned judge declared that ‘she might testify “as to these conversations she is said to have had with these parties” (referring to some alleged admissions or statements against her interest, to certain of plaintiffs’ witnesses *300 who had testified thereto). She then denied some of those statements; but, on being asked a further question, touching the circumstances of the principal transaction in issue (quoting from the record) “plain- ’ tiffs objected to the witness testifying as to anything she may have said about Mr. Brown, or having the land deeded*; which objection the court sustained.”

There are two sufficient answers to plaintiffs’ assignment of error on this branch of the case. The first, that plaintiffs took no exception to the ruling admitting Mrs. Brown as a witness; the second, that the learned trial judge was entirely right on the merits of that ruling, as Mrs. Brown'was a competent witness in regard to conversations between herself and the parties who had testified for plaintiffs. Wade v. Hardy (1882), 75 Mo. 400 .

The judgment is affirmed.

Sherwood, C. J., Black and Bbace, JJ., concur.

This is a copy of a public record, reproduced as it was published. It is not legal advice, and it may not be the version a court would rely on. Check the official source before you cite it.

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