Baldridge v. Caulk

1924 OK 893, 237 P. 453, 110 Okla. 185, 1924 Okla. LEXIS 786
CourtSupreme Court of Oklahoma
DecidedOctober 14, 1924
Docket14951
StatusPublished
Cited by10 cases

This text of 1924 OK 893 (Baldridge v. Caulk) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Supreme Court of Oklahoma primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Baldridge v. Caulk, 1924 OK 893, 237 P. 453, 110 Okla. 185, 1924 Okla. LEXIS 786 (Okla. 1924).

Opinion

Opinion by

LYONS, 0.

Claude C. Clingan, an enrolled Cherokee citizen of five-sixteenths blood, died in the year 190S, entitled to an allotment. Selection was made on his behalf, and allotment was made on January 13, 1905. As the case appears here, he was the son of a father and mother both of whom had Indian blood, and appeared on the approved roll of Cherokee Indian citizens by blood. The allottee left surviving him a father, a maternal grandfather, and other heirs on the maternal side, and a widow. Dower was duly assigned and set aside to the widow by the order of the United States Court for the Indian Territory sitting in probate.

It is the contention of the plaintiff in error that this allotment under the laws of descent and distribution of Arkansas, which were in force and effect in the Indian Territory at that time, was an ancestral estate and (subject ’to the dower interest) devolved equally upon the heirs of the paternal line and the heirs of the maternal line, for the reason that both the father and mother of the decedent were Indian citizens by blood. The defendant in error contends that the entire allotment is vested in the father, subject to the widow’s dower, under the decision in the case of Brady v. Sizemore, 33 Okla. 169, 124 Pac. 615, 59 L. Ed. 308. However, in the case of Palmer v. King, 75 Okla. 276, 183 Pac. 411, the foregoing decision is discussed, as is also the decision of the Supreme Court of the United States in the case of Roberts v. Underwood, 59 L. Ed. 1007, and this court, speaking through Mr. Justice Higgins, states the following:

“This court and the Supreme Court of the United States have passed upon two cases in which the facts are similar to the case at bar. Brady v. Sizemore, 33 Okla. 169, 124 Pac. 615, and 235 U. S. 441, 35 Sup. Ct. 135, 59 L. Ed. 308: Roberts v. Underwood, 38 Okla. 376. 132 Pac. 673, and 237 U. S. 386, 35 Sup. Ct. 608 59 L. Ed. 1007. The opinions of the Supreme Court of the United States are conflicting as to the rights of the paternal and maternal beirs. In the first case it is held that the paternal heirs took all, to the exclusion of the maternal heirs, and in the second case held that the paternal and maternal heirs each took an undivided one-half interest. This conflict has apparently come about for the reason that each case was presented on other issues, and not upon the issue as to the conflicting rights of these two lines of heirs. In both cases the Supreme Court of the United States, in making the findings as to the rights of these lines of heirs, followed the concession of the parties. In the first case the opinion so states, and in the second the pleadings show that the court followed that which was conceded. We are thus required to seek adjudicated cases from other courts.
“In Kelly’s Heirs v. McGuire, 15 Ark. 582, Charles Kelly emigrated to Arkansas in 1815, and married a widow, Mrs. Craig, who had two daughters by a former marriage ; that Kelly accumulated a fortune, consisting of real and personal property; that he died in 1831, leaving surviving him his wife and a son, Clinton Kelly, that-the widow died in 1836, and in 1844 Clinton Kelly died, leaving surviving him his half-sisters, all having the same mother, but different fathers, and a maternal grandfather and other paternal kindred. Clinton Kelly died possessed of lands inherited from his father. The half-sisters and paternal kindred each claimed to be the sole owners of the lands left by the deceased. The court held that section 2531 controlled, and that the paternal heirs took all the real estate to the exclusion of the half-sisters not for the reason as insisted, that section 2532 was made inapplicable, by the exigence of kindred in a nearer relation, but for the reason that the estate came by the father; the lánguage of the opinion being as follows : ‘The manifest intention of the first part of this section (referring to section 2531 supra) was to preserve ancestral estates in the line of the blood from whence they came. It was a partial adoption or recognition of common law' principle, which invariably followed in the line of the blood. * * * jn other words, it remains in the paternal or maternal line, from whence it was derived.’
“Again in Beard v. Mosely, 30 Ark. 518, Hugh Beard died, survived by his wife, and a daughter, Eleanor. The widow married Mr. Mosely. The daughter died without issue, having never married, possessed of real estate inherited from her father, and leaving her mother surviving her. The paternal and maternal heirs, the mother in *187 this instance, claimed tLe real estate left by tbe deceased daughter,' which she inherited from her father, Hugh Beard. The court held that the paternal kindred took, to the exclusion of the. mother and maternal "kindred, not for the reason, as insisted, that section 2532 was inapplicable, there being kindred in a nearer relation, but for the reason that the estate came by the father and must ascend to his heirs, the paternal kindred.
“Plaintiffs in error contended that section 2532 is a general statute, and that a literal ' construction should be given thereto, applying to all estates. In order to determine the legislative intent of section 2532, it is necessary to consider ail of chapter 49, supra. Section 2531 refers to a particular estate, one left by an intestate, which came by the father or mother, and fixes the devolution of this estate, which says it must, ascend to the line from whence it came. Section 2532 is a general statute. The rule of construction of conflicting statutes as set forth in 36 Cyc. 1130, is as, follows: ‘Where general terms or expressions in one part of a statute are inconsistent with more specific or particular provisions in another part, the particular provisions will be given effect, as clearer and more definite expressions of the legislative will.’
“The estate involved in the case at bar is ancestral. Shulthis v. McDougal, supra. The father and mother of Charlotte Winlock are both of Indian blood. Applying the reasons given in the above cases cited from the Arkansas courts, and the general rule of construction of conflicting statutes, we find that section 2531 controls in the devolution of the real estate of the case at bar, and that each line of heirs took an undivided one-half interest in the allotment of the deceased.”

In th,e case of Finley v. Thompson, 68 Okla. 250, 174 Pac. 535, Mr. Justice .Kane considered a similar question and came to the conclusion that, whilst the allotment was an ancestral estate, as is conceded, the father and mother being both of Indian blood, tbe allotment came through the blood of the. tribal p.arents — as much through the blood of one as through the other—

“It is agreed between counsel for the respective parties that the devolution of the land in controversy is governed by chapter 49, Mansfield’s Digest of the Laws of Arkansas, in force in the Indian Territory prior to statehood, and that the controlling part thereof is section 2531, which provides: ‘In cases where the intestate shall die without descendants, if the estate shall come by tbe father, then it shall ascend to the father and his heirs; if by the mother, .

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
1924 OK 893, 237 P. 453, 110 Okla. 185, 1924 Okla. LEXIS 786, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/baldridge-v-caulk-okla-1924.