Deal v. Deal

1928 OK 466, 274 P. 19, 135 Okla. 87, 1928 Okla. LEXIS 884
CourtSupreme Court of Oklahoma
DecidedJuly 17, 1928
Docket19049
StatusPublished
Cited by1 cases

This text of 1928 OK 466 (Deal v. Deal) 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
Deal v. Deal, 1928 OK 466, 274 P. 19, 135 Okla. 87, 1928 Okla. LEXIS 884 (Okla. 1928).

Opinion

DIFFENDAFíFER, C.

The plaintiff in error was defendant, and defendant in error was plaintiff below. The parties will be designated herein as in the trial court. Plaintiff sued defendant ,in the district court of Oklahoma county for divorce, custody of their minor child, Sammie, about 16 months of age, and permanent alimony in the sum of $50,000, alleging that defendant was the owner of money and property aggregating in value $175,000.

In her petition, plaintiff alleged two statutory grounds for divorce — gross neglect of duty and extreme cruelty. Defendant demurred on the ground that the petition did not -state facts sufficient to .constitute a cause of action. The demurrer was overruled and defendant answered, putting in isme both grounds relied upon. Further answering as to alimony, defendant pleaded that at the time of his marriage he was a minor; that he was a duly enrolled member of the Osage Indian Tribe, and that all of his funds and income, except rental on his land, were under the supervision and control of the Secretary of the Interior; that some time in January, 1926, plaintiff ’ had filed an action in the district court of Osage county for separate maintenance and obtained a temporary order requiring him to pay her $100 per month, which was increased after the birth of their child to $166.66 per month to plaintiff, and $30 per month for the support of the child; that he had fully complied with this order and made the payments through his guardian; and that that action was dismissed shortly before the filing of this action, and that he had in no way neglected his duty towards plaintiff.

The case was tried to the court upon these issues. The trial court entered a decree for plaintiff, granting her a divorce and the custody of the minor child, anc awarding permanent alimony in the sum of $48,000. Defendant brings the case here for review.

Defendant sets up seven aassignments of error. The first is that the court erred in overruling the demurrer to the petition. The motion for new trial contains 17 alleged causes or reasons for new trial, but the order overruling the demurrer to the petition is not included therein. It has often been held that the action of the trial court in overruling a demurrer to a petition where the defendant had pleaded further will not be reviewed upon appeal, unless it is presented to the trial court in a motion for a new trial. Commercial Investment Trust v. Ferguson, 96 Okla. 163, 220 Pac. 925; Aultman & Taylor Machinery Co. v. Fuss, 86 Okla. 168, 107 Pac. 308; Sharum v. Sharum, 121 Okla. 53, 247 Pac. 97; Shafer Oil & Refining Co. v. Thomas, 120 Okla. 253, 252 Pac. 41.

The assignment of error as to the competency of evidence is abandoned. Defendant in his brief does not point out any evidence admitted which he claims is incompetent.

All other assignments of error, except as to alimony and attorney’s fee, may be treated as one. The only question before this court is: Is the judgment and decree clearly against the weight of the evidence?

We have examined the record in the ease, and are of the opinion that the evidence as to gross neglect of duty supports the findings in favor of plaintiff. The record discloses that defendant was divorced from a former wife on June 8, 1925; that he and plaintiff were married August 5, 1925, at Independence, Kan.; six months not having expired, defendant feared to remarry in the state of Oklahoma. He, his mother and step-father, who was his guardian, and plaintiff went to Independence, Kan., where the marriage ceremony was performed. Defendant being advised that it would be unlawful for him to cohabit with plaintiff in the state of Oklahoma during the six months immediately following the divorce from his former wife, took plaintiff to Arkansas City, Kan., and rented an apartment there, intending to remain there until the expiration of the six *89 months period when he could legally return to Oklahoma with plaintiff. Some difficulty arose there, and about November defendant sent plaintiff to the home of his mother at Barnsdall, Okla., to await the expiration or the six months, when he was to return to her. Plaintiff had become pregnant and defendant' returned to Barnsdall about the last of November or first of December, 1925, and after six months from the date of his former divorce, defendant and plaintiff were legally married at Bartlesville, Okla. Shortly thereafter, plaintiff began to prepare for the coming of the child, and very naturally wanted some money to buy the things so dear to the heart of every young married woman who is preparing for the arrival of her first born. Defendant did not furnish her with the money necessary for this purpose, and she was compelled to look to others therefor, principally defendant's mother. Defendant then became indifferent and apparently eared nothing for the welfare of his wife while she was in this delicate condition. He left her with his mother and went away on long hunting trips, etc. Plaintiff was left practically without means, and at the suggestion of defendant’s mother, according to her testimony, she instituted the proceedings in Osage county for separate maintenance, resulting in the order for temporary allowance of $100 per month, which was increased to $166.66 after the birth of the child. This action displeased defendant, and thereafter he told plaintiff she had as well get the question of alimony out of her head, as he would not stand for it. Defendant then left plaintiff alone with his mother and plaintiff’s aunt, not looking after her in any way. She was almost entirely without his company, comfort, or attention during the remaining period of her pregnancy and went to the hospital alone, and there went through the ordeal of childbirth, defendant paying no attention to her until after the birth of the child, when some one called his attention to the fact that it was his duty to at least call at the hospital and see his wife and child. This he did once or twice, when some difficulty arose between defendant and plaintiff’s uncle. Defendant thereafter paid but little attention to plaintiff or the child. Plaintiff a number of times requested that he prepare a home for her, either in the house he owned at Barnsdall or on one of his farms. This he declined to do. though He did on one occasion return to plaintiff and live with her a short while. He then left her and went to the home of his aunt at Fairfax, and plaintiff learning of his whereabouts, went there and tried to induce him to return to her and prepare a home for her, which he refused to do, and he told plaintiff she had as well get a divorce, and he testified that he thought she had ample grounds therefor. These things were in substance admitted by defendant at the trial, except that he testified that he was willing and wanted to move on the farm with plaintiff, but she declined and said she would not live on a farm; and further that she told him she would not live in as small a town as ¡Barnsdall.

We think the record in this case discloses gross neglect of duty on the part of defendant. We also think the treatment of plaintiff by defendant during the period of her pregnancy and at childbirth, and thereafter, amounted to extreme cruelty. True there is no evidence of physical violence, during this period, except on one occasion while living at Arkansas City, when defendant admitted he struck or slapped plaintiff once. In Finnell v. Finnell, 113 Okla. 164, 240 Pac. 62, Mr. Justice Clark, in speaking for the eomt, in discussing what constitutes extreme cruelty, said;

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Bluebook (online)
1928 OK 466, 274 P. 19, 135 Okla. 87, 1928 Okla. LEXIS 884, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/deal-v-deal-okla-1928.