Fitzgerald v. Ayres

179 S.W. 289, 1915 Tex. App. LEXIS 926
CourtCourt of Appeals of Texas
DecidedJune 19, 1915
DocketNo. 7350.
StatusPublished
Cited by4 cases

This text of 179 S.W. 289 (Fitzgerald v. Ayres) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Appeals of Texas primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Fitzgerald v. Ayres, 179 S.W. 289, 1915 Tex. App. LEXIS 926 (Tex. Ct. App. 1915).

Opinion

TALBOT, J.

This suit was-instituted in the district court of Dallas county, Tex., by the plaintiffs in error, W. H. Fitzgerald and others,' hereinafter called plaintiffs, as the next of kin and sole heirs of Willis A. Skinner and Sallie E. Skinner, deceased, against the defendants in error, R. C. Ayres and L. R. Terry, executors of the estates, respectively, of the said Willis A. Skinner and Sallie E. Skinner, Carnagie Frank Skinner, a minor, and Charles F. Clint, guardian ad- litem of said minor, hereinafter called defendants, to recover all the real and personal property belonging to the estates of said deceased persons, which property is fully described in the petition. There is no controversy over the pleadings, and it is unnecessary to set them out. The material facts are as follows : Some of the plaintiffs are the next of kin and sole heirs of the said Willis A. Skinner, and the others are the next of kin and sole heirs of Sallie E. Skinner, and Willis A. Skinner and Sallie E. Skinner were husband and wife. On the 21st day of August, 1911, the said Willis A. Skinner and his said wife died in a snowstorm while ascending, on foot, Pike’s Peak, in the state of Colorado, and they were buried in the city of Dallas, Tex., at the same time, on the succeeding Sunday. They had resided in the said city of Dallas a number of years, and had acquired and owned at the time of their death property of the estimated value of $60,000, the larger part, if not all, of which *290 was situated in said city. The dead bodies of Mr. and Mrs. Skinner were found about a half mile from the summit of Pike’s Peak. They were lying almost side by side, and there was snow on the ground. The body of Mr. Skinner was lying on its back, almost touching that of his wife, with one arm in a folded position across his chest and the other arm and hand lying partly across his body. He had on a light alpaca coat, and the sleeves of both his coat and shirt were pushed back from his wrist. The body of Mrs. Skinner was lying face downward, with her arms under her face. There is testimony to the effect that Mr. Skinner appeared to be about 60 years of age, and a light, frail man; that Mrs. Skinner was rather robust and the stronger and heavier of the two. There were no tracks in the snow where the bodies were found. Mr. and Mrs. Skinner were seen about 12 o’clock, or a few minutes after, at a place called Mountain View, on the cog railroad leading to the top of the mountain. They remained at this point about 20 minutes, and were there informed that “a storm was coming over the mountain” and advised to take the train. Mrs. Skinner then remarked: “We are from Texas, and I will show you that we will walk it.” She was then offered coats and wraps for herself and husband, but she declined them, saying that they did not need them. Mr. and Mrs. Skinner were again seen making the ascent of the mountain about 3 o’clock in the afternoon. At this time they were about 2 or 2% miles from the summit of the mountain, and the wind was blowing hard, and it was quite cold. They were here told that it was “a bad day to be walking to the Peak,” and Mrs. Skinner replied: “It is bad, but it does not seem to be getting any worse.” It does not appear that they were again seen until.they were found dead as above related. Neither Mr. Skinner nor Mrs. Skinner ever had any children, but some years before their death a child, who took the name of Carnagie Prank Skinner, and who is one of the defendants in error in this suit, was given by his mother to them, and they had raised and cared for him since his infancy. At the time of their death this boy was about 13 years old. On the 28th day of July, 1904, Willis A. Skinner and Sallie E. Skinner made their wills, and on the 2d day of August, 1904, made codicils to their respective wills. These wills and codicils were made at the same time, attested by the same witnesses, and provided for the same executors. Both the wills and codicils were properly executed, were duly probated in the county court of Dallas county, and the executors named therein qualified thereunder. Charles P. Clint was duly appointed guardian at litem of the said Carnagie Prank Skinner. The clauses of the will and codicil of Willis A. Skinner are as follows:

“I, Willis A. Skinner, of the county of Dallas, state of Texas, being of sound mind, do make and publish this my last will and testament, hereby revoking all former wills at any time made by me:
“ítem One. Should my beloved wife, Sallie E. Skinner, survive me, I give and bequeath to her all of my estate, real, personal and mixed, wheresoever situated.
“Ttem Two. In the event my said wife dies before I do, then and in that event I give, devise and bequeath to Carnagie Prank Skinner, the adopted son of myself and my said wife, all of my estate, both real, personal and mixed, and wheresoever situated.
“The boy, Carnagie Prank Skinner, has not been formally adopted by us, but his mother by an instrument in writing, gave him to me and my said wife, when he was an infant, and myself and wife have raised and cared for him since infancy.
“Item Three. In the event I survive both my said wife, Sallie E. Skinner, and my said adopted son, Carnagie Prank Skinner, then and in that event I give, devise and bequeath to Buckner’s Orphans’ Home and the Julia Fowler’s Orphans’ Home, both situated in Dallas county, Texas, all my estate, real, personal and mixed, and wheresoever situated, to be divided between said orphan homes, share and share alike.
“Item Pour. Should my said wife, not be living at the date of my death, I give and bequeath to Mrs. Jennie Loughery, of the county of Dallas, the sum of $200.00, which my executors will at once pay to her without interest.
“Item Five. I hereby nominate and appoint Leroy R. Terry and R. C. Ayres, both of the city of Dallas, the executors of this, my last will and testament, and I direct that my said executors be not required to give bond, and that no action of. any kind be had in any of the courts of this state in reference to my estate, except the probate of this will, and the return of the inventory and appraisement of my estate.
“Item Six. I hereby give to my executors, or the survivor of them the absolute power to sell and dispose of any part of my estate, except such lot or lots as are situated on Main street in the city of Dallas, and to use the interest, rents and revenues arising or growing out of my estate, for the support, education and maintenance of my adopted son, Carnagie Prank Skinner. And for this purpose my said executors shall retain possession and control of my estate until the said Carnagie Prank Skinner reaches the age of twenty-one years.
“Item Seven. It is my wish that the said Carnagie Prank Skinner be given a liberal education; my preference being the public schools of Dallas. The amount to be expended in sup-1 ort, education and maintenance of my said adopted son I leave to the discretion of my executors, admonishing them that labor is honorable, and that many boys have been ruined by extravagant allowances of money.
“Item Eight. Should the contingency happen upon which my estate vests in Buckner’s Orphan Home, and the Julia Fowler Orphan Home, as above provided, it is my wish that my executors surrender the estate to said orphan homos immediately upon the probate of this will.
“Item Nine.

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
179 S.W. 289, 1915 Tex. App. LEXIS 926, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/fitzgerald-v-ayres-texapp-1915.