Littlehead v. Clinton

60 P.2d 612, 177 Okla. 438
CourtSupreme Court of Oklahoma
DecidedJune 30, 1936
DocketNo. 25569.
StatusPublished

This text of 60 P.2d 612 (Littlehead v. Clinton) 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
Littlehead v. Clinton, 60 P.2d 612, 177 Okla. 438 (Okla. 1936).

Opinion

CORN, J.

This action was commenced in the district court of Okmulgee county by Acie Littlehead, as plaintiff, against Wilson Clinton, as defendant, the purpose of which was to recover damages for breach of promise of marriage. The parties will be referred to herein as plaintiff and defendant in the order of their appearance in the trial court.

Such portions of the plaintiff’s petition as we deem necessary to give a clear understanding of the material facts upon which the aelion is predicated are as follows:

“That the defendant is a wealthy, full-blood Indian, 40 years of age, enrolled as Creek No. 3425', on Census Card No. 1057, of the Creek Tribal Rolls of the Creek Nation of Indian Territory; that the said defendant has had the advantages of travel and is experienced; cunning, and is endowed with the acumen and sagacity of the average man of age, and with opportunities of learning afforded by wealth and travel. That he is a resident of Creek county, Okla.
*439 “That tills plaintiff is a full-blood Indian girl, with a third grade, common school education; that she can speak little English, and can barely write her name. That she was born on the 5th day of May, 1913, and reared on her father’s, Whiteman Littlehead’s farm, said Whiteman Littlehead being a full-blood, illiterate Indian, living about eight miles southwest of the post office of Slick, in Creek county, Okla., which is in a rural community, inhabited for most part by full-blood Indians, freedmen allottees, and occasional, transient oil field workers. That said Aeie Littlehead, plaintiff herein, never prior to meeting this defendant, as hereinafter complained of, received the attentions of any other man than the defendant, as hereinafter related; and was reared amid meager surroundings and unused to luxuries or use of money. That for years preceding the events hereinafter eomp'ained of, the plaintiff knew the defendant, Wilson Clinton, who at one time lived adjacent to her father’s farm, and was told by her parents and members of her family that the defendant was a man of wealth and prominence.
“Plaintiff avers and further complains that on or about the 15th day of November, 1930, this plaintiff was in Bristow, Okla., a city within Creek county, Okla., about- ten miles from her father’s home, on an errand of family business, when by chance she met the said defendant, Wilson Clinton, who-came to her and told her that he always liked her, and that he was coining out to see her the next day, as he had separated from his wife and got a divorce from his said ivife, and professed- great interest, friendship, kindness, and regard toward this plaintiff. That this plaintiff returned home, from Bristow, immediately, on that day, after her said interview with said Wilson Clinton. That a short time after she arrived at her home, on said day, said Wilson Clinton came to her father’s home, during the absence of her father and mother, while no one was at home, except plaintiff’s unmarried sister. That said defendant then, and there told this plaintiff that he intended to marry her, and she would be his wife within six months, and remained at her home, talking to this- plaintiff, from early in the afternoon, talking and planning their marriage, until six p. m., when he went away.
“Thereafter, and within a few days, the date of which is unknown to plaintiff, but to wit, about the 18th day of November, 1930, lie returned and told her more about the trouble he had had with his wife, who he said had left him and to whom he intended to never return, nor to permit his said wife to return to him, the said defendant, but again ardently renewed his professions of ..interest, friendship, and love, and intentions ■ to marry this plaintiff. That he told this plaintiff that he was rich and that her father was poor, but that as her father had two farms, that he, the said defendant, would buy the home place and fix it up fine, and buy this plaintiff a car and fine clothes, rings and other jewelry, and did in fact buy her some fine clothes, consisting of drosses and handkerchiefs, all of silk, and did carry out his said professions to the extent of buying paint and entirely repainting her said father’s house, and bought some new furniture to be used therein, consisting of table and chairs and other conveniences, and made other plans for his fu'ure residence and home with this plaintiff, and arranged to purchase a portion of her father’s property and other land nearby, upon which to build a new house in which to live with this plaintiff, after their said marriage.
“H'1 also induced plaintiff’s parents to permit him to live in their dwelling house, and this plaintiff, being an illiterate Indian, un'earned in the ways of the world, and believing that marriage consisted as was formerly the custom in the Creek Tribe, that is. according to the tribal rites of marriage, and that the same constituted lawful marriage, by man and woman living together, and believing that defendant was eligible to marriage, and having been invited into their home, as a son of her said paren's, and said defendant did move in to live with the family, was permitted to and did occupy a room and cohabit with this plaintiff as husband and wife; that this plaintiff believed at said time that she was in fact the lawful wife of said Clinton, and that the act of living together and cohabiting constituted the marriage rite. That said Wilson Clinton lived in the family, and with this plaintiff, pretending to be the husband of this plaintiff until the month of February, 1931.
“Plaintiff avers that in fact the said defendant did, on the 14th day of November, 1930, file a petition for divorce, in the district court of Creek county, Okla., against his said wife, Cubáh Clinton, the same being numbered and docketed as 516 D in said court; and he falsely told this plaintiff that he had been divorced, prior to his said courtship to her, which was believed and relied upon by this p'aintiff, but that said statement was false in this, to wit: That a cross-petition had been .filed, and no divorce had in fact been granted, but that this plaintiff was falsely informed and was kept under false- impression and false apprehension about the same, at all times, by the defendant. That she plighted her love to and faith in the said Wilson Clinton, and was honest and- true to him.
“That she accompanied defendant to Muskogee, in February, 1931, and lived with him at a hotel, after which during the month of February, 1931, the said defend *440 ant deserted her, at Muskogee, whence they had gone, by ruse and trick, which she describes, as fol'ows: That there was a false arrest, arranged for the said Wilson Clinton, by persons unknown to this plaintiff, but the same was arranged at the connivance of the said Wilson Clinton and other persons unknown to her, for the purpose of aiding the said Wilson Clinton in his designs to desert and betray the plaintiff, and the said Wilson Clinton was taken to Hot Springs, Ark., or accompanied such other persons to Hot Springs, Ark., the means and method employed for so doing being unknown to plaintiff. That while defendant was at Hot Springs, Ark., on February 27, 1931, he renewed his love and friendship and affection for this plaintiff, in a letter addressed to her * * * (Letters copied into record.)

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Bluebook (online)
60 P.2d 612, 177 Okla. 438, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/littlehead-v-clinton-okla-1936.