Murtey v. Stroup

167 Okla. 172
CourtSupreme Court of Oklahoma
DecidedDecember 5, 1933
DocketNo. 21665
StatusPublished
Cited by1 cases

This text of 167 Okla. 172 (Murtey v. Stroup) 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
Murtey v. Stroup, 167 Okla. 172 (Okla. 1933).

Opinion

RILEY, C. J.

On July 11, 1929, C. C. Worrell, while in the hospital in Edmonton, Canada, executed what purported to- be his last will and testament, designating therein his sister, EVa Worrell Murtey, as executrix, and wherein he bequeathed one John Ingle, Sr., an “automobile represented by his promissory note in my favor for $1,073.” The will also directed the executrix to pay to said John A. Ingle, Sr., “whatever money he needs for his support the rest of his life," same to be paid out of the estate. The will then provided “all the rest and residue both real and personal whatsoever and wheresoever situated, I give to my said sister Eva Worrell Murtey."

Worrell died in said hospital on July 14, 1929. At the time of his death he was a resident of Stephens county, Okla., and left property both real and personal. Part of the real estate is located in Stephens county, Okla., and part in the Province of Alberta, Canada. He left no widow or children. I-Iis surviving heirs at law were Eva Worrell Murtey and Josie Stroup, sisters ; Edgar Golden, Harry Golden, and Ray Golden, nephews; Eva Golden Redmon, a niece; Charlie Hulfish and Frank Hulfish. nephews; and Murtle Hulfish Parmenter, niece.

'On July 27, 19291, Eva Worrell Murtev filed said will with her petition for probate thereof in the county court of Stephen-; county, Okla. Thereafter defendants in error, the other heirs at law of deceased, filed a contest on the probate of said will, alleging, in substance, that the purported wil! was not executed and attested as required by law and that at the date of the will decedent was not possessed of sufficient mental capacity to make a will, in that he was so debilitated by old age and long continued [173]*173serious illness as to render liim unable to appreciate the value of his property, the nature of his acts, or to recognize the natural objects of his bounty. Thereafter the protest was supplemented by allegations of undue influence, menace, and duress.

Issues being joined, the hearing was had before the county court, resulting in an order denying probate of the will. An appeal was perfected. A hearing de novo was had in the district court a jury was impaneled, and at the close of the evidence the court submitted to the jury the single question as follows:

“Gentlemen of the jury, you are instructed that there is only one question submitted for your decision in this case, and that is: Did the testator, O. O. Worrell, have testamentary capacity at the time he executed the instrument in evidence, purporting to be his last will and testament?”

The jury rendered a verdict as follows:

“Interrogatory No. 1.
“Q. At the time the said O. C. Worrell executed said will, did he have testamentary capacity? A. No.”

Thereupon proponent moved the court for judgment admitting the will to probate upon the evidence, notwithstanding the finding of the jury on the question submitted. This motion was overruled, and judgment was entered denying the will to probate, and proponent appeals.

Both parties moved for judgment in their favor at the close of the evidence and before the question was submitted to the jury. There are many assignments of alleged error, but as a whole the question raised is that the evidence is insufficient io support the judgment, and that said judgment is against the clear weight of the evidence. The question was submitted to the jury under instructions fair to proponent. No objections were made or exceptions saved as to the instruction given.

The jury found, as above stated, that the testator did not possess testamentary capacity. While the verdict of a jury in such cases is not binding upon the court and is regarded in this jurisdiction as advisory only, where such verdict is approved and adopted by the trial court, as in the instant case, the findings of the jury are of some assistance. A judgment rendered in approval of and in accordance with such a verdict will not be set aside upon appeal, unless it is clearly against the weight of the evidence.

The evidence upon the question of testamentary capacity is voluminous, and in some respects sharply conflicting. The record contains some 400 pages, and it is impracticable to set out the evidence in detail.

The mental capacity of decedent on the afternoon of July 11, 1929, from about 2:30 p. im. to 4 p. m., is the material question. The salient facts are that on or about June 26,1929, deceased was admitted to the Royal Alexander Hospital at Edmonton, Ganada. At that time he was 72 years of age, and had an advanced case of diabetes. He was also suffering from a large carbuncle on his neck. The evidence shows that diabetes is a disease which tends to and often does produce or cause a condition of coma and that insulin is a drug or medicine often used in such cases to prevent coma or to arouse the patient' from such condition.

There is evidence tending to show that shortly after Worrell entered the hospital, he, with the assistance of an attorney, transacted business apparently in the usual way. This was in connection with certain securities he had and the transfer of money from a bank in Duncan to a Bank at Edmonton, Ganada. About July 6th, he talked with his attorney-relative to a lease of his land in Canada.

It was stipulated that the statute law of the Province of Alberla, Ganada, requires every hospital to keep a complete case record of each patient admitted and that such record was kept in the instant case. The record or chart was introduced in evidence and purports to show in a brief way the condition of the patient from time to time and the treatment given from the 'date he entered the hospital on June 26th until he died on July 14th. The record shows that the making of a will was suggested to deceased by his physician some six or eight days, or more, after decedent entered the hospital. The question was also discussed between decedent and the attorney who after-wards drafted the will, but the record does not disclose as between the attorney and decedent who first mentioned the question of making a will. The attorney who prepared (he will, and who signed decedent’s name thereto, after a rather unsuccessful attempt by decedent to sign his own name, testified that Mr. Worrell was perfectly rational and of sound understanding on each of the several occasions on which he conferred with him, viz., on July 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 6th, and 8th, and also on July 10th, when he drew a lease for him. That on the afternoon of July 11th. in response to a message from Mr. Worrell, the attorney went to the. hospital for the [174]*174purpose of preparing the will, and after arriving at the hospital and preparing the will .as directed by Mr. Worrell, he testified,' decedent was perfectly sound and rational. He ■testified that he went out in the hallway .and requested the head nurse and a nurse in training to come in and witness the signing- of the will. Miss Birch, the head nurse, testified, in substance, that she went into the room after the will had been written at the request of Mr. Logan, the attorney; that she saw Mr. Worrell attempt to sign it, but that Mr. Worrell signed only a part of his name. That the pen ran off the paper, and Mr. Logan asked Mr. Worrell if he, Worrell, wanted him to sign his, Worrell’s, name to the will, and that Mr. Worrell assented, and that thereupon Mr. Logan signed the name of Mr. Worrell to the will; that the attorney then asked Mr.

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Bluebook (online)
167 Okla. 172, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/murtey-v-stroup-okla-1933.