Palmer v. Replogle

1931 OK 502, 4 P.2d 30, 152 Okla. 140, 1931 Okla. LEXIS 662
CourtSupreme Court of Oklahoma
DecidedSeptember 8, 1931
Docket20028
StatusPublished
Cited by5 cases

This text of 1931 OK 502 (Palmer v. Replogle) 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
Palmer v. Replogle, 1931 OK 502, 4 P.2d 30, 152 Okla. 140, 1931 Okla. LEXIS 662 (Okla. 1931).

Opinion

SWINDALL, J.

This action involves an undivided one-half interest in the allotted land of Ida, Seminole by Blood No. 1860, and it turns upon the identity of the father of the allottee, the plaintiff in error contending that the father was Samsoche, a Seminole who appeared as No. 630 on the 1897 roll of the Thomas Palmer band, and the defendants in error contending that the father was one Samsoche, a Seminole citizen who was arrested in 1891, and was killed by one Charley Nareomey in 1892. The trial court held that the evidence was clear, cogent, and convincing to the effect that it was the latter Samsoche who was the father of the allottee, and rendered judgment in favor of the defendants in error.

(1) In enrollment proceedings recitals in respect to parentage and other identifying circumstances are not conclusive. The principle of res adjudicata does not apply to points which come under consideration only collaterally or incidentally. L. B. Norton v. Cheparney Larney, 266 U. S. 511, 69 L. Ed. 413.

(2) The designation of the parents of an enrolled member of one of the Eive Civilized Tribes, and other identifying circumstances, may be the subject of collateral attack to show error, and they can be held to be incorrect, at least, if the evidence to that effect be clear, cogent, and convincing. Norton v. Larney, supra; Mowdy v. Leeper, 122 Okla. 16, 250 Pac. 432; Cox v. Colbert, 135 Okla. 218, 275 Pac. 317.

A reading of this record satisfies us that the trial court was manifestly right in concluding that the evidence was clear, cogent, and convincing in support of the contention of the defendants in error that the father of the allottee was the Samsoche who was arrested in 1891 and killed in 1892.

There were many conflicts in the evidence. That would be natural in attempts to testify to matters occurring in the last decade of the preceding century, and especially as to matters as to which there were not striking circumstances calculated to induce observation and recollection as to identity, time, and place. It is observable that in the testimony of those attempting to prove Samsoche, the grandson of Yufkee, to have been the husband of Ina (Annie) and the father of the allottee, there is a striking want of definiteness and detail. One witness, who whs a relative of that Samsoche, and was also interested in the event of the action, testified that when he was in school and before that Samsoche married one Lucinda, he was living “out west.” The wife whom that Sam-soche married after the death of Lucinda did not testify to ever having been told by him that he was married before his marriage to Lucinda. Two women neighbors testified to his having told them that he had a wife over west, but they said he did not tell them her name, and they could give no details other than his bare alleged stateinent. On the other hand, other neighbors knew nothing of his ever having been married before his marriage to Lucinda, and even his brother, David Harjo, never heard him speak of having been married prior to his marriage to Lucinda. Further, a fruit tree agent who sold trees in the Seminole country about 1S90 testified to knowing and seeing him around old man Yufkee’s, and that it was his impression that he was then married and living in the neighborhood. Further, the oldest child of that Samsoche and Lucinda shows on the roll card as seven years of age as of July, 1898, indicating that he was married to her not later than 1891. The principal testimony as to that Samsoche having lived around Econtuchka when the child was very small was from one H. R. Brown, and that is weakened by the fact that he was interested in the action, and also by the fact that he was clearly mistaken in identifying an Indian in a picture as the one he saw with Ida and as the grandson of Yufkee. No other witness could identify the picture as one of that Samsoche, and several denied that it was. Further, the witness was clerking at a store and was away most of the time, only working intermittently. And he is so contradicted by evidence as to which Samsoche was living with Bessie Sena and Ina in 1891 as to clearly show him to have been mistaken. He did testify to seeing a *142 Samsoche and Ina and their having a little child with them about the latter part of the period during which he saw them. It appears from the record that during most of that period, which did not terminate until 1893 or 1894, Samsoche, the grandson of Yufkee, was married to Lucinda, as their ■oldest child- was enrolled as seven years of age as of July, 1898.

There was considerable evidence in the record as to Samsoche, the grandson of Yuf-kee, having been seen with Ina and having been at the home of Bessie Sena, but it was not as a rule from people intimately acquainted with him, and in some instances an attempt was made to identify him by reference to his having a peculiar walk. It appears evident that there was much talk about the case, and we can readily understand how such an attempt at identity or description would not appeal to the trial judge as against the strong evidence of those identifying the Samsoche who was killed as the one who lived with Ina before the child was born and up to the time of his arrest at Bessie Sena’s home in 1891.

Opposed to that evidence of the plaintiff in error, is evidence in support of the contention of the defendants in error which is clear, cogent, and convincing, it being clear, positive, and direct evidence of those who knew Samsoche personally and had to do with him in their official capacities, and from intimates and relatives.

Jacob Harrison, who arrested a Samsoche at the home of Bessie Sena, was well acquainted with both Samsoches. He testified that it was the one who was killed in 1892 that he arrested. He was well acquainted with both families. He said it was a common report at the time that this Samsoche who was later killed was living with Ina at the home of Bessie Sena, the mother of Ina, and that it was that information that directed him in his search for Samsoche. He testified that he found him there, living with Ina and Bessie Sena, and that the child was there, just about big enough to crawl. He also saw the Samsoche who was killed, after his death, and he testified that it was the one that he arrested. He never knew or heard of the other Samsoche, the grandson of Yuf-kee, living with Ina.

Also, John A. Jacobs, who had been prosecuting attorney in the Wewoka District and had been a member of the House of Kings and of the House of Warriors, and had been Inspector of War, and as an officer had once whipp'ed Samsoche, offered strong evidence. He knew both Samoches. He married a woman who lived near the home of Bessie Sena, and he knew of the common report at the time that the Samsoche who was later arrested and later killed, was living with Ina at the home of Bessie Sena. He actually saw Samsoche killed and said it was the Samsoche who had lived at the home of Bessie Sena and who had been arrested by Jacob Harrison. ' His testimony was further supported by the fact that he and another man had sent this Samsoche to Choctaw City or somewhere in the west for whisky. He testified that Samsoche stopped at Bessie Sena’s home on two trip's, and that it was soon after that that he heard that he was living there with Bessie and Ina.

Samego Caesar testified that Samsoche was killed by Charley Narcomey, and that he was the same Samsoche who lived with Ina west of Eeontuchka.

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
1931 OK 502, 4 P.2d 30, 152 Okla. 140, 1931 Okla. LEXIS 662, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/palmer-v-replogle-okla-1931.