Snyder v. Raymond

285 P. 478, 48 Idaho 810, 1930 Ida. LEXIS 68
CourtIdaho Supreme Court
DecidedFebruary 28, 1930
DocketNo. 5462.
StatusPublished
Cited by4 cases

This text of 285 P. 478 (Snyder v. Raymond) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Idaho Supreme Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Snyder v. Raymond, 285 P. 478, 48 Idaho 810, 1930 Ida. LEXIS 68 (Idaho 1930).

Opinion

*814 LEE, J.

— On February 20, 1927, Ida Raymond, a Nez Perce Indian, died, leaving as surviving spouse plaintiff and appellant, John Snyder. A will alleged to have been executed by her on the day preceding was presented to the probate court by defendant and respondent, Cecelia Raymond, half-sister of the deceased and sole beneficiary under said will. An order was thereafter duly made, admitting said will to probate. Whereupon plaintiff filed his petition alleging mental incompetency and undue influence, and prayed that such order be revoked and the will rejected.

From a denial of his petition he appealed to the district court. There judgment was rendered against him and his motion for new trial was denied. He has appealed from both.

The will in question was as follows:

“Webb Idaho
“Feb 19 th 1927
“Last Will and Testament of Ida Raymond who leave to her Sister Cecelia Raymond the South half of the South East quarter of Sec 18 and the South East quarter of the South West quarter of Sec 16 and Lots 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10 and 11 of See 21 Township North of Range 4 West Boise Meridian in Idaho 317 Acres. More or Less. It is understood and agreed that Ceeiela Shall draw all the Rental on *815 Lot’s 7, 8, 9, 10 of Sec 21 T P. 34 N R. 4. W which contains 60 Acres Plow land, the Rental being $240.00 per Year. It is to be understood this Testament Covers all and is to Fall to My Sister Ceceil all that I Possess.
“Sighned IDA RAYMOND (Thumb mark)_
“Witnesses
“CURRY TABABOO
“MARY TABABOO (Thumb mark)
“JETHRO J. T. SAN GARDE,
“Justice of the Peace.”

Upon the trial there was introduced, over defendant’s objection, the following instrument admittedly executed by the deceased four days prior to the execution of the will involved here:

“5-109
“INDIAN WILL UNDER THE ACT OF JUNE 25, 1910 (36 STAT. L., 855-856), AS AMENDED BY THE ACT OF FEBRUARY 14, 1913 (37 STAT. L., 678).
“LAST WILL AND TESTAMENT OF IDA RAYMOND (SNYDER)
“I, Ida Raymond of the Nez Perce Tribe, of the State of Idaho, being of sound and disposing mind, realizing the uncertainty of human life, do make this my Last Will and Testament, hereby revoking all former wills by me made, in manner and form following, that is.to say:
“First. — I desire that all my legal debts be paid, including the expenses of my last illness, funeral, and burial.
“Second. — I give, devise and bequeath to my half brothers, August Raymond, Michael Raymond, and my half-sister Cecelia Raymond Green, share and share alike, my own allotment No. 452, containing 80 acres, situated in Nez Perce County.
“Third: I give, devise and bequeath to Mary Red Heart and I-ah-tote-kikt, share and share alike, my undivided one-half interest in Nez Perce Indian allotment No. 199 of Nuseno-poo.
*816 “I give, devise, and bequeath all of the rest and residue of my estate, real, personal, and mixed, to my half-sister, Cecelia Raymond Green.
“John Snyder, my legal husband, deserted me when I became sick and unable to care for myself, and for this reason I will and bequeath to him the sum of $1.00, to be paid from my account at the Agency office after the debts mentioned in paragraph One herein has been fully satisfied.
“In witness whereof, I, Ida Raymond, have hereunto set my hand, sealed, published, and declared this to be my Last Will and Testament, this 15th day of February, in the year of our Lord one thousand nine hundred and 27.
“IDA RAYMOND X (L. S.),
“Witnesses:
“CORBETT B. LAWYER,
“Residing at Lapwai, Idaho,
“OCIE B. WITMER,
“Residing at Lapwai, Idaho.
“The foregoing instrument of writing was here and now signed by Ida Raymond in our presence, and at his request and in the presence of each other we have signed as witnesses and he has published and declared this to be his (her) Last Will and Testament.
“CORBETT B. LAWYER,
“Residing at Lapwai, Idaho,
“OCIE B. WITMER,
“Residing at Lapwai, Idaho.”

Notwithstanding her objection to this instrument, defendant fully questioned in relation thereto, and brought out the fact that, inasmuch as the estate of the testatrix consisted of both allotted lands held in trust by the United States government and lands held in fee, the testatrix had been advised that she had to make separate wills affecting each class of property; that such was at all times her understanding, and that the second instrument was nothing but an attempt to dispose of the remainder of her estate after the disposition of the trust property by the former. Such understand *817 ing is doubly vouched for both by the record and the following excerpt from defendant’s and respondent’s brief:

“We accept as conclusive, however, the declarations of the testatrix that the San Garde will was ‘to finish,’ ‘to complete’ the devising and bequeathing of her entire estate, that the wills are not inconsistent, that the Indian will was intended to apply solely to trust property, and that together they make up the true intent of the testatrix to dispose of her whole estate.”

Respondent has moved to dismiss the appeal for the reason that the undertaking furnished by the foreign surety company was not, as required by C. S., secs. 5008, 5009, countersigned by a resident agent. An inspection of the record discloses that the bond was executed by Arnold P. Henzell, as attorney-in-fact for the surety company; that said Henzell was acting under a certificate of authority as resident agent of said company, at Lewiston, Idaho, duly issued by the state director of insurance and that, at the time, there was on file in the office of the auditor of Nez Perce county a general power of attorney executed in his favor by said principal.

Upon the face of the bond none of these facts appeared except that Henzell executed it as attorney-in-fact. Respondent contends that such execution was not a “countersigning” and that the fact of residence must be shown in the bond itself. We cannot agree. It is the fact that controls, not what may appear upon the face of the bond. The countersigning is required only in case the bond has been executed by someone without the state, in order to give resident authentication to its verity.

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Bluebook (online)
285 P. 478, 48 Idaho 810, 1930 Ida. LEXIS 68, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/snyder-v-raymond-idaho-1930.