Stallaby v. Gallagher

1928 OK 306, 268 P. 303, 131 Okla. 242, 1928 Okla. LEXIS 642
CourtSupreme Court of Oklahoma
DecidedMay 1, 1928
Docket18636
StatusPublished
Cited by1 cases

This text of 1928 OK 306 (Stallaby v. Gallagher) 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
Stallaby v. Gallagher, 1928 OK 306, 268 P. 303, 131 Okla. 242, 1928 Okla. LEXIS 642 (Okla. 1928).

Opinion

BENNETT, C.

This was a civil action) tried in district court of Carter county, Okla., wherein Emeline Stallaby, formerly MicOlure, was plaintiff,. and James H. Gallagher, Gladys Melntire, A. U. Thomas, Wirt Franklin, Roy M. Johnson, Empire Pipe Line Company, Lone Star Gas Company, Consumers Light & Power Company, Page Oil Syndicate, Johnson & Kemnitz, J. Alfred Johnson, Magnolia Petroleum Com *243 pany, Sinclair Pipe Line Company, and others, were defendants. The parties will be referred to in same order in which they appeared in trial court.

Plaintiff’s petition states that Harry MeOlure and plaintiff were duly enrolled as full-blood Choctaw Indians, and were legally married; that thereafter, on February 7, 1914, Harry McClure died intestate in Latimer county, Okla.; that about 60 days after-his death, there was born to him by plaintiff a posthumous child, Jincy McClure by name, who lived only about two months; that within a few days after death of I-Iarry' McClure, and prior to birth of said infant, plaintiff, together with Leuna Folsom, a sister of Harry McClure, conveyed both the surplus and homestead lands allotted to Harry McClure to some of defendants in the cause, and that the other defendants acquired their titles mediately or immediately thereunder; that said conveyances were approved, by county court of Latimer county, Okla. There are set out in petition the various interests claimed by defendants, and all are alleged to be void, and vacation thereof with rents and profits is sought. Such relief is asked -by plaintiff on the ground that Jincy, McClure and plaintiff, xipon the death of' Harry McClure, each inherited one-half of the lands allotted to said Harry McClure, as surplus, and that all of the lands allotted to him as homestead were inalienable, and that said Jincy McClure having died unJ married and without issue when only three; months old, plaintiff succeeded to her interest. Description of lands set out in patj ents recorded in office of county clerk, Carter county, patent record 1, p. 279, and patent record 2, p. 383.

For the most part, separate answers by the several defendants were filed, setting-up, in effect, a general denial, and appropriate replies were filed by plaintiff. The case was tried upon issues made February 21, 1927, when a stipulation was entered into providing that the question of fact as to whether or not Jincy McClure was born, lived and died should be submitted to jury, and that should same be determined ini favor of plaintiff, the question of accounting should be later disposed of. Under stipulation, therefore, only one issue was presented, to wit, was Jincy McClure a child born alive to Harry McClure and Emeline Stallaby, his wife, subsequent to death of Harry McClure early in 1914, and did said Jincy) McClure thereafter die unmarried ana without issue and leaving as her sole and only heir her mother, plaintiff herein?

The cause was tried to a jury, which found the issues in favor of defendants, and, plaintiff, after filing motion for new trial, which was, by the court, overruled, appeals to this court.

Plaintiff devotes considerable space in her brief to a discussion of what the rights of plaintiff would be with reference to homestead lands, and also surplus allotment lands of her deceased husband under section' 9 of the Act of Congress, approved May 27, 1908, 35 Stat. at L. 312, and also under section 4974, C. O. S. 1921, providing as follows:

“A child conceived, but not born, is to be deemed an existing person so far as may be necessary for its interest in the event of its subsequent birth. ”

Plaintiff also sets out that she is not estopped by reason of her warranty deed made to this property, and cites in support thereof Oklahoma cases, but, since the jury has found against plaintiff, and under our holding herein, we deem it unnecessary to discuss these questions no longer relevant.

Plaintiff makes three assignments of error. Her first proposition is:

1. That the court was satisfied from the evidence that the issues should have been, found in favor of the plaintiff, and the verdict of the jury and judgment of the court having been challenged, in that the verdict of the jury and judgment of the court were not sustained by the -evidence, and were! contrary to the evidence, that the court should have granted a new trial.

Plaintiff’s first contention is based upon the fact that after plaintiff and defendants had rested their ease, plaintiff filed motion for an instructed verdict, which motion was, by the court, overruled without comment. Thereupon defendants moved the court to instruct jury to return a verdict in favor of defendants. .In overruling his motion for an instructed verdict on behalf of defendants, the court said:

“Why, Mr. Anderson, instead of moving for an instructed verdict, you would have to convince this -court the old buttermilk woman was mistaken. Her testimony seems almost conclusive to me, and I don’t see( how you are going to get away from it. Defendant^’ motion for an instructed verdict is overruled.”

Mrs. Emma Cooper (the buttermilk woman) testified,! in substance^ as 'follows: That she lives at Red Oak; in 1914 she lived at Lodi on Granna Baker’s place; knew Harry McClure when she lived on Granna’s- place; thinks he died in 1914, but not positive, and remembers the occasion *244 of his dying. She supposes that Harry McClure was married; his wife’s name is Emeline; lived something near one-fourth mile from them. They did not have any children she knows of at the time of his death, but a short time after Harry’s death, two or three or four weeks, something like that, a child was born; she saw it at the home of Emeline and Harry; Emeline had been away from home quite a bit, and witness saw her when she came back and witness went over to see her about milk and butter she had been getting from witness; talked with Emeline about the baby and the milk and butter. The witness took the child in her hands. Witness’ little boy six or eight years old was present; showed baby to the little boy; the infant was a few days old; it was alive.

“Q. Do you know if that child is living or dead? A. They tell me it died; really, I don’t know. * * * The Court: You say you knew Emeline at the time her husband died? A. Yes, sir. Q. She have a baby then? A. Not that I know of.”

Cross-examination:

“We moved to that place in 1911 in the fall; had known Emeline before that time, but did not know Harry until we moved to Gránna’s place. Moved away from the place in 1915, in the fall of the year. Q. Was Harry and Emeline married when you moved on the Baker plac'e? A. I don’t know. Q. Was Harry living there anywhere? A. I don’t remember that. Q. Where was he living the first time you remember him? A. First time I remember seeing Harry he and Emeline were passing around. Q. You don’t know where they lived? A. Not when I first saw Harry. I don’t know where they lived. Q. How long was that after you moved there? A. I d’onit remember how long. I don’t think very long after we moved to Grandma Baker’s place. Q. You just saw this one child? A. Yes, sir. Q. That is the only one you remember seeing’? A. Yes, sir. Q. That is the only one you remember of? A. Yes, sir, it is. Q. And the only one you ever heard of them having? A. Yes, sir, that I remember of, of Harry and Emeline. Q.

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Bluebook (online)
1928 OK 306, 268 P. 303, 131 Okla. 242, 1928 Okla. LEXIS 642, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/stallaby-v-gallagher-okla-1928.