Townsend v. Schaden

204 S.W. 1076, 275 Mo. 227, 1918 Mo. LEXIS 68
CourtSupreme Court of Missouri
DecidedJuly 5, 1918
StatusPublished
Cited by10 cases

This text of 204 S.W. 1076 (Townsend v. Schaden) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Supreme Court of Missouri primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Townsend v. Schaden, 204 S.W. 1076, 275 Mo. 227, 1918 Mo. LEXIS 68 (Mo. 1918).

Opinion

RAILEY, C.

This action was commenced in the probate court of Jackson County, Missouri, on January 8, 1914, in the following form:

“Estate of George Townsend, deceased, to Cornelia Townsend, debtor,

.“To one hundred shares of the Central States Bridge Company, par value one hundred dollars ..................................... $10,000

“To thirty-two bonds, Citizens Street Railway Company, Indianapolis, par value one thousand dollars ............................ 32,000

“To eight water bonds, City of Indianapolis, Indiana, par value one thousand, dollars . 8,000

“Total .................................$50,000”

Before the case was finally submitted to the jury, plaintiff reduced her demand for the par value of the thirty-two Citizens Street Railway Company bonds, of Indianapolis, Indiana, from $32,000 to twelve of -said bonds of the alleged value of $12,000. She also withdrew from the consideration of the jury, as shown by her instruction “D,” that part of her claim relating to the one hundred shares of the Central States Bridge Company, of the alleged value of $10,000.

Prom the judgment of the probate court in favor of defendant, plaintiff appealed to the circuit court, where the case was tried de novo, at the November Term, 1914, before a jury. The trial began on January [234]*2345, 1915, and thereafter resulted in a verdict for plaintiff in. the sum of twenty thousand dollars, upon which judgment was entered in due form.

There was substantial evidence offered upon the part of plaintiff tending to show that George Townsend, who was a brother of plaintiff, on or about the 25th day of October, 1907, had met with success as a railroad builder, and had accumulated at that time valuable bonds and notes of the face value of $250,000; that he and plaintiff were twin sister and brother, and that for many years» they made their home with their sister, Mrs. Anna Townsend Davis; that plaintiff and her brother George were dear to each other, and traveled a great deal together.

Plaintiff introduced in evidence her Exhibit 6, shown to have been in the handwriting of George Townsend, which reads as follows:

“Indianapolis, Oct. 25, ’07.
“My dear Sisters:
“I have this day paid off my loan at the Fletcher Bank and am not now honestly in debt to anyone in the world and I am entirely out of business. I have now in my safe deposit box at Fletchers, 150 Indpls Water, Citizens Ry and other bonds paying me 5% interest, besides 100 New Orleans Ter. Notes in the 1st Natl Bank of N. Y. and other investments, and so I have decided to carry out my long promised intention made so often to you and Nellie of adding to the bonds you already have so that you will both be provided for should bad luck come to me or in case of my marriage and so I will.today take with me or send to you in Chicago, as a present sixty (60) of the Water and Citizens bonds, Forty (40) of which will be for Nellie and twenty (20) for Anna, because Nellie is more dependent on me than you are. You must take good care of these bonds and do not change the investment into other bonds or stock without first advising with me. These bonds all pay 5% per annum; the water bonds sell around par and the Citizens sell a few points higher but I consider them equally safe as an investment. You can divide the two binds as you see fit so that Nellie gets a total of 40 and you get the 20. I take pleasure in doing this as it will still leave me a sufficient income.
“Love to you both,
Brother George.
[235]*235“This is a list of the numbers of the bonds I am giving you so in case anything happens in transit payment might be stopped. The 40 Water bonds numbers 76, 77, 196, 311, 312, 352, 1413, 1885, 1942 to 46, 1975 to 79, 2011, 2013, 2013, 2094, 2096, 2097, 2107 to 11, 2134. 2135, 2144, 2145, 2148 to 53 and '2202. The 20 Citizens bonds are numbered 6, 24, 25, 26, 27, 133, 134, 142 to 145, 284, 290, 393 to • 397, 402 and 403,
Georoe.
“Since writing the above I find it is too late to express these bonds and catch my train so I will leave them here at Fletchers and put a slip in the pkg of 40 water bonds as being the private property of Nellie and a slip in the pkge of 20 Citizens bonds as being the property of Anna and I will either continue to hold them here for you or send them to you at a later date.
Yours,
George.”
A book was identified by Mrs. Davis, as a diary of George Townsend, and in his handwriting, under dates of October 24-5-6. It was introduced in evidence, and read as follows:
“(October 24th.)
“Arrived in Indianapolis at 3:05 p. m.
“Took dinner with Mrs, Schaden.
“Took room at Columbia Club.
“(October 25th.)
“Paid Fletcher my last loan and put 35 Water, 15 Citizens 30 N. W. & 10 U. T. bonds in my deposit box. Took 40 Water & 20 Citizens as a present to my Sisters in Chicago. Arrived home at 8:00 p. m.
“(October 26th.)
"Gave Sister Nellie 40 Water bonds and to Sister Anna 20 Citizens. Had hair cut in the p. m. Played cribbage at home in the evening with the folks.”
Mrs. Davis identified “Exhibit 8” as in the handwriting of her brother George, and says she received it through the mail. It was offered in evidence and reads as follows:
“Grand Hotel,
Indianapolis,
January 3rd, 1910
“My dear Sisters:
“It is with a feeling of great relief that I am sending back to you today by Am. Express thirty-two of the $1,000 bonds of the Citizens 5.s Street Ry. being a part of the 60 bonds that I took from those belonging to you in the safety deposit box in Chicago.
“I will send you 18 more bonds tomorrow and the remaining 10 bonds shortly.
[236]*236“I want Nellie to receive back these 32 bonds and Anna can take her 20 out of the remainder I am to send.
“I trust you will forgive me for having taken the 60 bonds away from you against your protest. Please put these 32 bonds in a box in your own names.
With love,
George.”

Mrs. Davis testified that the 32 bonds referred to in above letter were delivered to herself and plaintiff; that she handed them to George Townsend and they were pnt in the box. This occurred some time in December, 1909, or early in January, 1910; that these 32 bonds, in September, 1911, were sent by her to defendant for George Townsend; that this was the last time she ever saw them; that she could not give the exact date when she received Exhibit 6, supra, nor whether she had it in her possession before the death of her brother George; that she found it in the desk at home with other papers within the last year.

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Bluebook (online)
204 S.W. 1076, 275 Mo. 227, 1918 Mo. LEXIS 68, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/townsend-v-schaden-mo-1918.