Watkins v. Taylor

63 So. 2d 225, 216 Miss. 822, 23 Adv. S. 37, 1953 Miss. LEXIS 701
CourtMississippi Supreme Court
DecidedMarch 9, 1953
DocketNo. 38683
StatusPublished
Cited by5 cases

This text of 63 So. 2d 225 (Watkins v. Taylor) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Mississippi Supreme Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Watkins v. Taylor, 63 So. 2d 225, 216 Miss. 822, 23 Adv. S. 37, 1953 Miss. LEXIS 701 (Mich. 1953).

Opinion

Kyle, J.

• This is a Workmen’s Compensation case. The case is before us upon appeal by Oliver Watkins and his insurance carrier from a judgment of the circuit court of Clarke County affirming an order of the Mississippi Workmen’s Compensation Commission awarding compensation. to three illegitimate dependent minor children of Lige Taylor, deceased, under the provisions of the Workmen’s Compensation Act, Chapter 354, Laws of 1948, and amendments thereto, and upon cross-appeal by Teressa Jones Taylor, alleged widow of Lige Taylor, deceased, and Jesse James Taylor, another alleged illegitimate child of the deceased, from that part of the judgment of the circuit court which affirmed the order of the Commission disallowing their claims for compensation.

The record shows that Lige Taylor was a log truck driver employed by the appellant, Oliver Watkins, that he died on December 14,1951, and that his death resulted from accidental injuries arising out of and in the course of his employment. Lige had been married four times. At least three of these marriages were ceremonial marriages, and none of them had been dissolved by death prior to Lige’s own death. None of Lige’s wives had ever sued him for divorce, and Lige had never sought to obtain a divorce from any of them.

On February 1, 1934, Lige contracted a ceremonial marriage with Ordlean Gray, and lived with her as her lawful husband approximately two and one-half years. [826]*826One child was horn of this marriage relationship, namely, Bertha May Taylor. The date of her birth was February 1,1935. This child was the only legitimate child that Lige Taylor had. Lige and Ordlean separated about two and one-half years after the date of their marriage, and on November 16, 1940, Ordlean G-ray Taylor entered into a ceremonial marriage with Phillip Wash. The child, Bertha May Taylor, thereafter made her home with her mother, and from the date of her mother’s marriage to Phillip Wash until Lige Taylor’s death, Ordlean and her husband Phillip cared for and supported the child, and Lige Taylor contributed nothing to her support. No divorce was ever granted to Lige or to Ordlean Gray dissolving their marriage relation.

On May 30, 1937, Lige Taylor entered into a ceremonial marriage with Ella Lee Hamilton and lived with her until the latter part of 1938, when Lige and Ella Lee separated. No children were born of this marriage. On April 1, 1939, Lige Taylor, without procuring a divorce from either of his former wives, entered into a ceremonial marriage with Teressa Jones, whose nickname was “Peewee.” Teressa at that time had two illegitimate children, a son known as Johnnie Lee Campbell, who had been born in 1932, and a son known as Jesse James Jones or Jesse James Taylor, who was born February 18, 1936. No claim was ever made that Lige Taylor was the father of Johnnie Lee Campbell. But after Lige Taylor’s death a claim was filed with the Workmen’s Compensation Commission on behalf of Jesse James Taylor, who claimed to be the acknowledged illegitimate son of Lige Taylor. Teressa and her mother, Bosa Jones, testified that Lige had acknowledged Jesse James as his son. This claim, however, was vigorously denied by other witnesses, who were closely related to the deceased.

The record shows that the marriage relationship between Lige Taylor and Teressa Jones was not entirely harmonious. It is probable that neither spouse was en[827]*827tirely faithful to the other, and after living together ‘ ‘ off and on,” as Teressa stated, for a period of several years, Lige and Teressa finally separated in 1943, and Teressa went to California. While she was in California Teressa found another colored swain upon whom she was willing to bestow’ her favors, and in course of time Teressa gave birth to another child who took the name of Willis Jean Taylor. ' It was never asserted that Lige Taylor was the father of Willis Jean, and no claim has been made for Willis Jean as a dependent illegitimate child of Lige. There is nothing in the record that we now have before us to indicate that Lige Taylor had any desire to follow Teressa to California. On the contrary it appears that a few months after Teressa’s departure for California Lige entered into a common law relationship with Mittis Mary Eatcliff, which met all of the legal requirements for a common law marriage, save only that Lige was incapable of contracting a common law marriage because of the fact that his prior marriage to Ordlean Gray had never been dissolved by the death of his former wife or by a decree of divorce. And Lige and Mittis Mary lived together as husband and wife for a period of about five and one-half years. Two children were born of this relationship, a son, Lige Taylor, Jr., who was born January 15, 1945, and a daughter, Allie Helen Taylor who is referred to in the record as “Annie Helen Taylpr.” Annie Helen was born February 28, 1947. The record shows that Lige acknowledged these two children as his own, and that Lige supported them until the time of his separation from Mittis Mary sometime during the latter part of 1949, and that he contributed money for their support thereafter.

About a year after the birth of Mittis Mary’s younger child, Teressa Jones Taylor gave birth to a child, who was given the name of Eetha Mae Taylor. The record shows that Lige was living with Mittis Mary when Teressa’s child was born. But Teressa testified that [828]*828Lige was the father of Betha Mae, and Teressa and her mother, Bosa Jones, testified that Lige acknowledged the child as his own, and that Lige made contributions of money from time to time for the support of the child.

Lige and Mittis Mary drifted apart during the latter part of 1949, and in September, 1950, Mittis Mary entered into a ceremonial marriage with one S. L. Benton, and was living with Benton when Lige was killed three months later. Mittis Mary kept her two children with her, and during that three months period S. L. Benton purchased the groceries for the family and paid the rent on the house which the family occupied. Mittis Mary testified, however, that Lige contributed to the support of the children and gave her money each week to help take care of them.

Lige had been working at Laurel during the early part of the year 1950. He had had trouble with a former employer at Pachuta, and for that reason was unable to return to Pachuta until sometime during the fall of that year. But about two months before his death Lige returned to Pachuta and resumed his amorous relationship with Teressa, and he and Teressa lived together in a boxcar shack in the outskirts of Pachuta during the last two months of his life. Teressa testified that while Lige was in Laurel he had sent word to her to come to Laurel to visit him, and that she had made several trips to Laurel for that purpose. When Lige and Teressa moved into the boxcar shack, Teressa took Betha Mae with her. Her son, Jesse James, however, continued to live with his grandmother. Mittis Mary testified that a few days before Lige’s death she and Lige had agreed to go back together on Saturday of the week during which Lige was killed, and Mittis Mary’s statement was corroborated by the testimony of Lige’s sister-in-law and Lige’s father, both of whom testified that Lige had told them a few days before his death that he was going back to live with Mittis Mary.

[829]

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
63 So. 2d 225, 216 Miss. 822, 23 Adv. S. 37, 1953 Miss. LEXIS 701, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/watkins-v-taylor-miss-1953.