West v. Rassman

34 N.E. 991, 135 Ind. 278, 1893 Ind. LEXIS 221
CourtIndiana Supreme Court
DecidedOctober 18, 1893
DocketNo. 16,980
StatusPublished
Cited by20 cases

This text of 34 N.E. 991 (West v. Rassman) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Indiana Supreme Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
West v. Rassman, 34 N.E. 991, 135 Ind. 278, 1893 Ind. LEXIS 221 (Ind. 1893).

Opinion

McCabe, C. J.

This was a suit brought by appellee Emil C. Rassman, as the administrator de bonis non of William Johnson, deceased, with the ,will annexed, against appellant and all the other appellees, as defendants, asking for a judicial construction of the last will of said William Johnson, deceased.

After hearing the evidence, the court, at the request of John F. Johnson and others, made a special finding of the facts and stated its "conclusions of law thereon, to which some of the parties excepted. The court rendered judgment in accordance with the facts found and conclusions of law; and Mary Jennie West appealed, mak[280]*280ing all the other parties, plaintiffs and defendants, appellees in this court. Ella Johnson and William H. Myers, infants, by their guardian ad litem, Smiley N. Chambers, Ann Cooke, Henry Johnson, Emma Skinner, John F. Johnson, John Hackleman, Mary J. Cayton and James W. Jones, all. appellees, and a part of the defendants below, join in the appeal, and the errors assigned by said appellant, namely:

1. That the court erred in its conclusions of law.
2. That the court erred in overruling the. motion for a new trial.

The second assignment of error is waived by the failure of appellánts to discuss it.

The discussion of the first assignment is confined to the conclusions of law aifecting the fifth clause of the testator’s will. All other objections to the conclusions of law are therefore waived, rendering it necessary to set out in this opinion only so many of the facts found and conclusions of law as affect said clause in the will. The court found:

“1. That heretofore, to wit, on the 5th day of June, 1891, William Johnson died testate, in Marion county, Indiana, leaving no widow or children or their descendants, or father or mother, surviving him, leaving a last will and testament, which has been duly admitted to probate, on the 9th day of June, 1891, in said Marion county; and said Emil G. Rassman has been duly and legally appointed and qualified, and is now acting, as administrator de bonis non, with the will annexed, of the estate of said William Johnson, deceased; that the following is a true and exact copy of said will, to wit: ‘This 20th day of November, 1883, I, William Johnson, of sound disposing mind and memory, do make and publish this, my last will and testament: 1st. I direct that all my just debts shall be paid. 2d. I direct that Phcebe [281]*281Duncan have a good bed and bedding, also to have the house and the six acres of land in Washington township, Marion county, Indiana, during her lifetime; at her death, I direct that it shall go to her brother John Henry. 3d. I give to my nephew, David R. Johnson, the 160 acres of land on which he lives, in Pike township, Marion county, Indiana. 4th. I give my niece, Fannie M. Gamble, one bed, also three hundred dollars out of her husband’s two notes due me, if not paid before my death. If they have been paid, then she is to have that amount out of my estate. 5th. After the above, I will and direct that all of my property, both real and personal, shall be distributed, in equal portions, amongst the children of the following named persons, viz: Susanna Mosier, Margaret Jones, Walter Johnson, Elinor O. Parr, Robert Johnson, Jane Hackleman or Goodrich, Benjamin F. Johnson, James Johnson, Let Snapp, Samuel R. Snapp, James J. Snapp. Now, I direct that my executor' hold one thousand dollars for the support of Polly Ann Johnson, in case that she needs it, having no children. Susanna Mosier’s children are chargeable with, or rather taken, from their respective shares the following, twenty dollars and support, from 1882 until her death, and burial expenses. In case she outlives me, I direct that my executor see that she is decently buried on my lot in Crown Plill cemetery. Robert Johnson’s children are chargeable with twelve hundred dollars, which I paid for them at different times, with interest from the date of the note I paid for Ben, his son, as surety. Walter Johnson’s children are chargeable with four thousand dollars for the farm in Virginia, and the interest on our article of agreement from the date of it, as the article will show. Benjamin F. Johnson’s children are chargeable with three hundred dollars, and interest from October, 1882. Jane Hackleman’s or Goodrich’s children are chargeable with [282]*282two hundred dollars, interest from 1865. L. N. Snapp’s children are to be charged two hundred dollars, and interest from 1857; also any note or notes that I may hold against any of the legatees is to be taken out of their respective shares. ' I constitute and appoint my nephew, David R. Johnson, executor to this, my last will and testament. I mean and intend that the children of these parties, above named, without any regard to numbers, shall be counted as one family, and equally divided amongst them all, as my executor, David R. Johnson, will understand, and if any one is dissatisfied and tries to break this will, shall be cut out of any part in it.
'(Signed) William Johnson.’
"2. That said William Johnson died seized, in fee simple, of real estate mostly in said Marion county, Indiana, particularly described in the finding, of the aggregate value of $66,875. And, at his death, was possessed of a large amount of personal property, including cash notes and other effects, and that the're is now cash in the hands of the administrator, $18,000, the estate being solvent, and by many thousands • of dollars above all debts, and-the above sum is ready for an order of distribution to the parties entitled thereto, as hereinafter set out.
"3. That Susanna Mosier, Margaret Jones, Jane Hackleman, Elinor C. Parr, Walter Johnson, Robert Johnson, Benjamin P. Johnson and James Johnson, mentioned in said will, were all the sisters and brothers of said William Johnson, testator, and the only brothers and sisters of said testator, and that all of them had died prior to the death of said William Johnson, testator, except Susanna Mosier, who died in July, 1891, and Walter Johnson, who is now living; that L. N. Snapp, Samuel R. Snapp and James J. Snapp, mentioned in said will, were all and the only brothers of the wife of [283]*283said William Johnson, testator, and that said wife had no sisters, and all of her said brothers died prior to the death of said William Johnson, testator.
“4. That the following are all the children of said Susanna Mosier, sister of testator, living at the time of the death of said William Johnson, testator, viz.: John J. Mosier, James Mosier, Frederick F. Mosier, Margaret Leonard, Nancy Becknell and Mary Marshall, all of whom are now living; that the following are grand children of said Susanna Mosier, who were living at the time of the death of said William Johnson, testator, viz.: Cora L. Woolworth and Estella J. Smith, being children of Jennie Ives, who died prior to the death of said William Johnson, testator, and who was a daughter of said Susanna Mosier, and that they are all the grandchildren or other descendants of said Susanna Mosier, by her deceased sons and daughters.
“5. That the following are all the children of said Margaret Jones, sister of testator, living at the time of the death of said William Johnson, testator, viz: Nancy J. Cayton and James W.

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34 N.E. 991, 135 Ind. 278, 1893 Ind. LEXIS 221, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/west-v-rassman-ind-1893.