Spangler's Estate
Spangler's Estate
Opinion of the Court
The opinion of the Court was delivered by
The widow would not be entitled to interest from the death on the ground that no provision was made for her immediate support, for she was amply provided for; and it is besides entirely settled by the later decisions that a wife does not stand, as to that, on the footing of a child. She may, in one sense, be said to be a purchaser of a legacy in lieu of dower, inasmuch as it is not entirely gratuitous; but that regards not a question like the present. It is a circumstance of decisive importance in a question of abatement between her and collaterals or perhaps children; as was held in Reed v. Reed, (9 Watts 263), and in many cases there quoted. But where the corpusmf a legacy is interest accruing on a residue after payment of debts, and not the residue itself, it is well settled that unless a contrary intent is collectible from the tenor of the will, the legatee is entitled to all that is made from the death of the testator for the palpable reason that less would otherwise be got than was given. On the other hand, where nothing is accruing, nothing is given in the mean time; and the bequest begins to operate actively only when the fund begins to be productive; and this, in either case, without relation to the rule for the commencement of interest on a pecuniary bequest of
Referred accordingly
Reference
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