Stephenson v. Wiess
Stephenson v. Wiess
Opinion of the Court
This is an action in trespass to try title by Ira Stephenson and others, who are some of the heirs at law of Henry Stephenson and Ruth, his wife, against William Wiess to recover an undivided one-half interest in a tract of 1,000 acres of land, part of the Henry Stephenson league.
Defendants answered by general demurrer and general denial and plea of not guilty. Trial, without a jury, resulted in a judgment for defendant, from which plaintiffs appeal by writ of error. No conclusions of the trial court are in the record.
The material facts, so far as we can gather them, are as follows:
The 1,000 acres referred to is part of a league of land granted to Henry Stephenson in 1835. Henry Stephenson died about 1841; his wife Ruth some years later. At the *288 time of his death, he lived in what was then Jasper county; but such territory became a part of Newton county upon the creation of that county in 1846. Evidence in the record leads to the inference that administration was opened upon his estate in Jasper county; but the records of that county were destroyed by fire in 1849, and there is nothing to show what was done with such administration. The evidence of the family history of said Henry and Ruth is also very meager, and is presented in such a confusing way by the record, and not at all in brief of plaintiffs in error, that it is difficult to find what the facts are with respect to this. However, enough is shown to enable us to find that they left 10 children, to wit: Margaret, who married-Janes; Nancy, who married -Janes; Mary who married Wm. McMahan; Elizabeth, who married A. 1’. Allbright; Edith, who married Wm. Byerly; and the following sons, William, John, Felix, Ira, and Jared.
In 1856, Wm. McMahan, who had married one of the daughters, upon his own application, was appointed administrator de bonis non of the estate of Henry Stephenson by the probate court of Newton county. The record does not show the existence of any debts against the estate, but shows that a sale had been made by the former administrator of a tract of land belonging to the estate, to which conveyance had never been made nor the purchase money paid; and one of the orders made in the course of the administration was that McMahan, administrator de bonis non, make title to this land. It was also shown by the inventory that this league of land had been sold for taxes and had to be redeemed. There were some debts due the estate, and the estate owned the league of land aforesaid. McMahan qualified by giving bond and taking oath, and in 1857 returned an inventory and appraisement. In 1857 McMahan filed his petition, praying for an order to sell this league of land for partition; the petition alleging that it could not be divided. This petition is also signed by Jared Stephenson, Ira Stephenson, Felix Stephenson, John Stephenson, and A. F. Allbright, who represent that they are part of the heirs of Henry Stephenson. Certain grandchildren of. Henry Stephenson, to wit, the children of Margaret and Nancy, in a separate application, also prayed that the administrator be ordered to sell this league of land, for the purpose of distribution. In separate petitions, the children of another son, and Edith Byerly, a daughter, joined by her husband, Wm. Byérly, also petition the court for an order to the administrator to sell. The court granted the applications and ordered the administrator to sell, which was done at public outcry, on a credit of 12 months, to S. B. Stephenson. The sale was regularly reported to and confirmed by the court and the administrator ordered to make title, which was done.' Aft-erwards the administrator applied' for an order of distribution of cash on hand, reporting $1,398.73, which included the purchase money of this land. Order was made that the administrator pay to each of the 10 children, or the representatives of such, one-tenth of this amount and file their receipts therefor, and that when this was done he should be discharged. The administrator filed his final exhibit, showing that he had paid out and distributed the money as ordered, except the amount coming to three of them, which was paid into the state treasury for their benefit, as shown by the Treasurer’s receipt. Receipts were filed, showing payment as ordered, and by order of the court the administrator was finally discharged. The title conveyed to Simon B. Stephenson by the administrator’s deed passed by several mesne conveyances to appellee, Wiess, and is now vested in him, as to the 1,000 acres now in controversy.
It was further shown that George Lock, through whom the title passed to appellee, while he owned the land, instituted suit against some of the present plaintiffs to remove cloud from his title to this land, and that he recovered judgment, as prayed for, against all of the defendants in that suit. Appellee paid value for the land and without any notice of any defect in his title, except such constructive notice as was given him by the records, above referred to.
This substantially disposes of all the questions presented by this appeal. None of the assignments of error or the propositions thereunder presents sufficient grounds for reversal, and they are overruled.
■We find no error and the judgment is affirmed.
Affirmed.
On Motion for Additional Findings of Fact.
On motion of plaintiffs in error, we make the following additional findings of fact;
The administration upon the estate of Henry Stephenson was granted upon the following petition: “State of Texas, County of Newton. To the Honorable Probate Court in and for said County; Your petitioner prays that he may be appointed administrator of the estate of Henry Stephenson, deceased,'November, 1841; and there is property but no legal administrator to attend to said property at this time, Nov. 13th, 1856. [Signed] William McMahan.”
The inventory returned by McMahan, administrator, is as follows;
“Exhibit of the Property of Henry Stephenson, Dec’d.- There is on hand the following notes: •
One note on Ira Stephenson and A. F. Allbright. ? 51 79
One note on A. F. Allbright & Ira Stephenson . 66 19
One on Wm. McMahan & J. J. Stephenson . 68 75
One on J. J. Stephenson & Wm. Mc-Mahan . 112 75
One on Felix Stephenson & William Byerly... 91 75
One on William Byerly & Felix Stephenson . 81 12
One on John Stephenson. 250 00
“One league of land in Jefferson county the title in Spanish. League sold for the taxes of 1848 & 1849.”
Plaintiffs in error are lineal decendants and heirs at law of Henry and Ruth Stephenson.' ''
Reference
- Full Case Name
- Stephenson v. Wiess. [Fn&8224]
- Cited By
- 2 cases
- Status
- Published