Spencer v. Millican

Texas Supreme Court
Spencer v. Millican, 31 Tex. 65 (Tex. 1868)
Morrill

Spencer v. Millican

Opinion of the Court

Morrill, O. J.

—This was a suit by Mrs. Millican to recover a debt due from Spencer to a son of Millican, the son having died intestate and while a minor, leaving neither brothers, sisters, wife, children, .nor father. Spencer assigned as error the legal incapacity of the mother to bring suit.

*67The statutes provide that, in cases like the one under consideration, the mother shall inherit the estate, therefore on the death of her son the claim was cast upon her by the law, and this assignment was as effectual to pass the chose in action as any other provided by the statutes. No one but the mother, on the death of her son, had any right, title, or interest to the debt, and Spencer was not bound to pay it to any other person.

The second ground, charging error of the judge, does not lie. The judge very properly charged the jury to find for the defendant in discount or set-off of the claim of plaintiff all such sums as the testimony showed that Spencer had paid plaintiff.

The matter in controversy was entirely a question for the jury, and the testimony authorizes the rendition of their verdict, which will not be interfered with. The judgment is

Aeeikmed.

Reference

Full Case Name
Joel Spencer v. Christopher C. Millican et ux.
Cited By
2 cases
Status
Published
Syllabus
Where S. executed a promise to pay money received from the guardian of his grandson, and, the grandson having died, leaving no heir but his mother, the right of property and action was cast upon the mother as effectually as if the paper had been assigned to her, and she, joined by her husband, had the right of action. Where the charge of the judge was correct, the court refused to disturb a verdict which seemed to be against evidence, there being other equities which might have been replied.