Kaise v. Lawson
Kaise v. Lawson
Opinion of the Court
There is manifest error in the first clause
The facts most clearly show that Korner emigrated to Texas from Germany with a wife and four children; that they all lived together as one family, and that Korner recognized them as his wife and children until the time of his death. These facts are sufficient, beyond controversy, to establish the heirship of appellants, until the contrary is proven; and there was no legitimate testimony introduced upon the trial to raise a contrary presumption, and even the allegation in their original petition could hardly convince a reasonable mind that they intended to allege their own illegitimacy.
There is error in the last clause of the charge of the court wherein the jury are instructed in effect, that if Korner was unmarried at the time of his marriage with Mary Lawson, and if Mary Lawson (or Mary Johnson) sold the property after the death of Korner, then the plaintiffs have no cause of action, and the verdict must be for the defendants, thus making the plaintiffs’ right to recover dependent upon the question of a legal marriage, and the subsequent sale of the property, whereas the law gives the surviving wife or husband the right to sell only one-third of the personal property of the deceased husband or wife.
But the most material error in the charge of the court is, it fails to present to the minds of the jury, in clear and
But we think the testimony in this case clearly establishes the fact that the cattle were bought with the money of Mary Lawson, and were her property, recognized as such by Korner during his life, and left in her possession, and subject to her control at the time of his death. She had full authority therefore to sell and make a good title to the purchaser of that stock of cattle, and the purchaser in no sense became responsible to appellants for the value thereof. It would seem that the jury arrived at this conclusion from the facts, since they rendered a verdict for the defendant. It is therefore clear that the errors in the
Affirmed.
Case-law data current through December 31, 2025. Source: CourtListener bulk data.