Kennedy v. Clinch
Kennedy v. Clinch
Opinion of the Court
This is a will contest. Joe P. Bryan died at Ogden, Utah, August 15,1929, without wife or issue and leaving an estate of cash in the bank of approximately $8,000. A will made by him August 6, 1929, wherein Father P. F. Kennedy, pastor of St. Joseph’s Church at Ogden, was named as executor, and St. Joseph’s School of Ogden as the sole beneficiary, was admitted to probate December 4,1929. Father Kennedy qualified as executor. Thereafter Bertha M. Clinch filed her petition in the cause praying that the order admitting the will to probate and the letters testamentary be revoked and set aside. The petition alleges that Bertha M. Clinch is the full sister of the deceased, his sole surviving heir and next of kin; that the instrument claimed to be the will was not duly executed as required by law; that the decedent at the time of the execution of the instrument was not, by reason of suffering from a malignant disease, and the re-
A trial was had before a court and jury. After contestant had introduced evidence and rested, the executor moved for a judgment of nonsuit which was granted by the court and a judgment of dismissal of the contest made and entered. The contestant appeals and assigns as error: (1) the granting of the motion for nonsuit; (2) that the grounds of the motion for nonsuit were not precisely or specifically stated; and (3) the admission of certain testimony on cross-examination as not proper cross-examination.
Because of the nature of the case, we summarize the evidence rather fully as follows: Mr. R. J. Douglas, called by the contestant on direct examination, testified in substance that he was an attorney at law residing at Ogden, Utah; that he went to the Dee Memorial Hospital in that city on thé evening of August 6,1929, in response to a telephone call received at his home; that he met Father Kennedy at the entrance of the hospital, where the following conversation took place: Kennedy said: “Hello, you got my message?" The witness: “I did." Kennedy: “There is a man in the hospital who is sick and wishes to make some disposition of his property.” Douglas: “I anticipated as much, having been called to the hospital many times and I have brought with me, pen, ink and paper.” Douglas testified he had never met Bryan before, but was introduced to him on this occasion by Kennedy. Bryan was in bed in a room in the hospital, and there were present Bryan, Kennedy, Mrs. Hunt, a nurse, and the witness; that, after he had been in the room
Father Kennedy testified on direct examination that he was pastor of the St. Joseph’s Church and manager of the St. Joseph’s School for Boys; that his duties with respect to the school were about the same as a principal except that he did not teach; that he was directly responsible under the bishop for the disbursements of the school, and visited it about once a week; that he was not directly concerned in raising funds for the school; that that was taken care of by the patrons whose children attended; that he had met Bryan for the first time on August 6,1929, at about 4 o’clock in the afternoon; that he was asked to call on Bryan by Mr.
Marie Bertoldi testified: That she operated the Denver Hotel. That Bryan, during the nine years previous to his death, stayed at her place four or five months in the winter of each year, at other times he was out working, she did not know where. That he left her place in March of 1929 and returned in June, saying he was a little sick. He lived at the hotel until he went to the hospital in August. He looked sick, but got up every day. That at his request she took him in her car to the hospital on August 4th. She said he never
Eli Holton, in charge of the office of the Dee Memorial Hospital, identified Bryan’s chart containing the admission sheet and clinical record of the case which was introduced in evidence. It showed in pencil writing of Miss Child, a clerk, the word “relative” scratched out and the words “Friend: Mrs. Mary Bartoldi,” written in the blank. Lower down under the printed word “Remarks” was written in ink, “Sister Mrs. Bertha Clinch, Emerick, Madison Co. Neb.,” which was in Dr. Draper’s handwriting.
Dr. L. R. Jenkins testified: He was a physician and surgeon and assisted Dr. Draper in performing the operation on Bryan. That the operation lasted two hours thirty-five minutes. That a general and a local anesthetic were used. They found a cancer at the end of the stomach which measured from the head of the pancreas and removed about two-thirds of the stomach, and about two inches of the small bowel directly connected with the stomach; said he saw the patient several times after the operation. That, while he was extremely sick, he was not as sick as the average patient after the average operation; did not complain of pain, took it calmly, was not emotionally unstable. That he was more co-operative and less disturbed by the operation than most patients are. The general anaesthetic was Ethylene gas, and novocaine was the local. That with the use of Ethylene
Assignments of error numbered 3 to 10, inclusive, are directed to rulings of the trial court in overruling the objections to certain of the testimony of the witnesses Kennedy and Douglas on the grounds that it was not proper cross-examination. In the statement of facts we have indicated the questions objected to. The reasons urged by appellant for such objections are that Douglas and Kennedy were naturally friendly to proponent’s contentions, and that, while contestant was under the necessity of calling them to show that the attorney was requested to go to the hospital by Father Kennedy, and that the attorney drew the will in the presence of Kennedy, the direct examination was restricted to such matters alone, and that the court permitted a too wide range of cross-examination and permitted the proponent to go into unrelated matters which were matters constituting the substantive defense. In support of of this contention, contestant cites 3 Jones on Evidence, § 820, and the case of Bishop v. Averill, 17 Wash. 209, 49 P. 237, 239, 50 P. 1024. It is not contended that the testimony objected to would not have been admissible if offered in defense, but merely that the questions were not proper cross-examination, and the subject-matter elicited should have been developed as a part of defendant’s case. The rule stated in Bishop v. Averill, supra, is as follows:
“The general rule is that the cross-examination must be limited to matters disclosed upon the examination in chief; still when in such examination a general subject is unfolded, the cross-examination may develop and explore the various phases of that subject.”
In that case, however, a strict limitation was applied because the witness was a party to the action, hostile to the side calling him, and the testimony sought to be adduced was peculiarly subject-matter of the defense. The case was not a will contest.
“A party has a right upon cross-examination to draw out anything which would tend to "contradict, weaken, modify, or explain the evidence given by the witness on his direct examination, or any inference that may result from it tending in any degree to support the opposite side of the case.”
The case of Cahoon v. West, 20 Utah 73, 57 P. 715, was reversed on the ground that the trial court limited too strictly the scope of cross-examination where the witness was the principal actor whose good faith was involved, and that a wide range should be permitted on cross-examination. The court quoted with approval Rice on Evidence as follows:
“Mr. Kice, in his work on Evidence (volume 1, p. 585), says: ‘On cross-examination, counsel should be allowed a free range within the subject matter of the direct examination, and wide latitude should be given to a party who has to prove a negative, or to one examining a witness who was a participant in an alleged fraud.’ And again, on*403 page 586, the author says: ‘The cross-examination of a witness cannot be confined strictly to the precise subjects called to his attention upon his direct examination, but should be allowed to extend to any matter, not foreign to the subject-matter of such examination, tending to limit, explain, or modify.’ ”
In the instant case the burden of proof was on contestant to show mental incapacity and undue influence, and the proponent of the will could meet this by proof of a negative, that is, that he did not procure the execution of the will by undue influence, and that the testator was not mentally incapable. The contestant attempted to prove her case by certain facts which, standing alone, she insists would raise a presumption or create an inference of undue influence exercised by Father Kennedy. These facts are that Father Kennedy, a priest of the Catholic Church and manager of the beneficiary school, visited the testator at the hospital the day after a serious major operation, and that he called Mr. Douglas, who prepared the will. The testimony admitted on cross-examination over objection showed that respondent visited the hospital at the request of an officer of the bank where testator had his. money on deposit; that the attorney was called by Kennedy at the request of the testator after Kennedy had been informed by the bank officer that Bryan desired to make arrangements of his affairs, the manner and substance of the conversation which testator had with the attorney prior to the making of the will, including his instructions as to how he wanted to dispose of his property, that he did not wish his sister mentioned in the will, that respondent did not suggest to the testator anything with respect to the disposition of the property. Such matters elicited on cross-examination were pertinent to, grew out of, were connected with, and had a direct bearing on, the subject-matter of the direct examination, tended to explain or modify the direct examination, and to meet and dispel any inference of undue influence which might arise from the bare facts developed on direct examination. The rule permits great latitude on cross-exami
Only a part of the circumstances connected with the making of the will was revealed by the direct examination. The subject-matter having been opened by the contestant^ the proponent by cross-examination had the right to show the entire transaction. The rule against permitting one to prove independent matters is not applicable because the matters developed on cross-examination, while relevant and material to the defense, were facts and circumstances related to and connected with the subject-matter of the direct examination. While the trial court permitted considerable latitude in the cross-examination, we think the subject-matter such that this was permissible and there was no abuse of discretion in that respect by the trial court.
When contestant rested at the close of her evidence, proponent moved for a nonsuit and dismissal. Error is assigned that this motion did not indicate precisely and specifically
“If the grounds are sufficiently specified to call attention to the particular defects and the question of law on which the case is taken from the jury, that is all that is required. A mere general statement that, under the evidence, the plaintiff is not entitled to recover, or that the defendant is entitled to a verdict, or that the plaintiff has not made a sufficient case to go to the jury, does not point to anything. If, however, in a case of negligence a specification is made that the evidence is insufficient to show negligence on the part of the defendant, or that under the evidence the plaintiff is conclusively shown to be guilty of contributory negligence, or that he assumed the risk, etc., such a specification is ordinarily sufficient. If a verdict is directed on the ground that the evidence is insufficient to show negligence on the part of the defendant, it sufficiently is made to appear on what question of law the case was taken from the jury. The making of such a specification ordinarily points out the defect within the meaning of the adjudicated cases.”
The motion made is lengthy and need not be quoted in full. It contains five paragraphs and covers in similar manner all of the material allegations of the complaint. One of the paragraphs is sufficient to show that the motion met the requirements stated in the Smalley Case and pointed directly to the questions of law relied on to take the case from the jury. Paragraph 2 of the motion is as follows: “Upon the
This part of the motion sufficiently, but with more verbosity than necessary, apprised the court and counsel that the executor claimed there was no evidence to support the allegation of incompetency of the testator at the time of the making of the will. The other paragraphs of the motion being similar in form and substance were also sufficient to call attention to the particular defects on which defendant relied.
The remaining assignment challenges the action of the trial court in granting the motion for nonsuit and dismissal. The allegation that the will was not executed with the formalities required by law was abandoned at the trial and it is not now before us. It is contended the evidence was sufficient to take the case to the jury on the issues of want of testamentary capacity and undue influence. It is not the contention that the testator was in
In Miller v. Livingstone, 31 Utah 415, 88 P. 338, 342, this court had occasion to discuss the rule with respect to presumption of undue influence and burden of proof where a will was drawn at the request and under the direction of the sole beneficiary, such beneficiary being the second wife, and the children by a former wife being excluded from participation in the estate. Mr. Justice STRAUP, speaking for the court, said:
“At the outset it is well to observe that the will was drawn at the request and direction of the sole beneficiary, who was active in procuring and superintending its execution. There are cases holding that, under such circumstances, a presumption of undue influence arises sufficient to cast the burden of proof upon the proponent to show that the will was voluntarily executed. Other authorities hold that the burden is not shifted but that it merely raises a suspicion which ought to appeal to the vigilance of the court; that such wills are not looked upon with favor; and that the court will cautiously and carefully examine into the circumstances which were attendant upon their execution, and will scan with a scrutinizing eye the evidence offered to procure their probate; and such circumstances may, in some in-stanes, be sufficient to exclude the proposed will, unless the suspicion is removed and the court is judicially satisfied that the paper propounded does, in fact, express the true will of the deceased. Under-hill on Wills, § 137; Delafield v. Parish, 25 N. Y. 9. We agree with the author above cited and with the authorities holding that the latter is the safer and the better rule.”
In 1 Underhill on the Law of Wills, p. 210, the author announces a similar rule with respect to the alleged undue influence of a pastor or other religious officer which is applicable to the facts in this case, and is in harmony with the rule announced in the Miller Case, as follows:
“As in other cases where a confidential relation exists between the testator and the principal legatee, the fact that the will disposes of the bulk of the property of the testator in favor of his religious adviser is not enough alone to raise a presumption that it> was procured by undue influence.
*409 “But the presence of a priest at the bedside of the testator, the fact that the latter acted upon his suggestions and accepted his advice, and that the will is largely the result of these suggestions and advice, are always material. On the other hand, it is entirely consistent with freedom of will that the testator, though he have a family, shall give largely of his property to religious enterprises. Where the suggestions of advice of the priest result, not in a personal benefit to himself, but in securing a benefit to the particular church or form of religion of which he and the testator are adherents, no question of undue influence on the part of the priest arises; for whatever influence was exerted was not exerted for his own benefit. If, upon the suggestion or importunity of his spiritual adviser, the testator leaves him a large share of his estate, to the exclusion of his immediate family, a suggestion of undue influence may arise; but even then it is only suspicion, to be considered in connection with relations with his family, his physical and mental weakness, and the extent to which he has been under the influence of the priest.”
1 Schouler on Wills, Executors and Administrators, is to the same effect:
“In general, the existence of a confidential relation, as between guardian and ward, attorney and client, physician and patient, or even religious adviser and layman, is of a nature which implies peculiar opportunities outside the family relation, for influencing duly or unduly the making of a will contrary to the natural disposition of blood or marriage. Such opportunities must not be abused; and whenever a will appears to have been procured through the zealous intervention of one occupying this favored position, to his own especial advantage, and to the prejudice of natural objects of one’s bounty, and especially where the relation is of external origin as respects the testator’s family, fraud and undue influence will readily be inferred, unless all jealous suspicion is put to rest by the evidence adduced to sustain it. At the same time such an unfavorable suspicion amounts to nothing more than a presumption of fact, and may always be overcome by proof that a testator of suitable intelligence made his will as he saw fit.”
This court is committed to the doctrine that, when facts and circumstances are shown concerning which a presumption arises or is indulged, the presumption ceases, and the case is to be decided on the evidence introduced independently of the presumption; that is, that the pre- 13-15 sumption is not evidence and has no weight as
It will be remembered that Father Kennedy had not been in confidential relationship with the testator, but had met him for the first time the day the will was executed, that he called on the testator, not as a volunteer, but because he had been invited to the bedside for the very purpose of taking care of the testator’s affairs, as well as to administer to him the rites of the church for the sick and dying. Prior to the making of the will, there had never been between them any confidence in the nature of confession or administration of sacraments. Father Kennedy was not a beneficiary of the will. Adams v. First Methodist Episcopal Church, 251 Ill. 268, 96 N. E. 253. He did not assert any influence by way of suggestion or otherwise such as to amount to or raise a suspicion of undue influence. The most that can be said is that during the few minutes he was alone with the testator he, notwithstanding his testimony to the contrary, may have suggested a disposition of the testator’s property to the school over which he presided. Undue influence must be proved. It will not be presumed from mere interest or opportunity. The opportunity to exercise influence, unless combined with circumstances tending to show its exercise, affords no presumption
Bryan, if of sound and disposing mind and memory, had a right to dispose of his property as he saw fit. He could disinherit his sister if he wished. The will cannot be set aside on the mere suspicion that the priest called to his bedside suggested to him a certain disposition of his 18,19 property. To vitiate the will, there must be more than mere influence or snuggestion; it must be undue influence. However exhibited, it must be such influence as to destroy the free agency of the testator and impel him to do what he would not have done had he been free from the control of such influence. The kind of influence which will avoid a will has been referred to by this court in Anderson v. Anderson, 43 Utah 26, 134 P. 553, 557, as follows:
“Undue influence may be established without showing any physical coercion or constraint. The influence that vitiates may be subtle and be entirely without outward demonstration, but in whatever form it may appear it must, nevertheless, be made to appear from competent evidence that the will of the one accused of practicing undue influence dominated the will of the testator — that the testament is in fact and effect the will of the accused and not that of the testator.”
The rule is stated in 40 Cyc. 1144, as follows:
“Mere general or reasonable influence over a testator is not sufficient to invalidate a will; to have that effect the influence must be ‘undue’. The rule as to what constitutes ‘undue influence’ has been variously stated, but the substance of the different statements is that, to be sufficient to avoid a will, the influence exerted must be of a kind that so overpowers and subjugates the mind of the testator as to destroy his free agency and make him express the will of another, rather than his own. The mere existence of undue influence, or an opportunity to exercise it, is not sufficient; such influence must be actually exerted on the mind of the testator in regard to the execution of the will in question, either at the time of the execution of the will, or so near thereto as to be still operative, with the object of procuring a will in favor of particular parties, and it must result in the*412 making of testamentary dispositions which the testator would not otherwise have made. No precise quantity of influence can be said to be necessary and sufficient in all cases, as the amount necessarily varies with the circumstances of each ease, and especially does it vary accordingly as the strength or weakness of mind of each testator varies, the amount of influence necessary to dominate a mind impaired by age, disease, or dissipation being obviously less than that required to control a strong mind.”
And further with respect to one occupying a confidential relation:
“The influence over a testator of one who is his wife, child, guardian, attorney, spiritual adviser, or who occupies some other confidential relation to him, is not necessarily undue influence, although it may, when coupled with other circumstances, raise a presumption of undue influence; but the question must be determined, as in all other cases, by ascertaining whether the free agency of the testator has been destroyed.”
That Bryan was at the time of the making of the will of sound mind we have no doubt. From Mrs. Bertoldi’s testimony we gather he was a man of strong mentality and few words, a man who usually knew what he wanted, and did it without much ado. At the time he went to the hospital he was thin and worn from disease, but his mental powers were unimpaired. Dr. Jenkins described his condition after the operation and said he was not as sick as the average patient, “did not complain of pain, took it calmly, was not emotionally unstable,” was “more cooperative and less disturbed by the operation than most patients are, a fine type of stoic”; that on the day after the operation he had full possession of his faculties, was not greatly disturbed, and was unaffected by the small doses of morphine given him; that he presented the same personality as when he came into the hospital. The nurses testified they talked with him after the operation; that he talked and answered intelligently. Mr. Douglas is a lawyer of repute and many years’ experience. Not anything is made to appear that would indicate he was hostile, prejudiced, or biased. His testimony is un-impeached. He testified he talked with Bryan for half an
There is not anything in Father Kennedy’s conduct to show the exercise of undue influence. The father went to the hospital at the request of Mr. Riley, vice president of the bank where Bryan had money deposited. The record does not show how Riley came to call Kennedy, but the inference is it was at Bryan’s request. At any rate, Kennedy did not go to the sick man as a volunteer, but because he was requested to do so. Father Kennedy called Mr. Douglas to the hospital also at Bryan’s request. The first intimation of how Bryan would dispose of the property came from Dr. Draper, who told Douglas and Kennedy as they went to the sickroom that Bryan wanted to bequeath it to the St. Joseph’s School. Prior to the will, Bryan had never confessed to Father Kennedy nor had administered to him the sacraments of the church, although such was done later. The relationship between the priest and the testator was not such as to raise the presumption of undue influence or that the testator was acting under control of the superior
“A testatrix by her will gave her real property to a priest, in trust for the benefit of a Catholic church of which she was a member. The priest attended to a business of drawing and executing the will for her, through a lawyer, but it was at her request, she having sent for him to visit her for that purpose. No conversation took place between the testatrix and the priest as to the disposition to be made of her property at any time before that. After the will was drawn, it was read over to her carefully and slowly, by the lawyer, and she understood it. She named the priest as executor, and directed that it be handed to him for safe-keeping. The will was in accordance with her previous declarations as to the disposition which she intended to make of her property, and was executed with all due legal formalities. Held, that there was no evidence of undue influence, and that it was properly admitted to probate.”
Another case of similar import is Martin v. Bowden, 158 Mo. 379, 59 S. W. 227, 231. The testator was a widower with ho children or direct descendants. The will was made three days before death, while testator was sick with tuberculosis. Several bequests were made to his relatives, some substantial, and others very small, but the bulk of his property went to the archbishop of the Catholic Church for masses for the repose of his soul. In sustaining the trial court in withdrawing the case from the jury, the Supreme Court said:
“Undue influence means such influence ‘as amounts to overpersuasion, coercion, or force, destroying the free agency and will power of the testator.’ Tibbe v. Kamp, 154 Mo., loc. cit. 579, 54 S. W. 879, 55 S. W. 440, and cases cited; Sehr v. Lindemann, 153 Mo., loc. cit. 276, 64 S. W. 537, and cases cited; Schierbaum v. Schemme, 157 Mo. 1, 57 S. W., loc. cit. 529 [80 Am. St. Rep. 604]. The undue influence charged in the petition is that of Rev. Patrick H. Bradley, assistant rector of*416 the Sacred Heart Church. The only testimony offered by the plaintiffs to support this charge was that of Rev. Bradley himself. So far from giving any countenance to the charge, the testimony of this witness emphatically denies the charge, and affirmatively shows that such was not the case. He never spoke to the testator until called to see him during his last sickness. The testator was not a member of the parish of which the witness was assistant pastor. On the second visit of the witness the testator wanted to give him $4,000, to be used by him for masses to be said for the repose of the souls of his father, mother, wife, and himself, but the witness refused to take the money. The testator then asked the witness whom he would suggest the money for this purpose should be given to, and the witness replied Archbishop Kain was the richest man in the church in St. Louis, and if the money was given to him he would see that it was used as the testator desired. Afterwards the testator told Rev. Bradley he had made a will, and told him its provisions, and in speaking of the provisions for his relatives said, ‘They have already gotten more than is coming to them from me.’ Archbishop Kain was in Europe when the will was made, and is not shown to have known either of the will or of the testator.”
There was not sufficient evidence adduced by the contestant to take the case to the jury or to support a verdict against the will had such a verdict been rendered. The trial court therefore committed no error in granting the motion for nonsuit.
The judgment of the district court of Weber county is hereby affirmed, with costs to respondent.
Reference
- Full Case Name
- In re BRYAN'S ESTATE. KENNEDY v. CLINCH
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