In re the Probate of the Will of Oliver

— The paper propounded was executed in 1885. The decedent was a steamboat man, doing business between Albany and Hew York. His wife, at the date of the instrument and afterwards, was a person of unsound mind, and she continued in the same condition more or less until her death. He left a son, who was also of unsound mind, and an inmate of an institution for the insane. The estate, by the paper, was left in trust to his daughter, Mrs. Fyle, to be expended by her as she might deem wise for the maintenance of his wife; and upon her death, should there be any residue, it is to go to Mrs. Fyle, with the understanding that, should the son require any assistence, she should devote what would seem to her proper for that purpose. Mrs. Fyle is named as executrix. The paper was attested by John Featherly, Jr., and S. Y. R Ableman as witnesses. Able-man died soon after the death of the decedent, and the witness Featherly disappeared, and has not been heard of for six or seven

"Under the laws of this state, before admitting a testamentary paper to probate, two, at least, of the subscribing witnesses, must be produced and examined if so many are within the state. Code, § 2618. The surrogate must be satisfied of the validity of its execution. Id. § 2622. To constitute a valid execution, the testator must sign the instrument at the end, or acknowledge his signature to each of not less than two witnesses, and must at the time declare to them that it is his will, and the witnesses shall sign it at the end by the testator’s request -2 Rev. St. p. 63, § 40. It frequently happens that, in a literal sense, these requirements are not complied with. -In a liberal sensellthe courts hold that a substantial compliance is sufficient. In re Voorhis' Will, 125 N. Y. 765 ; 37 St. Rep. 173 . That testamentary purpose may not miscarry, the law, in the spirit of equity and justice, provides that if all of the subscribing witnesses are dead, a will may, nevertheless, be established upon proof of the handwriting of the testator and the subscribing witnesses, and “such other circumstances as would be sufficient to prove the will upon the trial of an action. Code, § 2620. This provision is a substantial reproduction of the language of section 20, chap. 460, Laws 1837, which has been a subiect of adjudication in our courts when it was sought to introduce wills in evidetice in trials at law.

In Jackson v. Le Grange, 19 Johns. 386 , one of the witnesses to the will was dead, and the second failed to recall the circumstances attending the execution. Because the third witness, who was shown to be living and within the jurisdiction of the court, was not called, that “ he might prove or disprove the facts,” the will was not received in evidence. But the court was of the opinion that if the recollection of the third witness had also failed, if he could prove his own signature and that of the testator, the execution of the will was sufficiently proved to entitle it to be read. In a summarized statement of the law, Chief Justice Spencer, who delivered the opinion of the court, said : “ If the subscribing witnesses to a will are dead, then proof of their signatures and that of the testator is sufficient ” Jackson v. Vickory, 1 Wend. 406 , is .a similar case. The court held, that when one subscribing witness was unable to prove that all the requirements of the statute had been complied with", the other witnesses to the transaction, if living and within the jurisdiction of the court, ought to have been called; but, if they were dead, then their handwritings and that of the testator should also be proved, and the jury, from such evidence, would be authorized in inferring that the requirements of the statute had been complied with. In

acter, and there is no doubt as to their signatures or any other suspicious circumstance, the attestation clause would be deemed sufficient evidence of a request. In short the law lays down no stubborn inflexible rule in such cases, but accepts the best evidence that can be procured, subject to the nature of human affairs and human infirmities and casualties, to establish the fact in controversy.” “ Nor are the provisions of the statute,” as stated in Lawrence v. Norton, 45 Barb. 448 , “ such as to preclude the admission of the will when some of the witnesses are dead and others do not remember the occurrence.” In Butler v. Benson, 1 Barb. 526 , it was held that the law, after the diligent production of all the evidence then existing, if there were no circumstances of suspicion, presumed the instrument properly executed, particularly when the attestation clause was full. To the same effect are Rugg v. Rugg, 83 N. Y. 549 , and In re Pepoon, 91 N. Y. 255 ; .and in most of the cases in which validity of the ex cution of a will was in question, when there was no witness living to prove the facts, the existence of an attestation clause, reciting the necessary facts that occurred at the time of the execution, has been an important factor in determining the decision of the •courts.

But to give the attestation clause force as evidence is a generous .interpretation of the statute, in the language of which there is nothing to make it such. It is “ proof of handwriting” that is prescribed. .It is only under the decisions that an attestation certificate signed by the witness is admitted in aid of probate, for it is well settled that an attestation clause is no part of a will, and is not required as part ‘of its execution, but, when the witnesses are dead, it may be presumptive evidence of due execution (Jackson v. Jackson, 39 N. Y. 153 ); and, when the witnesses are living, it may enable them to recall the facts, if they do not recollect them -without. Under the statute, all that is required in addition to proof of the handwriting of the testator and the subscribing witnesses is “ such other circumstances as would be sufficient to prove the will upon the trial of an action.”

What weré the circumstances under which the will of John Oliver was prepared and executed? An insane wife and an insane son were not competent for self-care to look after an estate. Mr. Fyle, the son-in-law of Mr. Oliver, and who at his request drafted the paper, stated that in giving him the instructions, Mr.

I am aware that the competency of proof of the declarations of a testator has been called iri question-in the past. In the leading case of Waterman v, Whitney, 11 N. Y. 161 , the subject was learnedly considered by Judge Seldeít in respect to the declarations of a testator after the execution of a will, to the effect that he had disposed of his property in a manner entirely different from the disposition shown in the will; and it was held that no-such declarations were competent as evidence of the facts, except they were part of the res gesta at the time of the execution, but. were competent as evidence of the testator’s mental condition. The question was again considered in re Marsh, 45 Hun, 107 ; 9 St. Rep. 441 , in a proceeding to establish a lost will. On the trial, the declarations of the testatrix, made from time to time and to within a short time of her death, that she had made a will, and had given her property to the person who was named therein,, were admitted. Judge Bradley, who delivered the opinion of the court on the appeal, draws a distinction between declarations of a testator, the purpose of which is to work the revocation of a will, and those which tend to sustain it, In my view, his reasoning is correct. But the declarations of Mr. Oliver were taken without objection. Under the decision in re Marsh, supra, they would have been competent, even if objected to.

But on the main point — that of execution — I have found no case in this state all the facts of which are like the one before me. In re O'Hare, 2 N. Y. Law Bul. 83, decided by Surrogate Calvin, was one in which the two subscribing witnesses had died, but. whose handwriting were proved. It; was shown also that one of the witnesses was an attorney, and that the instrument was found among the decedent’s private papers after his decease. The question at issue was whether, upon these facts alone, there was suffi

But the case the facts of which are nearest like those of the one before me is found in the English reports, — In re Thomas Goods, 1 Swab. & T. 225. In that case there was no attestation clause. Two witnesses were dead and the third testified that he remembered being requested by the testatrix to attest her signature to the will, and that she did not sign her name in his presence, and that he thereupon subscribed his name in her presence. After an interval of so many years, he was unable to recollect all the circumstances, attending his subscription; but, as he remembered, the testatrix and he were the only persons present at the time, and that the signatures of John and Mary Skeggs, which appeared subscribed to the will immediately under his signature, were not subscribed in his presence; He did remember that he made a suggestion to the deceased, at the time he subscribed the will, that another witness ought to be present, but what further passed on the subject he was unable to recollect. It appeared from the case that both John and Mary Skeggs were dead, and that they had been people of some consequence. Their handwritings were proved. Sir 0. Cresswell, in deciding the case, said;

' “I think I may fairly assumethat the will was duly executed. The first subscribing witness, who survives, states in the affidavit that, he explained to the testatrix that two subscribing witnesses were required to be present at the execution of a will, and it appeared that some time afterwards the testatrix obtained the signatures of two other witnesses. It is a fair presumption that she acted upon the information given her, and got the last two witnesses, in order that she might acknowledge her signature in their presence.”

Probate was granted.

The liberality of the courts in their desire to sustain testamentary instruments, when there are no circumstances of suspicion attaching to the execution, is illustrated by another English case,— In re Ashmore's Goods, 3 Curt. Ecc. 756, — in which the will was attested by the marks of the two subscribing witnesses, both of whom were dead, and there was no person living who was present at the execution to testify to the making of the marks, and yet the will was admitted to probate. Applying the principles stated to the case under consideration, I have no doubt of what my determination should be.. I have before me proof of the handwritings

I hold that the will was duly executed, and I will sign a decree admitting it to probate.