57 So. 658 | Miss. | 1911
delivered the opinion of the court.
One of the defendants in the court below, Mrs. Jane Stribling, testified that, a short time before her father’s death, he came to her with a roll of money in his hand and said that that was all the money he had left; that he wanted to give it to her, with the understanding that she was to take care of him during his life, and after his death to give him a decent burial; that he actually delivered to her the money, three thousand, six hundred dollars. The appellant, complainant in the court below, objected to this evidence on the ground that the witness was establishing her own claim against the estate of a deceased person. The chancellor overruled the objection. The appellee contends that this witness was not testifying to establish her own claim against the estate
Mrs. Stribling was a competent witness to prove that she received the letter written by Dr. Price, for the purpose of laying the foundation for the introduction of the letter. Cole v. Gardner, 67 Miss. 670, 7 South. 500; Harper v. Lacy, 62 Miss. 5. What purports to be a copy of the letter is attached, as an exhibit, to the defendant’s answer; but the letter itself was not introduced, nor was there any evidence accounting for the absence of the original — nothing to show that it was lost or destroyed — and consequently no foundatin was laid for the introduction of its contents, and hence all the evidence relating to the contents of this letter was clearly inadmissible.
The gift or transfer of this money was assailed upon the ground of undue influence; but the complainant failed to meet the burden imposed upon her, and mere suspicion, however strong, is insufficient upon which to set aside the transaction. Powell v. Plant, 23 South. 402.
Objections were made to other portions of the evidence; but, as no harm could possibly be done to either party, either by the admission or rejection of this evidence, we do not consider it necessary to refer to it.
Disregarding entirely the incompetent testimony, there is ample evidence to support the decree, and the same is affirmed. Affirmed.