143 Mo. App. 72 | Mo. Ct. App. | 1909
(after stating the facts). — The assignment of the insurance policy to defendant is attacked in plaintiff’s petition on three grounds, lack of consent of the .insurance company, want of mental capacity in the deceased to execute any document at the time this one was executed, and procurement of the assignment through undue influence exercised over the mind of the deceased by defendant. Only the last of the three grounds was submitted to the jury in the instructions, as one on which, if the evidence supported it, they might return a verdict in favor of plaintiff. It will be perceived the main instruction for plaintiff did not leave it to the jury to say whether deceased was of sufficient mental capacity to execute the assignment, but taking for granted he was, directed the jury to find whether defendant, on any one for him, possessed and wielded an undue influence over deceased and thereby
We find no proof of the exercise of undue influence over the mind of deceased by defendant or some person for him, in order to induce the assignment of the policy to defendant. The members of the court have perused the evidence several times and consider it a blank as regards proof of this charge. The only other person than defendant who could have been meant
The judgment is reversed and the cause remanded.