Nicholas v. Nicholas

Feb 27, 1883
Reporters:
, ,
Before:
Graves
Graves, C. J.

The view to be taken of this case depends exclusively on the testimony, and ‍‌‌​​​‌​‌​​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​​‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌‌‌‌​‌‌‍it would serve no useful purpose to write out a discussion on it. Scattered through the large record there are many traces of truth and of untruth, and numerous instances ‍‌‌​​​‌​‌​​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​​‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌‌‌‌​‌‌‍of coloring and of exaggeration. There is much to believe and much to disbelieve, and the case is one of those where the decision of the judge exercising primary jurisdiction ‍‌‌​​​‌​‌​​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​​‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌‌‌‌​‌‌‍on matters of fact ought not to be overruled by a court of appeal except upon clear and satisfactory grounds. The. appellate tribunal ought to be fully persuaded that it must have ‍‌‌​​​‌​‌​​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​​‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌‌‌‌​‌‌‍reached a different conclusion had it occupied the position of the court appealed from and been favored with all the advantages of that court for judging rightly.

Acting on this idea ‍‌‌​​​‌​‌​​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​​‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌‌‌‌​‌‌‍of what is proper it is our duty to affirm the decree.

Cooley and Marston, JJ. concurred.