Case Name: Deacon Murphy, John McK. Minton, Jr., Deacon Murphy, as liquidating partner of the firm of Edwards, Murphy and Minton, and Mark Townsend, complainants-appellants, v. Westfield Trust Company and Louis Lawrence, as substituted administrators and executors of the estate of Marie D. Norton, deceased, et al., defendants-respondents
Court: New Jersey Court of Errors and Appeals
Jurisdiction: New Jersey
Decision Date: 1942-01-09
Citations: 130 N.J. Eq. 600
Docket Number: 
Parties: Deacon Murphy, John McK. Minton, Jr., Deacon Murphy, as liquidating partner of the firm of Edwards, Murphy and Minton, and Mark Townsend, complainants-appellants, v. Westfield Trust Company and Louis Lawrence, as substituted administrators and executors of the estate of Marie D. Norton, deceased, et al., defendants-respondents.
Judges: 
Reporter: New Jersey Equity Reports
Volume: 130
Pages: 600–601

Head Matter:
Deacon Murphy, John McK. Minton, Jr., Deacon Murphy, as liquidating partner of the firm of Edwards, Murphy and Minton, and Mark Townsend, complainants-appellants, v. Westfield Trust Company and Louis Lawrence, as substituted administrators and executors of the estate of Marie D. Norton, deceased, et al., defendants-respondents.
[Argued October 27th, 1941.
Decided January 9th, 1942.]
Mr. John Milton, Mr. Harry Lane and Messrs. Townsend <& Doyle, for the complainants-appellants.
Mr. Martin P. O’ Connor,, for Westfield Trust Company and Louis Lawrence, substituted administrators with the will annexed of Marie D. Norton, deceased, and Louis Lawrence, individually.
Mr. Arthur R. Lewis, for Stuart Norton Lawrence et al.
Mr. William M. Beard, for Westfield Trust Company, individually.

Opinion:
Per Curiam.
The decree appealed from will be affirmed for the reasons expressed by Vice-Chancellor Stein, reported in 129 N. J. Eq. 389, in so far as the same lead to the view that the contract sued upon did not comprehend the omission in Keller's will to make final distribution of the two-fourths part of the corpus remaining over after the life estates of Josephine De Eonge and Annie Townsend Ashmore. Supporting citations on the proposition that in the distribution of personalty under R. S. 3:26-6 and R. S. 3:5-6 et seq., the half blood and the whole blood are on an equal footing are: In re Peake, 115 N. J. Eq. 233; affirmed, 116 N. J. Eq. 565; Smith v. McDonald, 71 N. J. Eq. 261; In re Tantum, 97 N. J. Eq. 271; In re Bell, 99 N. J. Eq. 835. For a review of the earlier authorities see In re Zeek, 40 N. J. L. J. 297.
We reserve opinion on the defense of laches.
For affirmance — The Chief-Justice, Case, Bodine, Donges, Hei-ier, Perskie, Porter, Colie, Dear, Wells, WolesKeil, Eafeerty, Hague, JJ. 13.
For reversal — None.