Case Name: Matter of Degen's Will
Court: New York Supreme Court
Jurisdiction: New York
Decision Date: 1895-07-26
Citations: 68 N.Y. St. Rep. 869
Docket Number: 
Parties: Matter of Degen’s Will.
Judges: 
Reporter: New York State Reporter
Volume: 68
Pages: 869–869

Head Matter:
Matter of Degen’s Will.
Sup. Ct. 2D.
July 26, 1895.
Ayres & Walker, for app’lt; Sheehan, Southworth & Bourns (Henry A. Thompson, of counsel), for resp’t.

Opinion:
Pratt, J.
— This is an appeal from a decree of the surrogate of Kings county, admitting to probate the will of Helene Degen, deceased, etc. An examination of the evidence satisfies us that the conclusions of fact found by the surrogate are fully sustained by the evidence, and that the will was properly admitted to probate. It is true there was some conflict in the testimony, but a clear preponderance seems to be in favor of the proponent. Besides, the surrogate had the advantage of seeing the witnesses and hearing them testify, and was thus better able to judge of the credibility of witnesses than an op=. pellate court. Neither do we discover any error in the rulings of the surrogate upon the trial. There was no merit "in the point that witnesses did not subscribe the will in the presence of the testator. In re Phillips, 98 N. Y. 267. It was not prejudicial to contestants to permit the doctors who examined the testator long previous to the making of the will; to wit, August 20, 1890, to look at the certificate they had made, as they testified to their present recollection. The rule is that in appeals of this kind the error must appear to have prejudiced the appellant to warrant a reversal. Code Civ. Proc. § 3445 ; In re Smith, 95 N. Y. 516. I do not think this case can he properly classed as doubtful. Judgment affirmed.