Case Name: In the Matter of the Estate of Henry Baldwin, Deceased; James H. Tibbitts, Appellant; Oscar B. Stratton, Administrator, etc., Respondent
Court: New York Court of Appeals
Jurisdiction: New York
Decision Date: 1899-03-21
Citations: 158 N.Y. 713
Docket Number: 
Parties: In the Matter of the Estate of Henry Baldwin, Deceased. James H. Tibbitts, Appellant; Oscar B. Stratton, Administrator, etc., Respondent.
Judges: Gray, Bartlett, Haight and Vann, JJ., concur; Parker, Oh. J., reads dissenting opinion; O’Brien and Martin, JJ., not voting.
Reporter: New York Reports
Volume: 158
Pages: 713–719

Head Matter:
In the Matter of the Estate of Henry Baldwin, Deceased. James H. Tibbitts, Appellant; Oscar B. Stratton, Administrator, etc., Respondent.
(Argued February 27, 1899;
decided March 21, 1899.)
Appeal—Discretionary Order op Surrogate. Appeal from affirmance of a surrogate’s ofder vacating a stay on probate, denying an application for issuance of letters testamentary and relief from a stipulation of renunciation by an executor, and granting letters of administration with the will annexed, dismissed, on the ground that the granting of the order was discretionary and therefore not reviewable in the Court of Appeals.
Appeal from an order of the Appellate Division of the Supreme Court in the fourth judicial department, entered July 11,1898, affirming an order of the Surrogate’s Court of the county of Steuben.
This was a proceeding for the probate of the will of Henry Baldwin, deceased. The probate was contested upon the grounds of duress, undue influence and the incompetency of the testator. . Objections were also filed to the granting of letters to one of the executors named in the will. The appellant, Tibbitts, who was the other executor, stipulated that if letters were denied to his co executor and opposition to the probate withdrawn, he would renounce and consent that letters of administration with the will annexed be issued to himself and the respondent, Stratton. Opposition to the probate was abandoned,' the will admitted, and the hearing adjourned for the purpose of taking proof upon the.issues raised by the objections, letters in the meantime not to issue.
Thereafter Tibbitts filed a! petition praying to be relieved from his stipulation and that letters testamentary be issued to him, which was denied, and the following order, from the affirmance of which this appeal is taken, was entered :
“ Ordered, That the stay on probate be and is hereby set aside and vacated and that the application for issuance of letters testamentary and relief from stipulation be and same is hereby denied, and that letters of administration with will annexed upon will of Henry Baldwin, dec’d, issue to James H. Tibbitts and Oscar B. Stratton upon filing bond in the sum of forty thousand dollars according to statute and its approval and upon filing oath of office. Leave is given to counsel respectively upon notice to apply for settlement of any allowances for disbursements and counsel fees herein.
Matter of Baldwin, 27 App. Div. 506, appeal dismissed.
“M. RUMSEY MILLER,
“ Surrogate.”
Additional facts are stated in the dissenting opinion.
Francis E. Baldwin for appellant.
John F. Parkhurst for respondent.

Opinion:
Appeal dismissed, with costs, on the ground that the granting of the order was discretionary and, therefore, not reviewable in this court.
Gray, Bartlett, Haight and Vann, JJ., concur; Parker, Oh. J., reads dissenting opinion; O'Brien and Martin, JJ., not voting.