Court Opinion

ID: 9659999
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-23 22:00:36.348185+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T18:14:13.759993
License: Public Domain

GANNON, Justice;
This is a plenary or independent suit originally brought in the county court of Colorado County under the provisions of Articles 5534, 3433 and 3434, V.A.T.S., Probate Code, arts. 93, 11, 33, to set aside the probate of an instrument dated May 26, 1938, ■ previously established by judgment of that court as the last will of Géorge Seydler, deceased. Plaintiffs joined with their suit to set aside the probate of the instrument of May 26, 1938, an application to probate a later instrument dated June 8, 1938. On appeal to the district court, at a trial before the court ■without a jury, all relief prayed for by plaintiffs arid applicants was denied,' and théy appeal to this Court.
■ The plairitiffs are F. H. Seydler, Maurice Seydler and Richard Seydler. -The- defendants.-are Erna Strobel Baumgarten, a ■widow) who is sued individually and in •her capacity, as guardian of Myrna Loy Baumgarten, the minor Myrna,-Loy Baumr -garten being alleged to be the sqle heir of Victor Baumgarten, deceased,, and others, including .Magnolia Petroleum Company, who, it is alleged, assert an interest in property belonging to the estate of the decedent. .
The case was tried in the 'District Court 'ori an agreed staterrient “constituting all the facts involved.” From this statement, *469which incorporates the testimony of the witnesses in narrative form, the following appears:
1.' The cause was properly and regularly before the District Court on appeal from the judgment of the County Court.
• 2. On January S, '1955, Erna Strobel Baumgarten. made application to the County Court of Colorado County to probate as a muniment of title an instrument dated May 26/1938, as the -last will and testament cf -George S'eydler, deceased.
3. The instrument dated May 26, 1938, is a will of George Seydler, deceased. It recites that at the time óf its execution .■George Seydler was a'single man.. By’this will there, is bequeathed to a sister. ,and 'brother of decedent $1 :each, all.,the rest and residue .of the estate,' after payment of debts and funeral expenses, being devised and bequeathed to Erna Strobel Baum-garten, a niece, and to Victor Baumgarten, her husband, a nephew by marriage.
4. After due notice and citation, the •application to probate was heard and granted and the instrument of May 26, 1938, was admitted to probate as a muniment of title ■by order dated January 17, 1955.
One of the attesting witnesses, W. R. Keuper, ■ appeared at the hearing in the County Court and proved the execution of the instrument dated May 26, 1938. The .agreed statement makes reference to Keu-per’s testimony in the County Court and it .appears in the transcript as a part of the papers in- the District Court. This testimony'is in -the usual short form of. “Proof of- Will” and contains the -following relating 'to nonrevocation as the’ testimony of this witness giveh at the hearing on January 17, 1955: “Said George Seydler'died without having revoked, said last will, and testament.” ’ .
5. On- March 25; 1955, plaintiffs filed this independent suit in the County Court •of Colorado County, to .set aside the'probate of the instrument of May 26, 1938, and joined therewith an application to probate as the last will and testament of the decedent, ,but as a muniment of title only, an instrument dated June 8, 1938. The sole ground of plaintiffs’ independent suit to set aside the probate of the instrument, of May 26, 1938, was that this instrument -was not the last will, and, testament of the decedent be.cause it was revoked by a later ■valid will, to-wit: the instrument of-June -,⅝ 1938. _ .; . :■ , ’. ' /; ; ,
The instrument of June 8,, 1938, in full, is as follows:' "
..-“The State of Texas , j. .“County .of .Wharton'.}
.“Know all men by .these presents, that' I, 'George Seydler, of the County of Wharton, and'State of Texas, being in good health, and of soun.d and' disposing mind and memory, tdo make and publish this, my last 'will and testament, hereby revoking all wills by me at any time heret,o-for’e made. (Emphasis supplied.)
' “First: I. direct that my.just debts shall ■be. .paid, and that the legacies hereinafter given'shall, after the payment of my debts, be paid out o'f my.estate.
“Second: I give all my real'and personal property to my nephews as follows: F. H. Seydler — one-third, (½), Maurice Seydler —one-third (½) 'and Richard Seydler— oné-third (1/3).
“Third: I hereby constituye and appoint John I Marik sole, ¡exe.cütor of this my will without bond.
:. “In- witness whereof I have hereunto set my; hand this the 8th day of June,. A.D., 1938, in the presence of L. G. Laven dusky ■and..Roy H. McConnaghy who attest the same at my 'request. 1
(Signed) George, Seydler
“The above instrument' was now here ■.subscribed bjr George .Seydler, the testator, *470in our'presence, and we, at his request, and in his presence, sign our names, hereto as attesting witnesses: ■
(Signed) L..G. Lavendusky
(Signed) Roy H. McConnaghy”
6. The plaintiffs’ witnesses, L.' G. Lav-endusky, Roy H. McConnaghy and John D. Marik, testified by deposition taken in the counties of their respective domiciles. Their testimony appears in the agreed statement in narrative form, as follows:
L. G. Lavendusky
“ * * * That he now resided at Temple in Bell County, Texas, and had resided there since November, 1939. That on June 8, 1938, he resided at East Bernard, in Fort Bend County, Texas, where he had lived until he moved to Temple. He was over fourteen years of age in 1938. That he knew George Seydler in June, 1938, and would judge Seydler to be in. his seventies at that time. That Seydler appeared to be of sound mind at that time. That after inspecting the original of the instrument dated June 8, 1938, and purporting to bear the signatures of Georgd Seydler, L. G. Lavendusky and Roy H. McConnaghy, he could and- did identify the signature of L. G. .Lavendusky as being his own signature. That he did not recall ever having seen the instrument before and that he could n.ot remember signing the same. He could not identify the signatures of any other person on the instrument.”
■Roy H. McConnaghy
"* * * That he now resided at East Bernard-in Fort' Bend County, Texas, and ■ had lived there since 1911. That-on June 8, 1938, he. was 46 years- of áge. .Thát he had formerly known a George-Seydler who used to run a store.-in East Bernard, but,-that he did not know whether said George Seydler was living or dead on ■June 8, 1938. That the- last time he' saw .George Seydler was when Seydler came ■down from Schúlenburg and ,he and Seyd-,ler had some, drinks at1 Old Dutch’s and Seydler passed out. That after inspecting the original of the instrument dated June 8, 1938, and purporting to bear the signatures of George Seydler, L. G. Laven-dusky and Roy H. McConnaghy, he could and did identify the signature of Roy H. McConnaghy as being his own signature. That he did not recall ever having seen the instrument before and that he could not remember signing the same. He could not identify the signatures of any other person on the instrument.”
John I. Marik
“That he now resided at East Bernard in Fort Bend County, Texas, and had lived there, or near there, for all of his life, 55 years. That he was now Justice of the Peace, City Tax Collector, and engaged in the insurance business, and had formerly been School Tax Collector also. . That for about twenty years prior to 1935 he worked as a bookkeeper for J. G. Lever-idge Company at East Bernard, in the lumber, feed and grocery business. That he knew George Seydler first in about 1925 to 1928. That George Seydler was approximately 70 to 72 years of age in 1938. That while working for the Leveridge Company he had occasion to see Seydler write his name and was familiar with his signature. That after inspecting the original of the instrument dated June 8, 1938, and purporting to bear the signatures of George Seydler, L. G. Lavendusky and .Roy H. McConnaghy,; he could and did identify. ⅝11 three signatures as being their . own signatures. That he did not see either George.Seydler, L. G. Lavendusky or Roy ,H. McConnaghy sign the instrument dated June 8,-1938 and shown to-him.”
Testimony of the witnesses, Agnes My-ree Seydler, Isabelle Cardenes and F. H. -Seydler .was included in the agreed statement in. narrative form as the same was given in the County Court, as follows: -
*471Agnes Myree Seydler
“That she was the wife of F. H. Seydler, one of the plaintiffs, and resided with her husband at 826 Eastland, Houston, Texas, where they had lived for approximately 24 to 25 years. That she knew George Seyd-ler for about 30 years. That he visited in. Tier home on several occasions and that she had seen him write his name and coitld , identify his signature. After being shown' the instrument dated June 8, 1938, she could identify the signature 'George Seydler’, ■subscribed to such instrument, as,the signature of George Seydler, now deceased, who was the uncle of her , husband,' F.' ÍH. ■Seydler.”
Isabelle Cardenes'
“That she was formerly Isabelle Seydler and that1 George Seydler was her: uricle. That she was now 50 years of age and knew George Seydler in June of 1938, .and that he was over 21 years of age at that time. That he visited in her hom in 1938 and he was of sound mind at-that time. That she had, seen . him write, his name ■on different occasions and could identify hiS‘ signature. After being shown the instrument dated June 8, 1938, she could .and- did identify the signature ‘George .Seydler,’ subscribed to such instrument, as the signature of George Seydler, now deceased,. who was the uncle of -Isabelle Car-menes.” ■
, G. H. Seydler
“That he was familiar with the signature -of George' Seydler, his uncle, and after' being shown the instrument dated' June '8,■ 1938, he identified the signature of ‘Georgé Seydler,’ subscribed thereto as the signature of the said George Seydler, his uncle. That the first' time he saw such instrument ■dated June '8, 1938,' was sometime in ‘June-of 1938 when he received the instrument through the mail. That he had kept such instrument in a box in his home, in his" possession, since that time. That George Seydler died in 1951, a resident of Colorado ■County, Texas. That he was over 21 years of age on June .8, 1938, and was of sound mind at that -time. That so far as he knows, such instrument had not been revoked.”
The foregoing is thé substance of ' the agreed statement'Upon which the case.was tried in the District Court, ■ from which it appears negatively that .defendants offered no testimony to contradict that offered by the plaintiffs and that they rely for- support of the judgment of the trial court entirely -upon .the proceedings resulting in the probate of the instrument of May;26, 1938, and upon the insufficiency, ⅝§. a matter ,of law, of plaintiffs’ proof to establish the instrument. of June 8,- 1938, as a valid will legally executed. ■
The manner of submission ,of the case to the trial court on an agreed statement,, incorporating the testimony of witnesses, seems to us to be somewhat unusual; however, all parties treat the submission ás if the witnesses, each and all, had testified in the District Court either in person or by deposition and we decide the case on that assumption.
Plaintiffs ’ contend the case should be reversed and' rendered in their favor because the proof establishes as'a matter of-law that the instrument of June 8, 1938, was executed with all thé' formalities and Sdlémnitiés required by law to' máke it a" valid will arid that it therefore was entitled to probate as the last will of the decedent, revoking any and all wills theretofore executed by decedent, including the 'instrument of ‘ May 26, 1938.' Specifically they rely for reversal upon the following points':
“Point #1.- This cause should be reversed because, the uncontradicted evidence. shows the instrument dated June 8, 1938, to be the last will of George Seydler,. and that it was executed with all the formalities and solemnities and under, the circumstances to make it a valid wijl. .
“Point #2. The hand writing of the testator and the Attesting witnesses having been proven by two or more competent *472witnesses, the attesting clause of the will, raised the legal presumption that the attesting witnesses- signed; the will in :the presence of the testator, and1 will stand until rebutted by competent evidence. (Emphasis supplied.)
“Point #3. The will of George Seydler' dated Juné 8, 1938 contained the usual clause, revoking all wills heretofore tóade, when' it' was' proven to be a valid' will, it revoked and annuled the will dated May 26th, 1938 by its own terms. The admitting of the instrument dated May 26th, 1938 to probate could not breath life into it, or require the proponents of the will dated' June 8th, to produce more 'evidence to prove its due -execution than the Statutes or law requires.”
The appellees say the 'judgment of the District Court should be affirmed because the evidence was insufficient.as a matter of' law to establish revocation of the will of May 26, 1938, i. e., to establish the revoking instrument of June 8, 1938, as a validly executed will ; and alternatively, that considered in its most favorable light from the standpoint of plaintiffs the evidence only raised issues of fact in- this respect, which issues of fact have been properly determined against plaintiffs.
As presented in the brief, we gained the impression that the defendants relied upon the insufficiency of the proof to establish, as a matter of law, either (a) the genuineness of the testator’s signature to the instrument of June 8, 1938, or (b) that such instrument was subscribed by the witnesses in the presence of. the testator, as required by law. However, at the oral argument counsel for defendants stated they claimed no fraud and made no point of the genuineness of the signaturé of the decedent to the instrument of June 8, 1938. So their case as presented to us is limited to the contentions (a) that the evidence was legally insufficient and incompetent to show the witnessing of the instrument of June 8, 1938, as required by law for non-holographic wills, and (b) that at most the evidence only raised -an issüe- of fact in this respect which the trial court was free to decide and did decide against the plaintiffs.
Independently of the . concession made by counsel for defendants, we think it clear that the evidence compelled a finding of the genuineness of the signature of the testator to the instrument of Juñe 8, 1938, as a matter of law. That the instrument bore the genuine signature of George Seydler was established by the un-contradicted testimony not only 'of the interested witnesses^ F. H. Seydler and his wife, Agnes Myree Seydler, but as well by the uncontradicted testimony ..of the witness, John I. Marik, and that of Isabelle Cardenes.
In the brief defendants claim that Marik and Cardenes were interested witnesses becáuse Marik was named executor in the instrument of June 8, 1938,- and because Isabellé Cardenes, being a niece !of George Seydler, was related to the plaintiffs, who were his nephews. The witness Isabelle Cardenes, for aught the -record shows, bears the same relationship to the defendant, Erna Baumgarten, as- she ■ does to the plaintiffs, and there is nothing in the record to show that this witness had or was calculated to have any bias-hr prejudice in favor of, or ■ against, any ’ of the parties-plaintiff or defendant. As to the witness Marik — while it is true he was named as executor — it is also true that the record shows that office to be functus officio, since it was established that as of the. time- of the application for probate there was no necessity for administration on the estate and the proceeding was one involving solely a claimed muniment of title. Therefore, we see no possible interest in the controversy on the part of the witness Marik. In this state qf .the record, with at least two disinterested witnesses testifying to the genuineness of testator’s signature and the defendants being content to stand mute on the point without offering-*473any evidence when clearly it was in their power to do so, we think there would have keen no justification for the trial court refusing to accept the undisputed testimony in respect to the genuineness of the tesr tator’s signature to the instrument-of June 8, 1938, coming as it did under ’ circumstances wholly ■ free- of suspicion. The Supreme Court in Cochran v. Wool Growers Central Storage Co., 1942, 140 Tex. 184, 166 S.W.2d 904 908, declared as an ■exception to the general rule permitting rejection of the uncontradicted testimony of an interested witness that such testimony is to be taken as true as a matter of law where “not. contradicted by any other., witness, or attendant circumstances, and the same is clear, direct and positive, and free from contradiction, inaccuracies, and circumstances tending to cast suspicion thereon.”
Since there is no claim of either undue. influence or want of testamentary capacity, and since the signatures of the testator and of competent subscribing witnesses are established as genuine without dispute, the narrow basic question before us is: Where, as here, the memory of the living subscribing witnesses, each and both, of all circumstances surrounding their witnessing of the will has completely faded — being dead, as it were — is a full attestation clause such as appears on the instrument of June '8, 1938, admissible and competent as secondary hearsay évidence to establish that the subscribing witnesses, each and both, attested the will, as required by Article 8283, V.A.T.S., Probate Code, art. 59, i. e., by subscribing their names in the presence of the testator?
We regard the affirmative of the question as settled by the overwhelming weight of authority elsewhere, and consider that the Texas cases of Massey v. Allen, Tex.Com. App., 1923, 248 S.W. 1067, and Wilson v. Paulus, Tex.Com.App., 1929, 15 S.W.2d 571, 573, holdings approved, clearly indicate that the general rule obtains in Texas.
In Wilson v. Paulus, the Commission of Appeals approved the text of 40 Cyc. 1304, as follows: : .
“ ‘A full attestation clause reciting compliance with all formalities of execution and signed.by the witness is prima facie evidence of the validity of the will, although, the witness’ memory is faulty, or he contradicts the facts stated in the clause, or where he is dead. The statements of the attestation clause may, however, be rebutted by proper evidence.’ ”
However the case was reversed because the attestation clause was'not itself properly proved up in that the evidence established the genuineness of the signature of only one of the subscribing, witnesses.
Massey v. Allen, stipra, holds that' the statutory' provisions for proving up a written will produced in'court are not exclusive and that 'When such ' provisions' are . not applicable, other common law methods áre admissible. Though the opinion of the Commission in Massey v. Allen is not expressly approved by the Court itself, we consider the holding .amply supported by Supreme Court authority cited in the opinion.
■ In Massey v;'-Allen, supra [248 S.W. 1069], one of the subscribing witnesses was deceased and the memory of the other in respect to the transaction in which he signed his name as a subscribing witness was dead. There was no direct proof that the will was .witnessed by either of the subscribing witnesses in the presence of the testator, as required by statute, and apparently the instrument there in controversy carried .no attestation clause above the signatures of the subscribing witnesses. There was only the fact of the witnesses having subscribed as such. There was no proof, either • direct or 'circumstantial,' to negative-the proper execution of the will, as required by statute. But the signatures of the subscribing witnesses, each and both, were properly proved up. The Court of *474Civil Appeals held the will .entitled 'to probate and the Supreme Court affirmed. The Commission of Appeals stated:
“From these authorities and from .those cited hereafter on the proposition that the witness Williams’ memory being dead, his attestation should be given the same standing as though he'himself were jphysically dead, we are constrained to hold that the probate óf the -will in controversy herein ought not to-be defeated for-the reason that there is no direct testimony that the witnesses signed the instrument in the presence of the testator, and that, as the facts and the circumstances surrounding the transaction, no fraud being shown, satisfy us .that the will was duly executed with all the formalities and solemnities required by law, and that there being no evidence that the will was not signed in the presence of the testator, -Williams’ attestation being fplly proven, the statute not being appli.cable,-, the .legal presumption from all; the facts -is that the will was-signed,'with all .such formalities and solemnities.”
Having held, the provisions of Article 3267, Vernon’s 1914 Texas Statutes, now Section 84 of the Probate Code, inapplicable, the Court turned to the common law, being by'statute the rule of decision- in Texas; and said: .
“There' being no statute applicable to the facts in this case, and no' decision of our Supreme Court or’ Courts‘of" Civil Appeals to guide' us in passing upon this question,"we thereforerefer to’the common law for our rule of' evidence as p'rovid'ed under the last-named statute. The doctrine laid down in the case of Greenoúgh' v. Greenough, .11 Pa. 489, '51 Am.Dec. 567, meets our'approval as stating the rule and the reason for the rule:
“ ‘But what avails it that the man is living, if- his memory is dead? If it were blotted out -by paralysis, or worn out by decay, his attestation would stand for proof by-a witness; but it must be immaterial how or by what means it lost its tenacity. The law of. double proof would place wills', on ticklish ground did it leave them to-depend ón the' incorruptibility of attesting-witnesses or on their exemption from growing infirmity-.- Even where they flinch from their attestation, it satisfies the demands of the statute in the first instance,, and is evidence to confront them before a. jury. - After the testator has executed his will in conformity to the requirements of the law, it would.be a mockery of his right of testamentary. disposal to exclude presumptive or secondary evidence of a compliance with.forms that would be received-, in cases of another nature.’
“The authorities outside of this state are-apparently unanimous in holding that, if the witnesses to the will are produced in. court and are forgetful of all the facts,, the law in such cases will supply the defect' of proof by presuming that the requirements of the statute were duly observed,, unless the contrary is proved, and we cite a few of them ás follows: Greenleaf om Ev. (16th Ed.) § 38a., p. 135; 1 Jones on-Év. § 50 ; 2 Wigmore on Ev. §§ 1511, 1512;, 1 Alexander on Wills, § 511, p. 694; Beach, on the Law of Wills, par. 39; 40 Cyc. par. J., p. 1273; Deupree v. Deupree, 45 Ga. 415; Barnes v. Barnes, 66 Me. 286; Eliot v. Eliot, 10 Allen, Mass., 357; Fatheree v. Lawrence, 33 Miss. 585, 622; Chaffee v. Baptist Missionary Convention, 10 Paige, N.Y., 85, 40 Am.Dec, 225; Clarke v. Dun-navant, 10 Leigh, Va., 13-22; Ela v. Edwards, 16 Gray, Mass., 91; Orser v. Orser,. 24 K.Y. 51; O’Hagan’s Will, 73 Wis. 78, 40 N.W. 649, 9 Am.St.Rep. 763.”
The -languagé óf Massey, v. Allen, supra,, is sufficiently strong to support the proposition that the mere presence of signatures of subscribing witnesses, even without an attestation clause, raises a presumption of law as distinguished 'from a presumption of fact of, the due execution of the will.
• In-addition to the authorities cited in-Ma'ssey v. Allen, see the annotation in 76-A.L.R. .,617 reaching the conclusion from numerous cases that all courts which have *475■considered the question “rule that- a com-, píete attestation clause recitin'g an ,ob-. seryance of' all statutory requirements raises a presumption of the due execution ’ of a will if there is no contest as- to the g-enuineness of the signatures of the witnesses, or that of the testator, or' after these signatures are proved to be genuine.'

“And such presumption exists, although there is a failure of memory by the witnesses as to the facts, relative to the.exe-. cution.” , ,
The following quotation from 'Under-wood v. Thurman, 1900, 111 Gal’325; 36 S.E. 788, 790, set oüt in the annotation, supra',is explanatory of the sweep of the rule:--
“An attestation clause, appearing upon a testamentary paper, and containing a recital of all the facts essential to .its due execution as a will, as .was the case here, raises a presumption that such paper was . executed with all the requisite legal formalities pertaining to wills, if it be shown, as- was done in the present instance,, that the alleged testator and the witnesses actually affixed their signatures to the, instrument ; nor does it. matter that as to, two of the witnesses there was such a failure, of memory, as that above indicated. ‘If a will purports to have been duly signed, attested, and witnessed, on proof of execution the court will presume, in the case of ., the death of the witnesses, or in case they • do not remember the facts connected with its execution, that the law- was complied with.’ 1 Jones, Ev. § 44, p. 89. On. this subject Greenleaf says: ‘If the subscribing witnesses to a will are dead, or if, being present, they are forgetful of all the facts, . or of any material fact -to its due execution, the law will in such cases supply the de- . feet of proof by presuming that - the requisites of the statute were duly observed.’ 1 Greenl.Ev. (16th Ed.) § 38a... From. 1 Redf.Wills, (4th Ed.) * 238, we extract the following: ‘It seems to be well. .settled. ■ that, in the absence of all proof, the witnesses being deceased or not in a condition to give testimony, the presumption- omnia, rite acta will arise, .as in ordinary cases... So,- also, where- the attestátion is general, ■ not enumerating the particulars* it will • be presumed the will was duly executed, .unless the contrary appear. And) where the. attestation clause contains.all the-partial-. lars of a good execution, it will always be 1 prima facie- evidence of- due execution,. and -will often prevail over the testimony of the witnesses who give evidenefe tending to show that soráe of .the requisites were . omitted.’ The ■ distinguished áúthor also says that ‘the- mere forgetfulness.- óf the witnesses of the facts certified -in the at7 testation clause is not regarded as an ob-. struction to granting -probate. of .the will,’ and, after referring to a case where probate ; was allowed even where the witnesses de- - posed that the-legal .requirements were not complied with, adds that it has been held - that the presumption of due execution ‘will - only :be made .where the' will, upon its face, appears to have'been duly executed-, • or, being lost, ■ proper evidence is adduced. of such having been the.fact.’ ”
We hold there was conipetent évideñee-to ' support the’due execution of.the instrument of June 8, 1938, as á will, and now consider whether the evidence in its' énti'rety compelled' a finding of .due execution 'or ' only raised an issue' of fact in respect t'o' the subscribing witnes'sés"' having signed as such in the presence, of the' testator,' which is the only fact issue appellees claim the evidence raises. ' , ' '
To support their contention appellees rely heavily upon the probate of the earlier-instrument of May 26, 1938, and on the evidence of the subscribing witness, W. R. Keuper, to such earlier instrument, as follows : “Said George Seydler died without having revoked his last will and testament.” Additionally, appellees rely upon the failure of the proponents of' the instrument of June 8, 1938, to offer any .evidence other than the attestation clause with respect to the circumstances attending the, preparation and execution of.the instrument of June 8, 1938; their failure to offer any explana*476tion of why the testator would revoke the will of May 26, 1938, within thirteen days after its execution; and the failure of proponents of the instrument of June 8, 1938, to offer any evidence in respect to the relationship between them and the testator other than the bare fact of their-kinship as nephews of the testator. The appellees also point to the failure of appellants to explain from whom the will was received other than that it came to appellant Seydler in the mails, and as well to appellants’ failure to produce the draftsman of the instrument. or to present any evidence in respect to the circumstances under which the will was drafted. In our opinion, had appellants made proof along these omitted lines, such proof would not have shed any light on the narrow question ■ — which is the only one before us — of whether the will was properly witnessed by the subscribing witnesses in the presence of the testator. Then, too, it would appear that the omitted proof, so far as the record shows, was equally available to appellees as to appellants, except possibly proof in respect to the party from whom the will was received by the appellant Seydler. However this latter detail strikes us as wholly irrelevant to the proper execution of the will in view of the concession of the genuineness of all the signatures appearing on the instrument of June 8, 1938. In short we are unable to see how any of the above could have had any probative force in respect to the due execution of the will, which is the sole grounds of defense to appellants’ suit, unless it be either the fact of the probate of the earlier instrument carrying with it, as such probate does, a finding of nonrevocation, or the testimony of the witness Keuper to the effect that the earlier instrument had not been revoked.
We first consider the probative effect of the judgment establishing the earlier will. •
 Appellees cite several cases stating that the fact of probate of a will entitles it' to “every presumption * * * in favor of * * * [its] validity,” including Bell v. Bell, Tex.Civ.App., 248 S.W.2d 978, 982, and Cook v. Denike, Tex. Civ.App., 216 S.W. 437. However, rightly understood, we believe .that the “presumption” referred to in these cases is actually no more than an administrative assumption. And that in a proceeding of this kind to set aside the probate of a will on the ground of revocation it is not contemplated that the earlier probate be given any weight as evidence but only that the court proceed on the administrative assumption* in the absence of proof, that the earlier probate establishes the validity and non-revocation of the probated instrument. It is true that in a proceeding such as this* under Article 5534, the burden is on the plaintiff affirmatively to show the revocation of the earlier probated will. Richardson v. Ames, Tex.Civ.App., 2 S.W.2d 517. But that burden is only by a “preponderance of the evidence” and we do-not consider the cases as holding, or even intimating,' that in a suit under Art. 5534 the probate of an earlier instrument constitutes “evidence” of its nonrevocation. Such probate, we believe, goes no further than' to raise an administrative assumption-as explained in Empire Gas & Fuel Co. v. Muegge, Tex.Com.App., 1940, 135 Tex. 520* 143 S.W.2d 763, and other cases, which ■ vanishes or is put to flight when positive evidence to the contrary is introduced. For an extended discussion of this ques- ■ tion, see Kilgore v. Gannon, 1916, 185 Ind.. 682, 114 N.E. 446, L.R.A.1917E, 530, and the annotation in L.R.A.1917E, page 533* réviewing cases considering probate of- wills as evidence. In the interest of brevity, we quote a syllabus from Kilgore v. Gannon: “In an action to contest a will, the fact that the will had been admitted to probate was not prima facie evidence that testator was a person of sound mind when he executed the instrument, and that it was duly and properly executed, evidence having been - offered to- the contrary, since the ordinary function of most so-called pre*477sumptions of law, as they relate to the law of evidence, is to cast' on the party against whom the presumption works the duty of going forward with evidence; and, when that duty is performed, - the presumption is functus officio.” (Emphasis supplied.) There are many so-called presumptions; such as of sanity, innocence in civil- cases, that a public officer does his duty, etc., but as declared by the text writers these are in reality only administrative assumptions of a prima facie character which yield, vanish and are put to flight— in short, become functus officio — upon the coming in of positive evidence. Presumptions of this class are not evidence in the sense of proof.
Lastly we come to the question which arises from the presence in the record of testimony of W. R. Keuper, a subscribing witness to the probated instrument, given at the hearing of January 17, 1955, on the application to probate that instrument, that “said George Seydler died without having revoked said last will and testament.” In a proceeding to set aside the probate of a will such as the present, is this competent evidence of the nonrevocation of the instrument of May 26, 1938? Does it add any weight to the presumption of continuity arising from proof of the due execution of the instrument of May.26, 1938? McElroy v. Phink,' 97 Tex. 147, 76 S.W. 753, 77 S.W. 1025; May v. Brown, 144 Tex. 350, 190 S.W.2d 715. If it is, then under this record, it must be evidence either that the testator did not sign the instrument of June 8, 1938, or that the subscribing witnesses did not sign it as witnesses; or if they did that they did not subscribe in the presence of the testator.
We think it perfectly evident that the testimony of the witness Keuper given in the January 17, 1955 hearing, when the probate of the instrument of May 26, 1938 was alone under consideration, was not even intended to go out to or apply to any fact- question of due execution of the instrument of June 8, 1938. Perhaps the quoted testimony of this witness was intended as no more than - evidence of a negative character such as was discussed in Wilson v.-Paulus, Tex.Com.App., 15 S.W.2d 571, 573. Since that decision the view is held in many quarters that it is necessary to intror duce positive evidence of witnesses at probate hearings that the propounded instrument has not beep revoked. . In Wilson v. Paulus, supra, it was held that the testimony of a witness, .as follows: “ ‘Of my own knowledge, I do not know whether or not Mr. Wilson ever revoked this will’ ” was “some evidence” of nonrevocation. With due respect, we regard the ruling as highly questionable and are convinced it proceeded from the court’s then incorrect concept of the necessities of justice. In fairness to the court, it should be pointed out that it is readily deducible the court, as it wrote, was not aware of its own prior holding in McElroy v. Phink, supra, which it afterward followed in May v. Brown, supra, that the mere proof of due execution of a will raises a presumption of continuity and .that this presumption satisfies the demand of the statute for proof of non-revocation.
But be the foregoing as it may, we are satisfied that for another reason the testimony- of..the witness Keuper was not competent evidence,. at least in a proceeding such as the present, of nonrevocation of the instrument of May 26,' 1938. The testimony is couched in terms of rankest legal conclusion. Actually it is nothing more than an out-and-out • conclusion of law,-or. possibly of mixed law and fact. Under well established rules it was clearly incompetent and inadmissible in a proceed-' ing such as the present. Being -incompetent as a mere conclusion, it is not to be given probative effect even though admitted without objection. See Casualty Underwriters v. Rhone, 1939, 134 Tex. 50, 132 S.W.2d 97, 99. We quote:
“The only testimony in the record which would in the least tend to support the conclusion that Rhone was- working *478fer the Beaumont Development Corporation was given by Rhone and McDaniel,each of whom testified that; at the time of' the injury, Rhone was working •' for it.-' Those statements did not amount to any evidence at all. They were but bare conclusions and therefore incompetent,- and; the fact that they were admitted without objection adds -nothing to their probative force. Henry v. Phillips, 105 Tex. 459, 151 S.W. 533; Webb v. Reynolds, Tex.Com.App., 207 S.W. 914; 17 Tex.Jur. 922, Sec. 416.”-
See also Henry v. Phillips, 105 Tex. 459, 151 S.W. 533, 537, holding that incompetent testimony, though admitted,-without objection, may not form a basis of a fact finding. In that case the court had under consideration evidence, hearsay in character, in disparagement of a grantor’s deed duly executed, offered for the purpose of showing the nonexecution , of the deed in question, for the purpose of conveying the land therein described. The court said:
“While the admission of this testimony was not objected to by counsel'for defendants, that fact would be important only in the event its admission was afterwards complained of as violative of-a right reserved to defendants. Such incompetent testimony - cari never form the basis of a finding of facts in an appellate -court, notwithstanding its presence in the record without objection. When the- appellate court comes to apply the law to testimony constituting the facts of the Cáse, it can only base its conclusion upori such testimony as is under the law competent. That which is riot competent testimony- should be given no probative force. The admission of such testimony is no talisman to give effect to that which is- irrelevant' and incompetent to sustain or- deny a' material issue in a case.” - ■
Since so far as the record shows the witness Keuper was available to testify to the details of his, knowledge,, if any, of, the facts in respect-to the.due execution vel no’n of the instrument of-June 8, 1938, we are’ wholly -unable. to see any 'justification,in the light of "the ruling .by the . Supreme Court 'in the ’case of -Henry v, -Phillips, and especially • in the light of-its similar, ruling in Casualty Underwriters v. Rhone, 134 Tex. ■ 50, 132 S .W.2d 97, involving an incompetent conclusion,- for our giving any probative weight toThe outright legal conclusion of the' witness,- especially when he. detailed no fact upon which that legal conclusion was based. It would be idle for us-to determine whether the completely negative testimony of a witness in respect to facts such as was ruled on in Wilson v. Paulus, Supra, would- have any greater probative value than his affirmative speculative legal conclusion such as-is involved here. Consequently we pretermit a discussion of this question.
We are not unaware of such cases as In re Abel’s Will, New York, 1910, 136 App.Div. 788, 121 N.Y.S. 452, holding that an attestation clause does' not give rise to a presumption of law'but is only presumptive evidence of such facts as maybe deduced or inferred from it naturally and that therefore the effect, of an attestation clause is simply to create 'very' strong presumptive evidence of other facts. But such cases must be weighed in the light of the particular statutes' under which they were decided. The New York statute under which 'In 're 'Abel’s Will' was ruled expressly provided' in certain .instances for the establishment' of wills' “upon proof of thé handwriting of the testator, and of' the subscribing witnesses, and also of such other circumstances as would be sufficient to prove' the ,'will upon .the trial of an action.” Surrogate’s Court Act, § 142. (Emphasis supplied.) Howevfer,"Texas has no such statutory provision, and it is evident from Masáey'v. Allen, supra/'thát'in Texas proof -of the attestation -of a w.ilb.-by subscribing witnesses,’even in the-absence of an attestation clause, gives rise to a true, presumption of law as-distinguished from an inference or presumption óf fact. - This-is further clarified-by the holding oí-Wil-son v. -Paulus, supra, that an -attestation: *479clause constitutes presumptive' evidence of the proper execution of a will which “must be overcome by evidence to thé contrary.” This again is in effect a holding that’" an attestation clause gives rise to a true' presumption : of law as distinguished from a mere permissible inference or' presumption of fact. The importance of the distinction i's that a presumption or inference of fact, even in the absence of conflicting evidence, does not forestall a -fact finding to the contrary; whereas a presumption of law does. See1 .17 Tex.Jur., ..p. 245, Evidence — Civil Cases, Sec. 56. -The practical importance is that if the attestation clause tiere. involved raises only a presumption of fact, •the limit" 'of our authority - would be to reverse and remand; whereas if it-raises a true presumption of law,' we are constrained, in the absence of conflicting'competent evidence; to reverse and render. .
On the authority, of .Massey v. Allen and Wilson,v. Paulus,.supra, we bold that the attestation clause here involved raises a presumption of law in favor of the due execution of the will. We further hold under the facts in this record that the declarations showing due execution of the will contained in the attestation clause are competent, admissible, and direct, though hearsay, evidence of the facts recited, which, in the absence of any competent, admissible evidence to the contrary, demands a finding of the due execution of the will.
There are no findings of fact or conclusions of law in the record. We are, therefore, without information in respect to the ground upon which the learned trial court based his decision; but we are inclined to think that he was probably influenced strongly by Jones v. Steinle, Tex. Civ.App., 15 S.W.2d 164, a case relied upon by appellees in this Court. However, we regard Jones v. Steinle as inapplicable. In that case the proponents of the will failed to lay a proper predicate for the introduction of secondary proof and it was ruled, therefore, that such proof could not be re-Ti-ed om Having failed to produce or'account for the absence of one of the attest-•i'ng witnesses and also apparently having failed even to prove the -genuineness of . the signature of such witness, the appellant was held to be- in- no position to complain of an unfavorable fact finding based upon the affirmative testimony of one of the two ■ subscribing'witnesses that1 the testator did not sign- in’thé presence' of' such witness. If the'opinion in Jones v. -Steinle, supra, goes further,'* then it-is; thought contrary to "Massey v. Allen," and Wilson v. Paulus, supra, - and we' decline to follow it.
Reversed and' rendered..
CODY, J., not sitting. .