Cassidy v. Cassidy

On May 15,1951, John Cassidy was a patient in a veteran’s hospital. He was critically ill and suffering from certain incurable diseases which caused his death on August 15, 1951. Cassidy had been a member of the New York City employees’ retirement system for many years and the plaintiff, his wife, had been designated to receive any benefits accruing in the event of his death prior to retirement.

On May 15, 1951, Cassidy apparently executed and acknowledged two documents. The first was an application for service retirement. It appears therefrom that it was executed before a commissioner of…