Piper v. Somerville

The parties to this action are Indians. They lived together on respondent’s farm in Inyo County in the relation of husband and wife without the formality of a marriage ceremony for a period of thirty years. During that entire time appellant acted as the business adviser of respondent and managed all her business affairs. From the manner in which they gave their testimony, and from their letters in the record, it would appear that appellant was much better educated than respondent. He was a deputy sheriff of Inyo County, the local representative of the Indian board and had read some law.

In…