On the merits appellants argue that Charles H. Knights at no time had any legal right, title or interest in the lands in question excepting a life estate, and that he could not have made a conveyance of the lands in fraud of appellee's marital rights for the reason that he had never had an estate of inheritance in the property either before or after his marriage to her. Equity looks through forms to the substance of a transaction, and will not permit the rights of parties to be sacrificed to the mere letter but will look to the spirit of the transaction to discover the truth. Courts of equity will not be misled by mere devices nor baffled by mere forms, but they will disregard names and penetrate disguises of form to discover the substance of an act or transaction. (10 R. C. L. 380.) By whatever method of procedure it is accomplished, there is no doubt that a transaction by which property is purchased by a debtor in the name of another to defraud his creditors may be avoided by those creditors, the property subjected to their claims and the same result obtained as if the title were actually in him. The intricacies of the machinery and the number of instruments employed in effecting the conveyance can make no difference. (12 R. C. L. 601.) With respect to her marital rights, the law affords the same protection to a. wife as to a creditor, and the wife is within the protection of the statute against conveyances made with intent to defraud. (Higgins v. Higgins, 219 Ill. 146; Blankenship v. Hall, 233 id. 116.) The situation presented by this record requires the application of the doctrine of equitable conversion. When a valid, enforceable contract has been entered into for the sale of real estate, as between the vendor and vendee equity regards the vendee as the owner of the land and the vendor as the owner of the purchase money. The vendor is regarded as the trustee of the naked legal title for the benefit of the vendee, and the vendee is the trustee of the purchase money for the benefit of the vendor. Therefore Craig, and through him Charles H. Knights, was the equitable owner of the real estate in question after the contract of sale was entered into, in November, 1913. (Rhodes v. Meredith, 260 Ill. 138.) It has been so often said, and the authorities are so numerous, that if a prospective husband transfers his property before marriage with the intention of defrauding his intended wife of her rights of dower or any other interest which she might have as his wife in his property, such transfer is, generally, in equity held a fraud upon the marital rights of the wife, that citation of authorities see:ns unnecessary. The question is fully discussed in Jarvis v. Jarvis, 286 Ill. 478. A voluntary conveyance, such as the one now before us, made prior to a contemplated marriage by either party without the knowledge of the other is prima facie evidence of fraud on the other's marital rights. Daniher v. Daniher, 201 Ill. 489; Jones v. Jones, 281 id. 595. Under the undisputed evidence in this record, and in conformity with the settled principles of equity, we hold that the chancellor properly held that all the transactions by which Charles H. Knights disposed of his interest in the 200-acre farm and placed the money received therefrom in the 80-acre farm in question were one continuous scheme to defraud appellee of her marital rights in her prospective husband's property. The decree of the circuit court is affirmed. Decree affirmed. INDEX. PAGE. ABORTION. ACTIONS AND DEFENSES. stockholders may defend a suit against a corporation if 115 119 .... 120 when injured employee may bring action for negligence .... 223 226 when instruction as to right of self-defense should not re- 227 remedy for intentional diversion of funds levied for build- 290 performance of legal duty imposed upon corporation may 324 324 agent of foreign insurance corporation may be compelled .... 361 428 428 471 513 ACTIONS AND DEFENSES.—Continued. when joint obligees cannot sue separately on injunction when bill to enjoin threatened trespass by highway com- .... PAGE. 526 599 ADMINISTRATION.-See EXECUTORS AND ADMINIS- TRATORS. direct appeal may be taken to determine validity of ap- 193 .... court must grant letters to public administrator under sec- 194 194 ordinary administrator is not a public officer-effect upon AGENCY.-See PRINCIPAL AND AGENT. AMENDMENTS. when provisions of a special act are repealed or amended 218 record of levy of road district taxes may be amended by 312 APPEALS AND ERRORS. when cause need not be remanded to Appellate Court in 40 when, only, will reviewing court reverse judgment of con- 124 Appellate Court cannot decline to review merits because no propositions of law were submitted........ when freehold is not involved in suit to construe will..... 320 532 ... 551 when right to have question of liability to a money judg- |