Mo. Rev. Stat. § 429.320
At the instance of any party to said action the court may appoint a referee to hear and report the evidence and to make conclusions and findings of fact and law therein and to report the same to the court for its further action thereon, and the court may confirm and approve said report in full or in parts and may modify the same and make other findings from the evidence reported as may be just and proper and render judgment accordingly. The court shall not appoint in any such equitable action any referee of its own motion. And in any such action the court may, if it deem the parties entitled thereto, or in its discretion submit any issue upon any separate claim or demand to a jury, and any two or more of such issues may in the discretion of the court be submitted to one jury or the court may submit separately such issues to a jury and shall be bound by the findings of the jury thereon in the further proceedings in said cause, subject to the power of the court to grant new trial of such issues.
§ 429.320, RSMo
RSMo 1939 § 3575