Page:United States v. Samperyac.pdf/28

Rh  Rh   in the Arabian tales, having performed the office for which he was invoked, has vanished into air, and disappeared forever. In addition to these twenty-four deeds of transfer, thirty other deeds of transfer or assignment from the original claimants to John J. Bowie and other persons, are by consent exhibited as evidence in this cause; all these deeds are attested by Lemuel Masters and other names, and certiﬁed by J. Williams, a notary-public in Louisiana, to have been proved before him by Lemuel Masters on the 29th day of February, 1828. The two ﬁrst bear date on the 10th January, 1828; the third and fourth bear date on the 20th; the ﬁfth and sixth on the 21st; the seventh on the 24th; the eighth on the 25th; the ninth and tenth on the 26th; the eleventh on the 27th; the twelfth on the 28th; the thirteenth and fourteenth on the 29th January, 1828; the ﬁfteenth and sixteenth bear date on the 2d day of February, 1828; the seventeenth on the 9th; four more on the 10th; one on the 11th; one on the 13th; one on the 21st; two on the 22d; one on the 25th; one on the 26th ; one on the 27th, and the remaining three on the 28th February, 1828. Lemuel Masters, the witness who proves these deeds, is not an ideal being, but is one of the three witnesses who proves the original claims, and on whose evidence the former decrees of this court were made. This circumstance adds nothing to his credit. Why should one of these witnesses to the original claims, brought here by John J. Bowie, which fact is known to this court, he being the only person who appeared here as agent of the claimants, have been selected to travel round and attest the deeds of transfer from these claimants? All the remarks made in relation to the twenty-four transfers apply with equal force to the thirty just named. Can it be believed that Lemuel Masters could ﬁnd eighteen of these original claimants in one month, and four of them in one day? If they resided so near each other, why have not one of them answered these bills? Why has no deposition been taken to prove that any one of them ever had an existence? Why, in short, has not John J. Bowie himself, answered these bills in the character of an innocent purchaser?

The defendant Stewart claims through him, and the answer of Bowie might be received upon the same ground. This