352 TESTIMONY 



a little the better of Warren in tlie selling of skins. I never talked to 

 Joe Boscowitz about that. I was working secretly. 

 __ . , It was while I was in Victoria in 1889, that I learned 



When information , . „ , . , , , . , . ;,, , 



was obtained. these facts in regard to the ownership of these vessels. 



Subscribed and sworn to before ine this 12th day of December, 1802. 

 [seal.] T. T. Williams, 



Deposition of William H. Williams, United States Treas'y agent in 

 charge of Pribilof Islands. 



District of Columbia, 



City of Washington, ss: 



William H. Williams, being duly sworn, deposes and says: 



I am the United States Treasury agent in charge of the seal fisheries 



on the Pribilof Islands. 



On the 18th and 19th of October, 1892, 1 had conversations with Mr. A. 



Frank, at San Francisco, California, in the leather store 



A C rrJnk Sati ° n wi * h ' of Frank & Frank, on Battery street. He said to me 



that he was the Frank of the firm of Gutman & Frank, 



of Victoria, B. C. ; that Gutman died at sea April, 1887 ; that he (Frank) 



did not own any part of the Alfred Adams or her outfit, nor was he 



o- m tu s interested in her catch; that he had no claim against 



' the United States Government on account of the seizure 



Citizenship of a °f anv vessel; that he (Frank) was an American citizen 



Frank. ' and was born in San Francisco, California; that he had 



Prank's mortgage a mortgage on the A If red Adams and Black Diamond for 



on Alfred Adam* "and about oue-half of the value of each vessel at the time of 



mack Diamond. seizure, and that he got a decree from the court at 



British Columbia permitting him to act as executor of Gutman at the 



time of his death, and that he remained executor until Gutman's brother 



became of age, which was about three years ago ; that he then turned 



over the affairs of Gutman, deceased, to his (Gutman's) brother. When 



questioned as to his interest in the Alfred Adams and 



in^hTtwo'seaiers*. m BlacJc Diamond, as to whether he was not a partner 



with Gutman, and that the mortgage was only a blind 



to evade British Columbia laws, he laughingly replied, 



■iS£ to 8 Bos£wifa?* " No 5 how could I ? " He finally said, « My interest in 



the vessels was the same as Boscowitz's in Warren's 



vessels; that he had no claim against the United States 



Frank refused to Government for vessels, outfit, or catch; and that he 



make statement. ^ not know t k at any c i a i m ^^ been made for him." 



He refused to make any statement in writing. 



The foregoing is a copy of the notes made by me October 20th, the 



next day after the conversation took place, and states 



notes*. ° ma ins accurately the substance of the conversation between 



f . the said Frank and myself in relation to his interest in 



character ot notes. 1887j 1888? and 1889 in the British Columbia sealing 



vessels Alfred Adams (afterwards the Lily) and the Black Diamond. 



Wm. H. Williams. 



Sworn to and subscribed before me, a notary public for and in the 

 District of Columbia, this tenth day of December, 1892. 

 [seal.] Sevellon A. Brown, 



Notary Public, 



