286 INVESTIGATION OF THE FUR-SEAL INDUSTRY OF ALASKA. 



The Chairman. I simply wish to call your attention to the fact that there is a 

 ■certificate from the custom officers to the effect that it was recorded in the records of 

 the Government in San Francisco that you were the owner at a certain date. 



Mr. Faulkner. I have never seen it. 



Mr. Liebes. If you will let me see it I will be glad. 



Mr. Faulkner. I have never been able to see that, but that Herman Liebes trans- 

 ferred it to H. Liebes & Co. The certificate appears on page 120. 



The Chairman. Herman Liebes and H. Liebes & Co. (Inc.) — is that correct? 



Mr. Faulkner. Yes. There is a declaration on page 204 showing that Herman 

 Liebes is the owner, and on page 120 there is a certificate showing that he transferred 

 it" to H. Liebes & Co. on the 17th day of September, 1890. 



The Chairman. Yes; that is right. 



Mr. Faulkner. And subsequently, on the 29th day of July, 1891, transferred it to 

 Max Waizman. (P. 856, Hearing No. 13, June 20. 1912.) 



PROOF, SELF-CONFESSED, BY LIEBES, THAT HE HAS FALSIFIED, AS 



ABOVE. 



The Chairman. Here is a document purporting to be signed by Max Waizman on 

 the 22d day of December, 1902, which reads as follows: (P. 860, Hearing No. 13, 

 June 20, 1912.) 



"Know all men by these presents that I, Max Waizman, for value received, have 

 sold and by these presents do grant, assign, and convey to unto Isaac Liebes all my 

 right, title, and interest in and to my claim against the Russian Government for the 

 seisure of the schooner James Hamilton Lewis by the Russian man-of-war Aleut, on 

 August 2, 1891, whilst 20 miles off Copper Islands, en route to San Francisco, together 

 with her apparel, equipment, boats, guns, stores, provisions, and 426 sealskins, and 

 for breaking up the season's cruise, the same unto the said Isaac Liebes, hereby 

 constituting and appointing said Isaac Liebes, my true and lawful attorney, irrevoca- 

 ble in my name, place, and stead, for the purpose aforesaid, to ask, demand, sue for, 

 attach, levy, recover, and receive all such sum and sums of money which now are or 

 may hereafter become due, owing and payable for or on account of all or any of the 

 accounts, dues, debts, and demand? above assigned; giving and granting unto the 

 said attorney full power and necessary, as fully, to all intents and purposes, as I 

 might or could do, if personally present , with full power of substitution and revocation, 

 hereby ratifying and confirming all that the said attorney or his substitute shall 

 lawfully do or cause to be done by virtue hereof. 



" In witness whereof. I have hereunto set my hand and seal the 22d day of Decem- 

 ber, 1902. 



" Max Waizman. 



"Witness— 



"Bex. A. Goldsmith." 



This was an assignment to you of all his right, title, and interest in the claim which 

 he had against the Russian Government. 



Mr. Faulkner. I do not understand it in that way. I understand that is an assign- 

 ment to H. Liebes & Co., with power of attorney to Isaac Liebes to collect this money. 



The Chairman. No; it says: 



J lave sold and by these presents do grant, assign, and convey unto Isaac Liebes all my 

 right, title, and interest in and to my claim against the Russian Government for the 

 seizure of the schooner James Hamilton Lewis. 



Mr. Faulkner. Oh. I understood it to be to H. Liebes & Co. 



Mr. Liebes. I thought your question was whether he did not transfer the vessel 

 to me. 



The Chairman. Is this a correct statement of what took place? 



Mr. Liebes. I have no recollection of the document, but if any signature is on 

 there it must be so. 



PEIRCE SWEARS THAT TINGLE TOLD HIM THAT LIEBES WAS THE 

 OWXER, AND PRODUCES THE PROOF OF IT. 



The Chairman. Did you have all the affidavits and papers on me which were nec- 

 essary to make out a case? I mean copies of the papers. 



Mr. Peirce. To make out the case against the Russian Government, certainly. 

 They are all published in Appendix 1 of Foreign Relations for 1902. They are all 

 published in English. The original preparation of the case was in French. It is 

 quite a volume and required a good deal of French writing. 



