Supreme court of the United States. No. 135. The United States, appellants, vs. John A. Sutter. Appeal from the District court U.S. for the Northern district of California.

04 The United States vs. Sutter.
Capt. Sutter all the land he had asked for; on wh:t su bjc t was he
then speaking?
Ans. He was addressing the volunteers, to encour(.ec thorn to continue in the service. There was some trouble in caip, alI the soldiers talked of turning back; and he was telling thlm.!:.at he had
done and what he was willing to do to compensate them fer their services; and it was in this connection he spoke of what hoe hlad done for
Captain Sutter.
4th question. Is it not possible and likely that you may be mistaken as to the language of Micheltorena in that speec,?
Ans. The address was translated publicly at the time by Captain
Sutter into English; and I do not think it is at all likely that I
80 was mistaken, because Captain Sutter's interpretation was
the same as I understood the language of Micheltorena at the
time to mean, and was substantially as I have stated.
5th question. How long after that speech before you were shown
the papers by Capt. Sutter?
Ans. It was nearly two months; I cannot say exactly the time.
6th question. Where were you, and in what house, and who was
present, when you saw said papers?
Ans. I was at the adobe house of Sutter's room, in the southeast
corner of the house at the fort. There was a man by the name
of John Williams present; he is dead; and I tkink his brother
James was present, but I am not certain; he is living. I recollect
no others.
7th question. From what place did Capt. Sutter produce said
papers?
Ans. He took them from a bundle of papers he had, either from a
desk or trunk in the same room. I am not positive whether he took
the bundle from the trunk or desk.
8th question. How many other papers did he show you at the
same time?
Ans. He showed me none, excepting the general title which was
issued to some 12 or 15 settlers, who had petitioned for lands in the
valley, and his own title.
9th question. How long were examining them?
Ans. We were a half hour or three-quarters looking at the papers
and talking about them; we may have been an hour and a half in the
room together.
Question 10th. Which did you notice first?
Ans. The general title was the first I noticed.
11th question. Did you ever see either of those papers afterwards?
Ans. No; I never saw either of those papers; I have seen copies
of them.
12th question. Iow does it happen that you can, at this distance
of time, swear to the paper shown to you as a copy?
Ans. I think I stated in my- answer that it resembled certain portions of the paper which I recollected; I do not pretend to swear that
it is a true copy.