Duncan v. Navassa Phosphate Company

by Horace Gray

United States Supreme Court

137 U.S. 647

Duncan  v.  Navassa Phosphate Company

Circuit Court of the United States for the District of Maryland

No. 1203  Argued: January 9, 1891 --- Decided: January 19, 1891

This was a petition for dower in a guano island. The Circuit Court of the United States for the District of Maryland, upon the bill of a citizen of Maryland against the Navassa Phosphate Company, a corporation of New York doing business in Maryland, having appointed receivers of all its property within the jurisdiction of the court, Isabella Duncan of Baltimore, in the State of Maryland, filed in the cause a petition containing the following allegations and prayer:

Statement of the Case

"1st. That she is the widow of Peter Duncan, late of Baltimore city, in the State of Maryland, and now deceased, having been married to said Peter Duncan on December 19, 1850, and said Peter Duncan having died on January 26, 1875.

"2d. That on July 1, 1857, her late husband, said Peter Duncan, discovered a deposit of guano on an island in the Caribbean Sea, not within the lawful jurisdiction of any government and not occupied by the citizens of any government, said island being called Navassa, and lying in latitude 18° 10′ north, longitude 75° west, and that on September 19, 1857, he took peaceable possession and was in occupation of said island in the name of the United States under and by virtue of the act of Congress of August 18, 1856, c. 164, (11 Stat. 119,) and did, on November 18, 1857, file his claim to said island in the Department of State of the United States, in accordance with the provisions of said act of Congress, and did afterwards furnish satisfactory evidence of his said discovery, occupation and peaceable possession to the said Department of State, and in respect to said island so discovered his assignee was declared to be entitled to the rights intended to be secured by said act.

"3d. That said Peter Duncan remained in lawful possession and was legally seized of said Island of Navassa from September 19, 1857, unto November 18, 1857; all of which will appear by the said claim of Peter Duncan as discoverer of said island and the affidavit in evidence thereof, on file with the records of the Department of State in Washington, D. C., certified. copies whereof are filed herewith as part of this petition, and by the proclamation of the proper authorities of the United States," a certificate from the Department of State of the issue of which was also filed with the petition. Said claim and proclamation, and the substance of said affidavit, are set forth in Jones v. United States, ante, 202, 205, 206, 218.

"4th. That after remaining in possession and lawfully seized of said Island of Navassa from September 19, 1857, to November 18, 1857, as aforesaid, and which period of time was during the coverture of your petitioner, said Peter Duncan. did grant and assign and convey his title and interest in said Island of Navassa to E. K. Cooper; and that by mesne assignments the title to said island became vested in the Navassa Phosphate Company of New York, who now hold said island under and through the title of her late husband, said Peter Duncan, and through no other title; but does not know when said Navassa Phosphate Company became the owner of said island, or who were owners since the death of her said husband; but she avers that there was a reconveyance of said island to her husband about January 1, 1860, and a subsequent conveyance of the same by her husband to E. K. Cooper; but your petitioner has not said deeds of assignment, but believes they are in possession of the Navassa Company.

"5th. That she has never joined in the execution of any deed for said island, or in any other manner made conveyance or release of her dower interest in the same.

"6th. That she has been advised that by said act of Congress, the United States assumed jurisdiction of and over said Island of Navassa, and an heritable estate therein vested in her late husband, said Peter Duncan, from the time of his discovery and occupation of said Island of Navassa, and that, by reason of his seizin of said estate in said island during coverture, and alienation of the same without the joining of your petitioner, your petitioner did at the death of her said husband become by the common law of this land entitled to her dower interest in said Island of Navassa and of the rents and profits thereof; but by reason of legal and other impediments, and through no fault of hers, she has heretofore believed that a demand for said dower would be fruitless.

"That said island is covered largely with a deposit of guano, and the chief or entire profit of the said island consists in the sale of this guano, which constitutes a portion of the soil of said island; and she cannot ascertain in a court of law to how much and in what proportion of the said guano heretofore mined and removed by said Navassa Phosphate Company since the death of her husband she should be equitably entitled, and that all the title deeds are in possession of said Navassa Phosphate Company, and she is and has been since her widow- hood unable to proceed at law for an assignment of her dower and accounts; and furthermore, said company being under the immediate charge and control of this court, she is advised that she should ask for relief from this honorable court, which is also the proper tribunal to construe said act of Congress; and that the amount involved exceeds $5000,

"Your petitioner therefore prays that the said Navassa Phosphate Company of New York, and Thomas M. Lanahan and Walter B. McAtee, the receivers of the same, may be directed to bring into this court for the inspection of your petitioner all title deeds relating to said Island of Navassa; that they may discover, under oath, to your petitioner, the amount of guano mined and disposed of since the death of her said husband, Peter Duncan, and the net value or profit of the same; and that, to the extent of her dower interest therein, said Navassa Phosphate Company may be declared to have acted as trustee for your petitioner, and to hold the same in trust for her to the extent of her said dower interest, and may be directed to account with your petitioner and pay over to her such sum or amount as this court may find proper; and that this court may assign to your petitioner her dower in said Island of Navassa, or a gross sum as reasonable and just commutation for the same; and may grant such other and further relief as her case may require."

The Navassa Phosphate Company and the receivers demurred to the petition. The demurrer was sustained, and the petition dismissed. 35 Fed. Rep. 474. The petitioner appealed to this court.

Mr. Victor Smith and Mr. D. Eldridge Monroe for appellant.

Mr. S. Teackle Wallis for appellees.

Mr. Justice Gray delivered the opinion of the court.

Notes