Affidavit of the Most Rev. Patrick W. Riordan, archbishop of San Francisco, dated September 16, 1902.
Kingdom of Holland, The Hague:
Patrick William Riordan, being first duly sworn, on oath deposes and says:
I am Patrick William Riordan, am sixty one years of age and upwards. My place of birth is Chatham, New Brunswick, but I am a citizen of the United States, naturalized by law. My occupation is that of a Roman Catholic archbishop of the diocese of San Francisco, California, in which city and State I have resided since November, 1883. I have no direct interest in the claim embodied in the above-mentioned suit; my interest being merely that of an administrator on behalf of the church, without being personal to myself, and I should not in my own individual right receive any portion of any sum which might be awarded by this court. I am not an agent or attorney or otherwise interested in the claim, except as above indicated.
I have carefully examined the affidavit of P. E. Mulligan, secretary of the diocese of San Francisco, and am fully acquainted with its contents, and within my own knowledge the facts therein stated are correct. I am familiar with the pontifical document, a copy of which is attached to the said affidavit, and recognize it as being a correct copy of the instrument which it purports to repeat. I am furthermore familiar with the Latin in it and have compared the translation, hereto annexed and now shown to me with the original Latin, and find such translation to be accurate.
[Page 422]I am acquainted with all of the facts relative to the distribution of the proceeds of the judgment obtained in the case of Amat v. Mexico, referred to in said pontifical document, and am personally cognizant of the fact that distribution of all the said proceeds was made in strict conformity with the terms of said instrument, and myself supervised the distribution of seven out of fourteen of the installments thereof, having received the necessary receipts from all of the parties in interest.
Secretary of Legation.
The Hague, Holland, ss:
I, John W. Garrett, secretary of the legation of the United States of America at The Hague, Holland, and duly commissioned and sworn as such, do hereby certify that I have no interest in the claim to which the testimony heretofore annexed relates, and that I am not the agent or attorney of any person having any interest in said claim; that on the sixteenth day of September, A. D. 1902, before me, as such secretary of the legation at The Hague, Holland, personally came Patrick William Riordan, the witness named in and whose name is subscribed to the annexed deposition; that the said Patrick William Riordan was thereupon then and there sworn by me in due form of law, as a witness in the matter of the claim above mentioned therein, to testify and declare the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth, and the said witness, having been so by me duly sworn, then and there deposed to the matter contained in his said deposition annexed hereto and identified by my signature. I further certify that the witness, Patrick William Riordan, is personally well known to me and known by me to be a credible and truthful witness. I further certify that the testimony of the said witness was then and there reduced to writing in my presence by J. J. Haledon Rix, a person having no interest in, and not being the agent or attorney of any person having an interest in, the claim above mentioned, and that the said depositions were then and there carefully read by me to the said witness, and being signed by me was then and there signed by the said witness in my presence. I further certify that the exhibit of the affidavit of P. E. Mulligan was exhibited to the said witness, together with the annexed Latin exhibit and translation, thereof, and marked by me as an exhibit hereto, was then and there produced and shown to the said deponent and by him deposed Unto, and that the said exhibits are the same exhibits referred to by the said witness in his said deposition. The deposition of said Patrick W. Riordan was reduced to writing in the form of typewriting, and signed by him, and is annexed to this certificate.
[seal.]
Secretary of Legation.