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Slavers (Kate), The U.S. 350 (1865)

handle is hein.slavery/ussccases0417 and id is 1 raw text is: THE SLAVERS. (KATE.)

Statement of the case.
THE SLAVERS. (KATE.)
I. Where a vessel is bound to the western .coast of Africa, under such cir-
cumstances as raise a presumption that she may be about to engage in
the slave-trade,-such circumstances, ex gr., as a professed sale at an
excessive price, just before the contemplated voyage, a false crew-list,
an equipment not unsuited for a slave voyage, a cargo not fully on the
manifest, suspicious character or conduct, in the immediate matter, of
her crew, or of other persons connected with her, an appearance and
subsequent disappearance of an unknown person, with a Spanish name,
as claimant,-she must clearly explain those circumstances under pain
of forfeiture.
2. Persons trading to the west coast of Africa, on which coast two kinds
of commerce are carried on,-one (the regular trade) lawful, the other
(the slave trade) criminal,-should keep their operations so clear and
distinct in their character, as to repel the imputation of a purpose to
engage in the latter.
THE United States filed a libel of information and for.
feiture in the District Court for the Southern District of
New York, against the bark Kate, her cargo, &c., alleging
that she had been equipped, fitted, loaded, and prepared for
the purpose of carrying on a trade in slaves, within the acts
of Congress of March 22, 1794,* and 20th of April, 1818 ;t
which acts make such equipping, fitting, preparations, &c.,
cause of forfeiture. The question, therefore, was, whether
the vessel had been fitted with that purpose.
The case was one of four; all like each other, in their
general aspects, and reported here in immediate sequence;
cases, all, where confessedly the proof of unlawful purpose
was not of the most direct kind. The present case was
thus:
The Kate, then purporting to be owned by B. & A. Buck,
of Baltimore, Maryland (C. W. Buck being master), arrived
at New York from Havana on the 17th of May, 1860, with
a cargo of rum, wine, copper, sugar, &c., consigned to one
Antonio Ross, of New York.
Six days after her arrival at New York, B. & A. Buck, by

* 1 Stat. at Large, 347.

[Sup. Ct.

t 8 Id. 450.

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