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40 Me. 392

Bird v. Bird

Supreme Judicial Court of Maine

Decided July 1, 1885

Supreme Judicial Court of Maine · decided 1885-07-01

On Exceptions from Nisi Prius, Tenney, J., presiding. Trespass, qúare clausum. The suit was first brought before a magistrate, and on a plea of title, was transferred to the higher Court. The plaintiff offered an office copy of a deed of the locus in quo, from one Samuel Bird to himself, dated May 20, 1819, and recorded Juno 21, 1831. The grantor, one of the subscribing witnesses, and the magistrate, before whom it was acknowledged, were dead.

Decided 1885-07-01

Appleton, J.

¶1When an original deed made to the party, is in existence and can be produced, there can be no reason for resorting to secondary and inferior proof of its contents. The original should always be forthcoming. The plaintiff claims exemption from the obligation of producing the original, because the deed under which he claims has, as he alleges, been lost. In his affidavit he states it to have been left in the office of the registry of deeds, and after remaining there some time, to have been withdrawn therefrom by F. A. Lewis, Esq., the attorney of the defendants, in whose hands he supposes it now to be. The attorney has not been called, and no reason has been given for not calling him. If called, and the deed is in his possession, we are bound to presume that he would truly disclose the fact. The plaintiff has indicated where the deed may be found, and has failed to exhaust the means of information, the ex*394istence of which he has disclosed. The copy of the deed was rightly excluded.

¶2Nonsuit confirmed.

¶3Exceptions overruled.

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