Wilson v. Wall

Citations

• 73 U.S. 83
• 18 L. Ed. 727
• 6 Wall. 83
• 1867 U.S. LEXIS 940

Syllabus

<p>1. Semble, that under the treaty of the United States with the Choctaws, in 1830, by which the United States agreed that each Choctaw head of a family desirous to remain and become a citizen, &c., should bo entitled to one section of land; “ and in like manner shall beentitlcd to one-half that quantity for each unmarried child which is living with him over ten years of age, and a quarter section to such child as may be under ten years of age, to adjoin the location of the parentno trust was meant to be created in favor of the children. They were named only as measuring the quantity of land that should be assigned to the head of the family.</p> <p>2. However this may be, if under the assumption that no trust was meant to be created, the United States have issued under the treaty a patent to a Choctaw head of a family, individually and in fee simple for all the sections, a purchaser from him bona fide and for value will not be affected with the trust, even though he knew that his vendor was a Choctaw head of a family, nnd in a general way that he had the land in virtue of the treaty.</p> <p>8. Where it is sought to affect a bona fide purchaser for value with constructive notice, the question is not whether ho had the moans of obtaining, and might by prudent caution have obtained the knowledge in question, but whether his not obtaining it was an act of gross or culpable negligence.</p>