Mary J. Dempsey v. D. B. & M. Oil & Gas Company, John T. Diederich, and John T. Diederich, Trustee

The appellant, a citizen of Ohio, filed this action in Kentucky District Court against appellees, citizens of Kentucky. The suit was for an accounting of profits arising from operations under certain oil and gas leases carried on over a number of years. Federal jurisdiction was invoked by reason of diversity of citizenship.

The case was referred to a Master, who found that appellant had made various assignments or purported assignments of legal or equitable fractional shares of her interest in the leases in question to several citizens of Kentucky. The Master found that the assignments raised…