Does my cousin own history?

Here's the tale: For many years this hat was on display in a very small museum in a very small town in northern Ca. My cousin saw it the first time many years ago. The museum shut down some years ago, things went into storage. My cousin happened to run into a member of the family that ran the museum and asked about the hat.

To make a long story short... tracing down other members of the family, and fighting thru many unanswered phone calls... he found the owner and where the hat was today. Again making it short: He negotiated, bought it.

My cousin has done some very thorough research, talking me thru most of it.... but in the end... the legend, the chances that this is actually Joaquin Murietta's hat is quite iffy. Yes, some tantalizing clues but no hard evidence.

My cousin is prone to this type of thing... making wild and vast leaps of faith BUT.. he does own quite a few notable, and legitimate, historical artifacts. In regards to the hat... he wants it to be true, desperately, but this time he is cautious about making the clam it IS JM's hat.

He just bought the case you see it in. It's in his living room and nearly up against my drum kit where we're set up to practice at this time. In fact, I rest my Iced Tea on the same table while we're practicing.

Do I believe it's JM's hat? no, I don't.... but like my cousin I'd LIKE it to be....and for short moments I like to pretend it is.