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The original document is part of the Missouri State Archives St Louis Circuit Court collection.
This electronic document is published as part of the St Louis Circuit Court historical records project.
The original document is part of the Missouri State Archives St Louis Circuit Court collection.
The petition of
represents, that she is now held in slavery in the County
aforesaid by one John Pitcher - that she
that she is entitled to freedom, and she prays the said
Court for leave to sue, the said Pitcher, as a poor
in order to establish her right to freedom.
Your petitioner states, as the ground on which her
claim to freedom is founded, that about eight years ago, there
being the slave of Daniel D. Page of
to the City of Boston in the state of
of the year, the month of May as petitioner believes, and there
left by said Page as a
upon the wife of said Page, who accompanied her said
husband to
in the said state of
there in attendance upon the wife of said Page until some-
time in the fall of the
petitioner thinks, when your petitioner was brought back
again to
home - the petitioner cannot remember with distinctness,
the year when she was so taken to
there kept as aforesaid, but for greater certainty, she
states, that it was in the year, that the
vent was burnt down at Charleston in said last
named State, by a mob, and that petitioner being there
in
brought back to
who now has her in
states that slavery is not allowed to existence the state of
and was not permitted when she was so taken there & kept as
aforesaid and that such a holding her in slavery there, by the laws
of said State entitled petitioner to freedom. Petitioner
further states that about ten days ago she applied to
for freedom, which was granted, but which said on
account of some informality in the proceedings, has
been dismissed, but she states that since the bringing
of said suit, she has
account thereof, and she verily believes that the
same severe and oppressive treatment will be
exercised towards her on account of this applica-
tion, she prays therefore that she may be
bought up by warrant under the seal of said Court
and dealt with as directed by Statute.
The Court grants the petition of
to sue for freedom, and makes the following orders
a poor person to establish her right to freedom and
assigns
Second. That the said
to attend her counsel and the Court as occasion
may require; that she be not
out of the jurisdiction of the Court and that she be
not subject to any severity on account of her
application for freedom.
This electronic document is published as part of the St Louis Circuit Court historical records project.
The original document is part of the Missouri State Archives St Louis Circuit Court collection.
of John Pitcher late of said County of a plea of
Trespass, for that the said defendant on the
first day of May in the year eighteen hundred
and forty four
assault upon the said plaintiff at
the County aforesaid and then and there beat, bruised
and ill treated her the said plaintiff and then and
there imprisoned her the said plaintiff, and kept
and detained her in prison there without any proba-
ble or reasonable cause whatsoever, for a long
time to wit for the space of
next following. And the said plaintiff
before and at the time of the committing of the
said grievances, she was and still is a free person
and that the defendant held and still holds her
in Slavery - contrary to the laws of said state
and against the will of said plaintiff. To the
planitiff damage ten dollars and therefore she
brings suit
vs
John Pitcher
Trespass false
suit for freedom
This electronic document is published as part of the St Louis Circuit Court historical records project.
The original document is part of the Missouri State Archives St Louis Circuit Court collection.
We command you to
in your County, that he be and appear
before the Judge of our
be held at the
third Monday of November next, then and there to answer unto
nah, a person of color, of a plea of trespass and
false imprisonment
to the damage of said plaintiff
dollars: And have you then there this writ.
I acknowledge myself bound for all costs that may accrue in the above cause.
Witness my hand and seal, at
Jn. Pitcher as pricipal &
Defts liberty to attend
& reasons for new trial filed
vs.
John Pitcher. B
Trespass & false imprisonment.
Damages $10.00.
“It is ordered that said petitioner have
leave to sue as a poor person & the Court
assigns
sel. for said petitioner; and it is further
ordered that said petitioner have reason-
able liberty to attend her counsel
Court as occasion may require; that
she be not removed without the juris-
diction of this Court and that she be
not subjected to any severity on
account of her application for free-
dom.”
Executed this writ in the
by offering to read it and the declaration to John
Pitcher which he refused to hear - and also by
making known the orders of the Judge endorsed
upon this writ
This electronic document is published as part of the St Louis Circuit Court historical records project.
The original document is part of the Missouri State Archives St Louis Circuit Court collection.
You are hereby commnaded, that setting aside all manner of excuse and delay, you appear
before the Judge of our
at the
testify, and the truth to say in a certain matter of controversy now pending in our said Court,
wherein
plaintiff and
defendant on the part of
and herein you are in no wise to fail.
vs.
John Pitcher
Wit. Francis W. Page
To appear on
Executed
fee $ 2
This electronic document is published as part of the St Louis Circuit Court historical records project.
The original document is part of the Missouri State Archives St Louis Circuit Court collection.
You are hereby commanded, that setting aside all manner of excuse and delay, you appear
before the Judge of our
June 1845
testify, and the truth to say in a certain matter of controversy now pending in our said Court,
wherein
plaintiff and
defendant on the part of
and herein you are in no wise to fail.
Executed
Fee $2.00
vs.
John Pitcher
Subp.
This electronic document is published as part of the St Louis Circuit Court historical records project.
The original document is part of the Missouri State Archives St Louis Circuit Court collection.
You are hereby commnaded, that setting aside all manner of excuse and delay, you appear
before the Judge of our
1846
testify, and the truth to say in a certain matter of controversy now pending in our said Court,
wherein
plaintiff and
defendant on the part of
and herein you are in no wise to fail
vs.
John Pitcher
Subp
To appear on
This electronic document is published as part of the St Louis Circuit Court historical records project.
The original document is part of the Missouri State Archives St Louis Circuit Court collection.
You are hereby commanded, that setting aside all manner of excuse and delay, you appear
before the Judge of our
1846
testify, and the truth to say in a certain matter of controversy now pending in our said Court,
wherein
plaintiff and
defendant on the part of
and herein you are in no wise to fail.
vs
John Pitcher
Subp for
This electronic document is published as part of the St Louis Circuit Court historical records project.
The original document is part of the Missouri State Archives St Louis Circuit Court collection.
Refused
If the plaintiff was taken by
who was then the owner of the plaintiffs to
the state of
for weeks or months on a
and while so visiting held the
there as his
This electronic document is published as part of the St Louis Circuit Court historical records project.
The original document is part of the Missouri State Archives St Louis Circuit Court collection.
Given
1 If the
that Daniel D. Page was the owner
of plaintiff, & that the wife of said Page
took said Slave with her on a
her
in May &
of the same year, & that during that
whole excursion the said
in visiting among her relatives from place
to place, or in
from the
they will find for the
dant
This electronic document is published as part of the St Louis Circuit Court historical records project.
The original document is part of the Missouri State Archives St Louis Circuit Court collection.
Given
2 That if the plaintiff was carried as
a servant to the
and upon there as such, namely for
the
on such visits from place to place
among relations of the owner,
weeks, & used during the whole time
as the personal attendant as the
family of the owner &
not freed by
Maine &
Given
3 That no holding of the slave
Maine or
a
her free,
dom has been inforced in those
or out of them.
vs
This electronic document is published as part of the St Louis Circuit Court historical records project.
The original document is part of the Missouri State Archives St Louis Circuit Court collection.
1 Because the
law of the
2 Because the
3 Because the
law
4. Because
for
This electronic document is published as part of the St Louis Circuit Court historical records project.
The original document is part of the Missouri State Archives St Louis Circuit Court collection.
Bill of Exceptions
Be it
of January eighteen hundred and forty six
of
issue joined, and the plaintiff to maintain the issue on
her part called as a witness Mrs Page, wife of
Daniel D. Page, who being sworn testified - that in
the month of May thirteen or fourteen years ago, she and
her husband went to the states of
Maine on a
the plaintiff
did not stay long in
Maine and visited there in many places
with plaintiff, it was on a visit to her friends in the east,
a day or two, went from New
perhaps one day, went to Parsonsfield in the state of
Maine and remained two weeks at
Page, then
through to the town of Scituate to visit a sister and other
more or less, thinks she returned to
so & then went to New Bedford and
two weeks staying among many relations, left there
for
as she recovered sufficently started for
many
and during all the time she was absent as stated,
she had
that he is a laywer by profession living in
in
sworn testified to
of
then called J. R. Sheply
that he is a
state of
by
the defendant held the plaintiff in possession, claiming
her as his slave,
Page -
case, and the court instructed the
(Here set forth the instructions given by the court)
to which instructions and the giving of the same, plaintiff objected & then excepted - the plaintiff
then
(Here insert instruction)which the court refused
to give, and the plaintiff therefore excepted to
the opinion of the court in refusing said instruction.
And on the
hundred & forty six,
her motion for a new trial, as follows (Here
forth the motion and reason for new trial) and
the plaintiff
motion & reasons insisted that a new trial
should be granted for the reasons in said motion
set forth, but the court overruled said motion &
refused to grant the said plaintiff a new trial
to which decision the plaintiff then and there
excepted - the forgoing was all the evidence
and
in this case, not of record, and the same is made a part of the
this
This electronic document is published as part of the St Louis Circuit Court historical records project.
The original document is part of the Missouri State Archives St Louis Circuit Court collection.
hundred and forty six.
vs
John Pitcher
Bill of Exceptions