The petition of Alfred Taylor , a free man, of color respectuflly represents,, to your honor, that he is now confined, in the common jail, of said County by the jailor of the County aforesaid., your pet itioner states, that he was by the sherrif, of said County as the property, of at the of commenced in the Court, of Common pleas of said county by attachment your petitioner states, that at the present term, of the said Court of common pleas, the said letter moved the, said last mentioned court, for an order of sale in said Cause and the Said Court of Common Please where the said motion, did make, an order that your petitioner, should be sold as the property of said as aforesaid, your petitioner states, that the said sherrif, has your petitioner, for sale and will on this seventh day of October 1848, Unless, your honor, should and allow your petitioner, to sue, for his freedom your petitioner states, that at the time, he was on the attachment aforesaid as the property, of said he was entitled to his freedom and of to have, been free, and absolved from mandatory servitude, , your petitioner states, that he was formerly, the slave of Isaac VanHouton, a resident, of St. Louis aforesaid now deceased, , that said Isaac departed, this life, in the in the early part, of 1847. after the death, of said Isaac the said Cornelius claimed, to be the owner of your petitioner, and held, him in slavery up, to the time he was attached as aforesaid, . your petitioner states, that he does not know, by what right

Alfred Taylor , a free man, of color, the plaintiff, in this case, by his attorny complains, of Cornelius Vanhouton Lewis Moutin, and Samuel Conway defendants, of a pleas, of trespass for, that the said defendants on, the first day, of August in, the year of our lord one thousand eight hundred and forty eight at St Louis , in the County of St Louis aforesaid with, and the said plaintiff, to at the county aforesaid, and then and, there seized, and laid hold, of the said plaintiff, and with great force, and violence, - the said plaintiff, and the said plaintiff a great many violent blows, and strikes, and also, then and forced, and compelled, the said plaintiff, to and off of a then and at the county aforesaid, to go in and to the Common Jail, of said County situated, in the county aforesaid, and there then imprisoned, the said plaintiff, and kept and detained him, in person, there without any reasonable, or probably cause, for a long space of time, to wit from, that day witherto, and still holds detains and imprisons, the said plaintiff in the jail aforesaid, to wit, at the at the county aforesaid against the law of, our said state and against the will of the said plaintiff, the said plaintiff, was greatly hurt and injured, to wit, at the at the county aforesaid, the said plaintiff, at of the above stated he, was and still is, a free person,

We command you To Summon Cornelius Van, Houton Louis , Martin , and Samuel Conway , if he be found in Your County that he be and appear before the Judge of our Circuit Court , on the first day of the next term thereof, to be held at the City of St. Louis , within and for the County of St. Louis , on third Mon-day of November next, then and there to answer unto Alfred Taylor , of color of, a plea of trespass, to the damage of said palintiff one hundred dollars: And have you then there this writ.