Mary, a negro woman v. James Jr. This electronic document is published as part of the St Louis Circuit Court historical records project.

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 October 29, 1844 October Term 1844

The original document is part of the Missouri State Archives St Louis Circuit Court collection.

 Mary, a negro woman v. James Jr. October 29, 1844 October Term 1844 Mary James, Jr. Trespass Assault Battery False Imprisonment 346 St. Louis County Court Ruland, John Whetman Millburn, William Risk, J.F Unknown MM deciphered vendor's unclear tag through line 37 MM deciphered vendor's unclear tag through line 47 MM deciphered vendor's unclear tag through line 94 MP added legal descriptions KT removed comment tags, added caseTitle, and moved legalFunction tags CM performed final review of legal encoding APJ Checked vertical and horizontal rends Complaint

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.

 Complaint Risk, J.F. Rudland, John St. Louis County Court

To the To the Hon the Judge of the st Louis circuit court. The petition of Mary a Negro woman aged about 32 years Respectfully Requests to your honor that she was born in the state Maryland - that she was owned & held as a slave by one Mr Gardner who about the year 1819 him the said Mary & defendant by a will then made & recorded in the county of Baltimore to Miss Sarah Lurk to have- to hold as a servant until she arrived at the age of twenty one years or thereabout at which time she was to be free by virture of said will & according to the Laws of Maryland of the will your petitioner further requests that after the making no aforesaid & after she came into possession of the said Sarah Lorsh according to its provisions she was by the said Sarah Lorsh summoned out of the state of Maryland to the state of Kentucky & from Kentucky she was removed to the State of Missouri When the said Sarah Lorsh was married to one & by virture of said your petitioner came into the possession of the said who mortgaged your petitioner to for & who got possession of your petitioner about the year1834 or 1840 and has continued to hold your petitioner since that as a slave & still holds & acquires ownership her as such although your petitioner by virture of the will above mentioned is a free woman of color therefore your petitioner pleas that your honor allow her sue as a poor person to establish her right to freedom according to the Law in such case made & provided Mary

J F Ris

Mary a negro Woman of color being sworn petitioner says that the matters & things set forth in the forgiving and there

Mary X her mark Sworn to and Subscribed Before Me this 29th day of October A. D.1844, Whetman Justice of the peace

I allow the foregoing and order First That the said Mary be allowed to sue as a poor person to establish her right to fredom & assign J.F Risk eqr as her counsel Second that said Mary have reasonable Liberty to attend her counsel & the court as a season may require that she be not removed out of the jurisdiction of the court & that she be not subject to any severity on account of her application for freedom.

John M Krum Judge Complaint

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.

 Complaint Risk, J.F. Rudland, John St. Louis County Court State of Missouri County of St. Louis Mary a negro woman v James Jr St Louis Circuit Court Nov Term 1844 for

Mary a Negro Woman complains of James Jr in a plea of Trespass for false imprisonment For that theretofore towit on the tenth day of October Eighthundred and forty five A.D. 1843 the said James Jr with force & arms then & there made an assault on the said Mary to wit at the city of St Louis County of St Louis & State aforesaid & then & there beat bruised & illtreated her the said Mary & then & there imprisoned her the said Mary kept & delivered her the said Mary in prison there without any reasonable or probable cause whatsoever for a long time towit for the space of one year past contrary to Law & against the will of the said plaintiff and the said plaintiff further owns that before the government above mentioned the was & still is a free person of color and that the defendent did then & still holds her in slavery & therefore she sues

By of F Atty

And the said trespass the force & in- jury when he is assigned of the said supposed trespass own land to his days in manner & form another law pltff law & arm thereof complains against him himself when the county

Plea Filed Nov 19th 1844 D. Allen Jno Ruland Clerk Att for Deft State of Missouri Couty of St. Louis St Louis Circuit Court Mary a Negro woman v James Clemens Jr Action of Trespass for flase imprisonment

The Clerk will issue a summons in the a: bove returnable to the Nov Term 1844

T H Rich Att for Dfns Subpoena

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.

 Subpoena Rudland, John St. Louis County Court County of St. Louis , ss. The State Of Missouri , To the Sheriff of St. Louis County--Greeting:

We command you to summon James Clemens Jr 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 the third Mon-day of November next then and there to answer unto Mary a negro woman of a plea of trespass and false imprisonment to the damage of said plaintiff dollars: And have you then there this writ.

Witness, John Ruland , Clerk of our said Court, with the seal thereof hereto affixed, at office, in the city of St. Louis , this Second day of November in the year of our Lord eighteen hundred and forty four. John Ruland Clerk.

I acknowledge myself bound for all costs that may accrue in the above cause. Witness my hand and seal, at St. Louis , this day of 184

plea filed 15 p 297 suit dismissed November 26th. 1844 15 p 330 at nobodys Costs

No. 346 St. Louis Circuit Court November 1844 Mary a negro woman v James Clemens Jr Summons Trespass & False Imprisonment

False T. F. Risk p.q

Filed November 2 1844 John Ruland Clerk

I allow the foregoing and order First that the said Mary be allowed to sue as a free person to establish her right to freedom to assign T. F. Risk Esq as her Counsel second that said Mary have reasonable liberty to attend her Counsel & the Court as occasion may require that she be not removed and of the jurisdiction of the Court that she be not subject to any severity on account of her application for her freedom Jno McKrum Judge 8 Jud Cir (153)

Executed this writ in the County of St. Louis on the 2nd day of Novem-ber 1844 by offering to read it and the decleration to James Clemens Jr which he refused to hear - Also by reading to the said James Clemens Jr . the of the Judge endorse upon this writ.

William Milburn Shff By N. C Osburn Shff Fee $ 1.50