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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.
Your Petitioner
he is now held in slavery in
claims your petitioner us his slave. Your
petitioner States that in the fall &
Petitioner as his slave caused your Petitioner
to be hired to Labor at
Banks in the
of said
says he is entitled to his freedom your-.
Petitioner therefore prays that he may be
permitted to sue as a poor person to establish
his freedom that counsel may be assigned
to him & that such
for his personal Security as the
& he
Ben the above named petitioner on his oath
says that the facts in the above petition state are true.
this
after hearing the Petition &
I
the Third Judicial Terminal of the
named petitioner Ben be allowed to sue
as a poor person to establish his freedom
and assign to him
counsel to commanded & prosecute his Said
and I do further order that said Ben have
reasonable
the Court as occasion may require; and that
he be not removed out of the Juridiction
of the Court, and that he the not subject
to any security because of his 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.
St Louis County
of
false imprisonment do far that here to
the said defendants with forced arms
on a peace do make upon him said Ben
& him said Ben did then & there imprison
& have unlawfully kept & detained him in
prison there from them untill the
of this said and the plaintiff
that at &
the said
still is a free person & the defendant had
& detained & still detains him in slavery
where he says he is
sustained Damage to one hundred Dallors
therefore he said
I Luke E.Lawless Judge of the third Judicial
Circuit of the State of missouri do hereby
petitioner Ben be allowed to sue as a poor person to establish his freedom
and assign to him
his suit. and I do furthr order that said Ben have reasonable liberty to attend
his counsel & the court as occasion may require and that he be not removed
out of the Jurisdiction of the court and that he be not subject to any
We command you to summon
Williams L Woods. that they be and appear before the Judge of our
the second monday of march next then and
there to answer unto Ben a man of colour of a plea
false imprisonment
of one Hundred Dollars and have you then there
this writ.
This is an action to establish
freedom.
Executed this writ by
the decleration and order of the
to
1836
not found in my county
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.
And the said
by
and
when
above said to his
as the said
thereof
and of this he the said
plea
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.
Depositions of
examined on the
of our Lord eighteen hundred and thirty eight
at the office of
and state of
me
for the county of
cause now depending in the Circuit Court of the Country
of
and
John
and
a
he has
is acquainted with the by
became acquainte with
about five years ago. That said
was then wroking in the cole
clair County, where he
and was at work in
by the name of
this deponent saith
the day and at the place first aforesaid
produceed and
that he is a citizen of
five years ago he was a citizen of
because, acquainte with
five years ago, in
the Cole mines, that he
That
six in eight weeks,- That he was
brought there, from
by a man by the name of
and he was kept in
working the
back to
he was brought over-
the
he was in the employ of
further this deponent faith not
Geroge
That, he is a Citizen of
County, that he has been residing their
about eight years- That he was acquainted
with the plaintiff Ben, about five years
worked then- That he
in the Cole
about 8 or nine weeks, that he was brought Their by a man named
from
1833
it was the understanding that he worked
there as a servan- That the cole
he
and another man to
understood from one or both of the
that
That
say he was a slave- while he was
there
produceed and
that he is a citizen of
five years ago he was a citizen of
because, acquainte with
five years ago, in St
the Cole mines, that he
That
six in eight weeks,- That he was
brought there, from
by a man by the name of
and he was kept in
working the
back to
he was brought over-
the
he was in the employ of
further this deponent faith not
Geroge
That, he is a Citizen of
County, that he has been residing their
about eight years- That he was acquainted
with the plaintiff Ben, about five years
worked then- That he
in the Cole
about 8 or nine weeks, that he was brought
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.
Their by a man named
from
1833
it was the understanding that he worked
there as a servan- That the cole
he
and another man to
understood from one or both of the
that
That
say he was a slave- while he was
there
not
being
oath states, That she is a citizen
of
in St
That she was
the plaintiff about five years ago
this fall- That
in the cole
That he remainded their about 8 or 9 weeks
at the House of Deponent who then lived
in
for the
the cooking for the hand and
it- That he had another slave
Ben there
him away and left Ben That the
man
they deponent saith not
I,
for the
hereby Certify that John
Geroge
were by me severally sworn to testify the whole truth of
their knowledge
that they wre examined and their examination
reduced to writing and by there respectively subscribed
in my presence on the day between the hours and at
the place in that behalf first aforesaid
Justices fees $ 2.00 said by Plaintiff
opend filed
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 facts in the case and as follows:-
Ben, the plaintiff, was burn a
time
William D. Moods
negro to his brother-in-law, and
about to come out
lord, who
County, in the state of
him as a
him these as and coal-land for seven or eight works,
after which
said was commenced by he slave for his freedom. The
Some time during the continuance of the
employment of the slave in
by better, imformed the said
in the state of
so employed the said slave in the state of
at the
coal
danger in
It is
facts the Court shall
is entitled to his freedom,
Judgment for pltff