To the Honourable William &
Judge of the Circuit Court within
& for the County of St Louis

The petition Thenia otherwise called
Sarah , a negro woman, as well for herself
as for her child Charlotte , who is a mulatto girl about three years old, respectfully shows

That she is now about twenty one year old. That she may born in Kentucky ,
the slave of one - That many
years ago (fifteen or seventeen years) one
Jacob interviewed with the daughter of , the
then master of your petitioner, and your
petitioners, then being a little girl was
given to the in ,
and remained in his posession in
Kentucky , until four or five years
ago, when he removed with his family
(your petitioner being one) into the state
of Illinois , and there settled & resided for
about one year, near a place called
Waggoners Point, opposite the lower
rapids of the Mississippi . After that
Mr. Werner moved with his family
the Mississippi to a country called the
Halfcountry, There kept your
petitioner for about two or three years, until
within a few days past. The petition
states that a few days after she was
taken into the Half country, she
had the alone child Charlotte .

That for several past Mr Weaver
occasionally expressed the intention of
selling your petitioner, but was prevented
by the opposition of his wife, in whose right
he at first obtained her. That not long
since Mrs Weaver,died, and Mr Weaver
as as he could arrange his affairs,
brought your petitioner down to St Louis
& sold her & her child Charlotte to one
Greer Crowder , who, as your petitioner
is informed & believes, is a regular slave
trader, and follows the occupation
of buying slaves in this part of the
Country & selling them in the lower
Country . Immediately after the purchase,
Mr Crowder carried your petitioner & her
Child to the into the jail of this
country, for safe keeping until he
should be ready to take them to the

southern market. And she is in hourly
fear that she & and the child will he hurried from jail, or board a steam boat, & transported to the south, without an
opportunity to assert their claim to
freedom.

She is advised & does believe , by reason
of her residence in Illinois as aforesaid, she &
her child are entitled to their freedom,
of which they are deprived &heldin
slavery by the aforesaid W . Crowder - and she
praysthatyour Honor will bepleased
to take in the premises at the
- as her casemayrequire, and that
she &thesaid Charlotte may be permitted
to sue from , in the common form
of law.

Themia otherwise called
Sarah

St Louis County to Wit>

Edward Baty being duly that
he her conversed with John K Walker in , who has the
above named petitioner & her child in his change in the common
jane, who informed the affiantthat the above named
Greer Crowder , placed the petitioner&her child Charlotte
in jail for safe keeping until he can get ready
to take them () down the river for sale in
the southern market , and that, from thathe has
heard she said Crowder will be ready to stand in a
St Louis County to Writ.

The within named petitioner who calls
herself Thenia or Sarah being only sworn says
that according to the best of her knowledge & belief
the facts stated in the foregoing petition are true
and that she is informed & believes that W -
Crowder , within named, intends in a way that
time to take her & her child to the Lower Country
for tale, and will do so unless immedately res-
tranied by an order of the judge

in a day or two. -

to
before This 24. Nov. 1831. Will C. Carr
Judge 3. Circuit

10 March 1831

State of Missouri
Judicial Circuit

On the foregoing petition Thenia otherwise called
Sarah isherebypermitted to sueasa poor person aswell as
in her own behalf as also in that of her child Charlotte to
their right to freedom and Edward , Esq-
is hereby assigned her as Counsel - It is moreover ordered
that for purposes of the aforesaid as a
or have reasonable liberty to attend the court
& her counsel whenever occasion may require
& that neither she nor said child be subjected to
any severityy on account of her application for
freedom & that they be not removed out of the juris
diction of this court. Given under my hand this 24th of Nov 1831.

Will . C. Carr

In the Circuit Court
To Judicial Circuit March Term A.D. 1832.

St Louis , to wit. Thenia otherwise called Sarah , a woman
of color, complains of Green Crowder of a plea of trespass.
For that the said defendant on the twenty third day of
November in the year Eighteen hundred and thirty and,
with force and arms assaulted the said plaintiff, to wit,
as the County aforesaid and then and there beat, and ill-
treated her, the said plaintiff and then and there imprisoned
the said plaintiff and kept and detained her in prison
there without any reasonable or probable cause whatsoever
for a long time, to wit, for the space of twenty four hours
then next following, contrary to the law of the land and
against the will of the said plaintiff, and other wrongs
to the said plaintiff then and there did, against the
peace and dignity of the state of Missouri and to the
damage of the said plaintiff of one hundred dollars,
and therefore she brings her said &c.

And the said plaintiff avers that before & as
the time of the committing the grievances aforesaid, she
was and still is a free person and that the defendant
held and detained her & still holds and detains her in
slavery.

Bates & Allen
attorney for pltiff.

The State of Missouri County of Saint Louis ss> To the Sheriff of the County of Saint Louis Greeting

We command you to Summon Green Crowder that he be and appear
before the Judge of our circuit court at the next March term therefoe to be
held at the City of St Louis within and for the County of Saint Louis on the
fourth Monday of March next then and there to answer unto Thenia otherwise
called Sarah a woman of color of a plea of trespass to the damage
of the said plaintiff of one Hundred dollars and have you there
this writ

Witness Archibald Gamble Clerk of our said
Circuit court at office this Twenty fifth day of
November eighteen hundred & thirty one Archibald Gamble Clerk

Copy of the order of judge on the petitioners petition

State of Missouri -Third Judicial Circuit to wit- On the foregoing petition Thenia
otherwise called Sarah is hereby permitted to sue as a poor person as well in her own behalf
as also in that of her child Charlotte to establish their right to freedom and Edward Bates Esq
is hereby assigned her as counsel - It is morever ordered that for the purposes aforesaid the
said Thernia or Sarah have reasonable liberty to attend the Court & her counsel whenever
occasion may require - that neither she nor said child be subjected to any severity on
account of her application for freedom & that they & not removed out of the jurisdiction of
this court - given under my hand this 24th of Nov 1831

Will C Carr
A copy of the order A Gamble Clerk

No 9 Saint Louis Circuit Court
March Term 1832

Thernia alias Sarah a wo=
vs man of Color
Green Crowder

Action of trespass for Freedom
Damage $100.00

Bates Filed 25th November 1831 Archibald Gamble Clerk

Served this writ by reading it & the
to Green Crowder on
the 26th day of November 1831 in
the city of St Louis . I also as the
said to the City of the
of the judge of the 3rd Circuit

$100 Jno K Walker Shff

ads
otherwise
called

And the said Green Crowder by Gamble his attor
ney comes and defends the force and injury when and
says he is not guilty of the said supposed wrongs in
the said declaration mentioned in mannerand form
as the said plaintiff hath above thereof complained
against him and of this he puts himself upon the Country &

And for further plea in this behalf the said
defendant says that the said plaintiff ought not
to have and maintain her aforesaid a action
thereof against him because he says that the
said plaintiff at the time when to the the said
plaintiff was a slave without this that at the time
when he was free as in her said declaration
is above supposed and this he is ready to verify
wherefore he pays judgement &c

filed March 21st 1832AG HK Gamble
atto for Plff

And the said pltff: as to the said plea of the said atty by
him secondly above says, that the said plff
freedom of away their the said after in that plea alleged ought
not to be from having and maintaining her aforesaid
action thereof against him the said because of the days that at the when the four as the her allyed in said their
may be impaired of the country &c

filed April 11th 1832 Bates
A G Clk

No 9 St Louis Court
March Term 1832

Thenia alias Sarah
vsTrespass
Green Crowder

1 plea not guilty

2 plaintiff a slave

Filed March 31st
1832 A Gamble Clk