To the honorable William C. Carr judge of the
circuit court of St. Louis County

Your petitioner uponwhom of whom Matilda
to from that about two years since
she obtained her right to freedom by a judgment
of the court written
that that lives to this she has resided
in the state of Illinois and to be
and a free woman that on this
day there 22 day of May in the year 1832
she was thus by the said state of
Illinois and is now held by force and detained
as a slave in the county of St Louis by one Elijah Mitchel and
this his your petitioner therefore
prays that she may be permitted to sue
as poorpersons to establish her right
to freedom, and she will everpraythus
and your petitioner further states that the
above Elijah and Maxarenow
her or their of the Impossible the of her of that
jurisdiction of this court by
Matilda

The within named petitioner is allowed to sue
for the purpose of establishing her right to free
-dom. The clerk of the Circuit Court for
St. Louis will issue a writ agreeably to the
statute in such cases made & provided
& it is hereby ordered that said Matilda
have reasonable liberty of attending her
counsel & the Court whenever occasion
may require - that she be not subjected
to any severity on account of her application
for freedom nor be removed out out of the jurisdiction of the court-

Given under my hand at my
Chambers this22 May 1832 Will C. Carr
Judge 3 Circuit

No 46 July Term 1832

Petition for freedom
to sue

Matilda
vs
Elijah Mitchel

St Louis Circuit Court July
Term 1832

St Louis County to wit Matilda a
woman of color who sues by permission
of the court complains of Elijah Mitchel
of a plea of trespass for that the said
Elijah Mitchel on the 22nd day of
May in the year 1832made an assault
upon the said Matilda to wit at the
county of st Louis and then and there
beat bruised and ill treated the said
Matilda and then and there imprisoned
the said Matilda and kept and detained
herinprison there without any probable
or reasonablecausewhatsoeverforalong
space of time to wit for the space of 12
hoursnextfollowingcontrary to law and
against the will of the said Matilda
and the said Matilda avers that before
and at the time of the committing of the
above grievances she was and still is a
free person and that the defendant then
and detainedherinslavery and still holds her in
and detains her in slavery
and other wrongs to the said Matilda
then and there did against the
force of the state and to the damage
of the plaintiff $ 500 and therefore she
bringssuit

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

We command you to Summon Elijah Mitchell that he be and
appear before the Judge of our Circuit Court on the first day of the
next July term thereof to be held at the city of St Louis within and
for the County of Saint Louis on the fourth monday of July

next then and there to answer unto Matilda a woman of Color who
sues by permission of the court of a plea of trespass to the damage of the
plaintiff five hundred dollars and have you then there this writ

Witness Archibald Gamble Clerk of our said
Circuit Court at Office this Twenty third day
of May in the Year of our Lord One thousand
Eight Hundred and thirty two Archibald Gamble Clerk

The within named petitioner is allowed to sue for the purpose of establishing her
right to freedom. The Clerk of the Circuit Court for St. Louis will issue a writ
agreeably to the statute in such cases made & & it is hereby ordered
that said Matilda have reasonable liberty of attending her counsel & the court
whenever occasion may require that she be not subjected to any severity on
account of her application for freedom nor be removed out of the jurisdiction
of the court - Given under my hand at my chamber this 22 May 1832

Will C. Carr Judge 3. Circuit

A True copy of the order of the judge

A Gamble Clerk

No. 47 Jefferson
Saint Louis Circuit Court
July Term 1832

Matilda a woman
of Color
vs
Elijah Mitchel

This is an action of
assault and battery &
false imprisonment
His clerk will

Filed 23rd, May 1832 Archibald Gamble ClerkFiled May 26th 1832
C Smith Clerk