To the Honorable Luke E . Judge of the Third Judicial
Circuit for the State of Missouri .

The petition of Aspian a woman of color respectfully
represants that she is the daughter of Judy who was
born in the state of Virginia about the year 1786 and
whom about 10 or 11 years old was bought to Louis ville
Kentucky and sold to a certain william sullivan who
kept him for a short time as a slave and then
sold him to a certain Robert Bunton a resident
of the Town of Vincennes in the north.western Territory.
That the said Bunton took your petitioner mother
to the town of in the territory aforesaid about
the year 1798, in which pleace she was owned
and containued to his held as a slave by the said
Bunton for the share of two years or afterwards.
That after your petitioner mother had been held and
treated as a slave in the town of Vincennes and
Territory aforesaid for the length of time set forth
above she was suit to in the said
Territory and same short time afterwords sold
to a certain William of the town of
Saint Louis in the province of upper Louisiana
where she has remained in slavery
since, and same to your petitioner about thirty
two years ago in the town of Saint Louis

Your petition further represents that she is non
illegally held in slavery by a certain Joseph
Rosati of Saint Louis contrary to the provision
of an ordinence by the congress of the
State in day of July seventeen hundred and eighty seven
your petitioner this
for prays that she may be permitted to sue
as a poor person in order to establish her right
to freedom, that counsel he assigned her for that
purpose and finally that your hour may grant
the usual orders in such case and as in duty
would will ever pray .

Aspisa her markx a woman
of color

State of Missouri
Saint Louis CountySs.

This day a woman
of color personally apper and before the a of the peace for the county aforesaid
and made oath that the matters and things in the
foregoing petitioner contained so far as they depend upon her own
knowledge are true and

from the information of others she beleive
to her .

herx
mark

Sworn to & subscribed
before me this 7th
1837

J.P.

1st It is hereby ordered that Aspisa be permitted
to sue as a poor person for the recovery of her
freedom and that . he assigned
her as counsel for that purpose.

2nd That the said Aspisa have reasonable
liberty to attend her counsel and the
court as occasion may require, that
she he not removed out of the
of the court, and that she be not
subject to any severity on account
of her application for freedom.

C.C.C
9th Jan. 1837

Petition to
sue in form

Circuit Court March Term 1837.
Saint Louis County to writ:

Aspisa a woman of color by ..Risque
her attorney complains of Joseph
Rosate of a plea of for false imprisonment.
For that whereas the said
Joseph Rosate to writ on the 2nd
day of January 1837 of the city of St .
Louis in the county aforesaid with force
and arms made an assault upon the
said Aspisa to not at &c. and then
& there but, bruised and illtreated her the
said Aspisa and then and there imprisoned her and kept and detained her in
prison then, without any reasonable
or probable came whatsoever for a
long time to wit for the share of
then following, contrary to the
laws of the land and the will of the
said Aspisa . And the said Aspisa
that at the time and before the commetting
of the said grievances she was and still
is a for person and that the said Joseph Rosate held and still holds her
in slavery, to the damage of the said
Aspisa of the sum of $ 300, and
therefore she brings suit

F.W. Risque
Counsel for
plaintiff

No
Circuit Court March Term
1837.

This is an action
for false imprisonment made
in form a
for the recovery
of find and. Damage
$ 300. The clerk will issue a summons

.
p.q.

The State of Missouri
County of S Louis . Ss:To the Sheriff of the County of St Louis = Greeting:

We command you to summon Joseph Rosate , if he be formed in your
county, that he be and appear before the Honorable Judge of our Circuit
Court on the first day of the next term thereof, to be begun and held at the
city of S Louis within and for the county aforesaid, on the second monday
of march next, then & there to answer unto Aspisa , a woman of color of
a plea of trespass for false imprisonment, wherefore the said Aspisa
saith she hath sustained damage to the amount of three hundred 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 ninthday of January
eighteen hundred and thirty seven.
John Ruland Clerk
By
J.D.Johnston D.C.

1st It is hereby ordered that Aspisa be permitted to sue as a poor person. and that F.W.Risque
be assigned her as counsel for that perpose.

That the said Aspisa have reasonable liberty to attend her counsel and the court. as
occasion may require,- that she be not removed out of the jurisdiction of the court, and
that she be not subject to any severity on account of her application for freedom.
9th Jan:1837. L.E.Lawless... St Louis ."

A true copy of the orders upon the petition
Attest
John Ruland Clerk

No 39
Saint Louis Circuit Court
March Term 1837

Filed 9 January 1837

John Ruland Clerk

Executed this writ by reading it and the declaration
petition order and affidavit to Joseph Rosat the witness named
Defendant in the County of St Louis on the 9th
day of January 1836

James Brotherton Sheriff
By Shff
Service $1.00