To the honorable the Judge of the Circuit Court
of St. Louis County

Musa . Ben . Abel - a male Child
of colour aged about three years, respectfully shows
to your honor - that he is the son of a woman
of color, who was formerly the property of felin Walker
of the state of Mississippi - that the said Walker sometime
in the spring of the year eighteen hundred and
forty one took the said view mother of your petitioner who was to County in the state of illinois where
the said and your petitioner was held to and service as by the said Walker for is not about that
afterwards the and your petitioner
brought to the on
St. Louis in the state of Missouri from said state of Illinois by one
still in of the said and placed
in the house of our H. in said City
that said to hold and to
to the said and your petitioner a from said still said view &
your petitioner to our B. Shaw, who under
such pretended and right
the said and your petitioners to George
& Samual hobart your petitioner believes
that your petitioner is now in the custody of Melody - your petitioner states that the said
H. B. , George charles,
and Samuel all to hand some
right of property in your petitioner -
your petitioner states that the said
made efforts to obtain opinion of your petitioner,
to seperate him from his mother then said
view & tomorrow him as he believes out of the
jurisdiction of the said court - Believing that
he is freed and entilled to his freedom, your
petitioner prays your honorto allow him to sue
for his freedom as a poor person, by his next
friend Evans , and that your honor will
make such other and further orders as the as they can provide to secured to your petitioner
his rights and to being out of out
of said Court - your petitioner states further
that his mother the said , is the daughter of a by an Indian man, and that the further
of your petitioner is a white man that the
of blood in your petitioner is about
eighth.

Ben Abel Gazin
By &

State of Missouri
St. Louis Court

New, a woman of color, being
duly sworn says that the matters and things
in the for going petition of Musa Bin Abel contained and there to the best of his knowledge and belief

x mark
Sworn to & subscribed before me this
30th day of April 1842

Notary Public

The undersigned judge of the Circuit Court
of St. Louis County being satisfied the Ben Abel gazen a Child of contains and there to the of a
suit, do make the following orders -
First - that the said Musa Ben Abel gazen he allowed
to sue as a poor person to establish his right to
freedom and do assign King Murdoch as
his counsel -
Second that the said Musa Ben Abel gazen
liberty to attend his counsel the court,
as ; that he be not removed
out of the jurisdiction of the court, and that to be not
subjects to any severity on account of his applications
for freedom

In the St. Louis Circuit Court July Term 1842

Musa Ben Abel Gazen, a
boy of colour who was by his next friend
complains of John H . spam
george charles, Samual Hobart & george H. C. wells
of plea of trespass and false imprisonment
for that the said defandants on the
twenty nineth day of April in the year eigghteen hundred
and forty two at the county afore said, upon
said plaintiff an assault did make and him
the said plaintiff did strike, and otherwise
ill treat and him then and then did
imprison & so detained him in imprisonment
for a long time to suit from the day& year last
aforeaid to this day contrary to the in
such and provided and against
the peace and dignity of the state aforesaid and
the said plaintiff areas that before and at the
time of the committing of the grievances aforesaid,
be the said Musa . Ben Abel Gazen
was and still is a free person, and that the
said defendants held and still lived him
in slavery. To the plaintiff damage one
dollar & therefore he brings suit &c.

King x
Plaintiff attornies

george
charles, Samuel
Hobart & H.C.

Petition for freedom

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

We command you to Summon John H Sparr : George
Charles : Samuel Hobart & Genye H. C. Mellody
if they be found in your county that they 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 Monday
of July next, then and there to answer unto Musa: Ben
abel Gazen a boy of color who sues by his next friend chesley Evans
of a plea of trespass false imprisonment
to the damage of said plaintiff of one
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 Thirteeth day of April in the year of our Lord eighteen
hundred and forty two. Jn. 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

Order to here out petitioner resciended dismissed Bk 13 p 227

No 33 St. Louis Circuit Court
July Term 1842

Suit for freedom Damages 1.
King Murdoch pq
it is ordered-first. That the said Thus a Benabel
Gazan be allowed to sue as a poor person
to establish his right to freedom and do assign King & Murdoch as his counsel -
seend - That the said musa Ben abel Gazen
reasonable liberty to attend his counsel
and the court as occasion may require, that
he be not removed out of the jurisdiction of the
court, and that he be not subject to any severity
on account of his application for freedom.
Bryan Mullanphy judge of the eigth 2nd of the State of mipouri.

Filedapril 30th 1842
Jn. Ruland Clerk Free

Executed this writ, on the 30th day of april 1842,
in the County of St. Louis , by reading it and
the declaration to John Sparr
George Charles , Samuel Robert and George
H C.

Brotherton Sheriff

Service$ 4.00 in 2.00$ 6.00

excuted this writ by reading it to george Melody in the whose formed the child
Musa Ben Abel and by having the said child before the judge of the 8th Circuit at
the time and place this order mentioned-2nd May 1841

By
Joseph to Service $ 2.00

The State of Missouri

Marshall Brotherton Sheriff
of the County of St. Louis
the judge of the eight judicial
Circuit of the State of
Missouri being satisfied, that
Musa ben abel Gazena child
of Color is about to be removed
out of the jurisdiction of the
St. Louis county circuit court
wherever he have have permitted
to due for his freedom, this is
therefore to commanded you so
seize the said Musa and bring
him before our said judge at
nine o'clock on Monday the
2nd day of May 1840
at goalin the city and County of
St. Louis and to summon
person in where he
may be found to before
our said judge at the same
time and place and have you
then there this writ-In testimony
whereof witness the of our
judge at office this their
tenth day of April in the your
of our Lord eight
hundred and forty two
judge of the
judicial Circuit of the
State of Missouri

State of Missouri
Circuity of St. Louis

Be it remembered that on
this third day of May 1842 Musa Ben Abel
Gazen Child of color was brought
before me and the child being too
to be lived on under the statute and
no person being willing to enter into
the recognizance required by it
is that the or and
child subject to the order of the court

of the if the
State of Missouri