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

Thadeus Alonzo , a male child of color aged about
ten months, respectfully shows to your honor that he is the
son of Vica a woman of color, who was formerly the property
of Felix 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 Vica mother of your petitioner to
Jackson County in the State of Illinois where the said
Vica was held to labor and as a slave by the said Walker
for several months both before and after your petitioners birth,
that several months after the said Vica was so summoned
by said Walker to the said State of Illinois , that she gave
birth to your petitioner in the said county of Jackson in the State
of Illinois , on or about the seventh day of June
that for several months after the birth of your petitioner
the said Vica continued to remain in the County and state
last named and there kept your petitioner that the said
Vica and your petitioner were subsequently brought to the city of St Louis in
the State of Missouri by one Benjamin Dill son in law of the
said Walker and placed in the home of one
in said city that said to hold and to be
entitled to the said Vica & your petitions to one Lyman
B Shaw who under such and right
sold the said Vica and your petitioner to George Charles &
Samuel Robart as your petitioner believes- that your petitioner
is now in the custody of James Mellody. Your petitioner
states that the said John & H Shaw Lyman B Shaw
and Samuel Hobart all to have some right of property
in your petitioner as a slave- your petitioner states that the
said Charles has made efforts to obtain possession of your
petitioner to separate him from his mother the said Vica &
to remove him as he believes out of the jurisdiction of the
said court - Believing that he is free and entitled to his
freedom, your petitioner begs your honor to allow him to
sue for his freedom as a poor person by his next friend Chesley
Evans and that your honor will make such other and
further orders as the law requires to secure to you petitioner his rights and to prevent his being taken out of the
jurisdiction of said court - your petitioner states further
that his mother the said Vica is the daughter of a mulatto woman
by an Indian man and that the father of your petition
is a white man so that the proportion of African blood
your petitioner is about one eighth.

Thadeus Alonzo (of color) by King & Murdoch his attorneys

State of Missouri
St Louis County of

Vica a woman of color being
duly sworn says that the matters and things in
the foregoing petition of Thadeus Alonzo contained are
true to the best of her knowledge and belief.

Sworn to & subscribed by
mark the 29 April 1842
before me
John Ruland Clerk Cir Ct By
N. S. Doughty Depty
Vica herx mark

The undersigned judge of the Circuit Court of St Louis
County being satisfied that the petition of Thadeus Alonzo
a child of color contains sufficient matters to authorize
the commencement of a suit, do make the following orders. That the said Thadeus Alonzo be allowed to sue
as a poor prison to establish his right to freedom and
do assign Messrs King & Murdoch as his counsel
Second: that the said Thadeus Alonzo have 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 subjected to any severity
on account of his application for freedom.

Bryan Mullanphy by Judge of the 8th Judicial Circuit of Missouri

In the St. Louis Circuit Court
July term 1842.
State of Missouri
St. Louis County ss.

Thadeus Alonzo , a boy of color
who sues by his next friend Chesley Evans complains of John
H. Sparr, George Charles , Samuel Hobart & George H .C.
Mellody of a plea of trespass and false imprisonment &c
For that the said defendants on the twenty eighth day of
April in the year eighteen hundred and forty two at the
County aforesaid upon said plaintiffs an assault did
make and him the said plaintiff did strike bruise and
otherwise ill treat and him then and there did
imprison & so detained him in imprisonment for a long
time to wit from the day & year last aforesaid to this day
contrary to the statutes in such case made and provided
and against the peace and dignity of the state aforesaid.
And the said plaintiff avers that before and at the
time of the committing of the grievances aforesaid, he
the said Thadeus Alonzo was and still in a free
person, and that the said defendants held and still
hold him in slavery.
To the plaintiffs damage
one dollar & therefore he brings suit &c.

King & Murdoch.
Plffs Attys.

Petition for freedom
Narr in false imp.

County of St. Louis , ss.The State of Missouri ,

We command you to Summon John H Sparr , George Charles
Samuel Hobart and George H .C. Melody 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 Thadeus Alonzo
a boy of color who sues by his next friend Chesley Evans
of a plea of trespass and 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 Twenty ninth 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 hire out petitioner rescinded & suit dismissed Bk 13 p 227

No 32
St. Louis Circuit Court
July Term 1842

Suit for freedom, Dam ___ $1.

King & Murdoch pq

It is ordered- first, That the said Thadeus
Alonzo be allowed to sue as a poor person to establish
his right to freedom and do assign Messrs
King & Murdoch as his counsel. Second- That
the said Thadeus Alonzo have 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 8th Judicial
Circuit of Missouri .

Filed April 29th 1842 Jn Ruland Clerk

Free

Executed this writ, on the 29th day of April 1842,
in the County of St. Louis , by reading it and the
annexed declaration to John H Sparr , George
Charles , Samuel Hobart and George H C
Mellody .

Marshall Brotherton Sheriff

service$4.00fees in original 5.00$9.00

The State of Missouri to Marshall Brotherton Esquire
Sheriff of the County of St Louis
Greeting

The Judge of the Our Circuit Court for the
Eighth Judicial Circuit being satisfied that Thadeus
Alonzo a male child of color will be is about to be removed
from out of the Jurisdiction of the said court
in which he has been allowed to sue
for his freedom, This is therefore to command
you to take the said child wherever he may
be found and bring him before our said Judge
at three o'clock of the afternoon of this day
at gaol in the city & county of St. Louis
and summon the persons in whose possession
he may be found, as also John H .
Sparr , Lyman B. Shaw, George Charles and Samuel
Hobart , who are said to claim property in said
child to appear before our said Judge at
the same time and place - and have you then
there this writ - to witness the hand of our said Judge
at Chancery in the city and county of St Louis this
twenty ninth day of April in the year of Our Lord
one thousand eight hundred and forty two.

Bryan Mullanphy Judge
of the Eighth Judicial
Circuit of Missouri .

- for the taking of
Thaddeus Alonzo - a
male child of color.

Executed this writ in the County of
St Louis on the 29th April 1842 and have
Thaddeus Alonzo at the Gaol as required
by this writ, and also by summoning
John H Sparr , Lyman B. Shaw, George Charles
and Samuel Hobart to appear as herein
required.

Marshall Brotherton Shff.
By Henry B Beet Depty

Service $5.00

State of Missouri .
County of St. Louis .

Be it remembered that on the twenty
ninth day of April in the year of
our Lord one thousand eight hundred
and forty two, at gaol in the city &
county of St. Louis was bought before
the undersigned Judge of the Eighth
Judicial Circuit of Missouri , Thaddeus
Alonzo a child of color under the writ
this day by the undersigned issued under
the 4th and 5th sections of an act entitled
“an act to enable persons
“held in slavery to sue for their freedom”
and the parties in the writ named
having declined to enter in the recognizance
required by the seventh section of
the said act, and the said child
being but a few months old and utterly
helpless, & incapable of being disposed
of under the eighth section of the
said act, therefore it is ordered that
Marshall Brotherton Esqre Sheriff of the
County of St. Louis do keep the said
child subject to the order of this
Court.

Bryan Mullanphy .
Judge of the Eighth Judicial
Cir of the
State of Missouri .