To the Hon. the Circuit Court of St Louis County
April Term 1844.

The petition of Ann, a woman of color respectfully
states to your honorable Court, that she is confined and
restrained of her reasonable liberty by John M . Jamison
jailor of St Louis County, in the jail of said County. That
said confinement is not by virtue of any warrant, order
or process. That it is not pretended or alleged that
petitioner is a slave. As the true cause of such imprisonment
petitioner states, that she has been living at Peoria
in Illinois for the last six years as the indenturedservant under the
Laws of Illinois to one Charles Ballance, that said Ballance
about two months since hired your petitioner to one
William Wilson , who brought petitioner from Peoria
aforesaid to St Louis , and there kept her in his
family at labor until the seventeenth June eighteen
hundred forty four, when on account of some disagreement
between the family of said Wilson your petitioner
she was by said Wilson put into the hands of one John
W . Paulding, constable, who conveyed her to the jail
aforesaid under charge of said Jamison . She
prays that a writ of Habeas Corpus may be issued
by this Hon. Court and to be discharged from her imprisonment

Ann her mark

State of Missouri
St Louis County Ss.

Ann of Color being sworn
in open Court says, the facts set forth in forgoing
petition are true

Sworn to & subscribed in open Court the 21st June 1844 John Ruland ClerkAnn her x mark

State of Missouri
St Louis County Ss

The state of Missouri to John
Jamison, jailor of St Louis County - You are
hereby commanded to have the body of Ann, a
woman of Color, confined as it is said in the
jail of said County, together with the time and
cause of such imprisonment and detention,
before the Circuit Court of St Louis County, at
the hour of three oclock P.M of this day, to do and
receive what shall then and there be considered
concerning the said Ann, as our said Court
shall , and have you then and 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 the 21st day of June
in the year of our Lord eighteen hundred and forty four John Ruland Clerk
By Cha. B. Clements

To the Honourable the Circuit Court of St Lourty.

I herewith return this writ, and have the body
of Ann, the petitioner before the said Court, that state that
she is not in confinement by virtue of any warrant
order or process, but was committed to my custody
on the 17 June 1844, by John W . Paulding for safe
keeping, who informed this respondent, that said Ann
was not a slave but an indented servant under
the laws of Illinois , and had been at labor in
St Louis for one William Wilson , under a hiring
from her master by indenture

St Louis 21 June 1844JM Jameson Jailor

No. 394 St Louis Circuit
Court April Term 1844

Ann, vs John M Jamison

``By the Habeas Corpus act''

Filed June 21st 1844 John Ruland Clerk

Ann dischd at custy of Wm Wilson 15 p 147