State of Missouri
County of St Louis St Louis Circuit Court
March Term 1841

To the honorable Luke E .
Lawless sold Judge of the said St Louis
Circuit Court . Your petitioner Richard
Tompson a man of colour humbly
complaining, respectfully showeth unto
your honor. That he is at this time held
in slavery by one James E Blount and
Baker Fred White men of the city
of Saint Louis and within the jurisdiction
of your honorable Court rendering at
this time services as a slave for the benefit
of said Blount & Baker before
then represents that he fomerly belay-
ed to General William H Ashley deceased
and belonged to him at the time of his
death who lived in the said City of St Louis
when he departed this Life. And that
at said Ashley's death he said de-
cedent made and published his last
will and testament wherein and by
which he liberated and set free forev-
er your petitioner and that since his
said Ashley's death your petitioner has
been or pretended to be sold as he has
been informed and verily believes by
the personal representatives of said decedents
estate to said Blount and Ba-
ker as a slave for life. Your petitioner
avers that he is entitled by said will
and the cases of the land to his freedom
and that he is now about thirty-nine
years of age. He your petitioner therefore
humbly prays your honor to grant
him leave to sue in your honorable
Circuit Court at the March Term
thereof for the year Eighteen hundred
and forty-one as a poor person agreeably
to the laws of the said state of
Missouri in such cases made and
provided in order to establish his right
to his freedom for the reasons and causes
aforesaid and your petitioner will
ever pray &c.

Richard Tompson
By John B King
his attorney

State of Missouri
County of St Louis
ss.

Personally appeared
before me the undersigned an acting
Justice of the peace in and for the town
ship of St Louis County and state afore-
said the above named petitioner Richard
Tompson and made oath that
the matters and things stated and set
forth in the above petition, so far as sta
ted from his own Knowledge and true
and so for as stated from the information
of others he beleives them to be
true

Richard Tompson
his markSworn to and subscribed before me this 26th January 1841J W Walsh Justice

I Luke E. Lawless Judge of
the St. Louis Circuit Court do here
by give the above named petitioner

Richard Tompson permission to sue
in the said St Louis Circuit Court as
a poor person to establish his right
to his freedom at the March Term 1841
And further order that he have reason
able liberty to attend to his counsel
and the said court, as occasion may
required; that he be not removed
out of the jurisditiction of the said Circuit
Court , and that he be not subjected
to any severty on account
of his application for freedom

This 26th January
1841

Richard Tompson
a man of colour
vs
Blount & Baker
petition

Richard Tompson
a man of colour
vs
James E. Blount &
Baker
Declaration

This is an action of
Trespass & false imprisonnment
a suit for freedom
The clerk of
the St Louis Circuit
Court will issue a
summons in the above
cause

John B. King
atty for plff

State of Missouri
County of St Louis St Louis Circuit Court
March Term 1841

Richard Tompson a man
of Colour by his attorney John B King com
plaining of James E Blount and Leakin Baker
of a plea of trespass and false imprison
ment_ For that the defendants on the third
day of September eighteen hundred and
forty at the county and circuit aforesaid
upon said plaintiff an asault did make
and him then and there did strike, bruise
wound and otherwise ill treat and him
then and there did imprison and so detain
ed him in imprisonment for a long time
to wit from the day and year last aforesaid
to this day, contrary to the statute in
such case made and provided and against
the peace and dignity of the state aforesaid
and said plaintiff avers that before and
at the time of the committing of the grievances
aforesaid, he was, and still is a free person,
and that the said defendants held and
still holds, him in slavery - Therefore he
brings his suit &

John B King
att'y for plaintiff

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

We command you to Summon James E. Blount
and Leakin Baker that they he 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 Mon-
day of March next, then and there to answer unto Richard
Tompson (a man of Color) of a plea
of trespass and false imprisonment.

to the damage of said plaintiff

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 28th day of
January in the year of our Lord eighteen
hundred and forty one. 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

I Luke E. Lawless , sole Judge of the St. Louis
Circuit Court , do hereby give the aforenamed petitioner
Richard Tompson permission to sue in the said
St. Louis Circuit Court as a poor person to es-
tablish his right to his freedom at the March
Term 1841 and further order that he have rea-
sonable liberty to attend to his counsel and
the said Court, as occasion may require, that
he be not removed out of the jurisdiction of the
said Circuit Court and that he be not subjected
to any severity on account of his application
for freedom this 26th January 1841.

L. E.

No. 161. St. Louis Circuit Court
March Term 1841

Richard Thompson
vs Summons
James E Blount &
Leakin Baker

Trespass & false impirsonment
King p. q.

Filed Jany 28. 1841 Jn Ruland Clk

Executed this writ in the county of St. Louis
on the 30th day of January 1841 by reading
it, the declaration and order of the Judge to
Leakin D Baker one of the defendants, the
other defendant James E Blount not found in
my county

M Brotherton Sheriff
By Henry B Belt Depty Service $ 100 Non est 50 $ 1.50 Dismissed of of plff Bk 12/318

State of Missouri
County of St Louis

Richard Tompson (a man
of colour) humbly and respectfully stating
to the Honorable Luke E Lawless sole Judge
of the St. Louis Circuit Court for the county
and State aofresaid, that by the permission
of your honor he has instituted a suit
in said Circuit Court returnable to the
March Term Eighteen hundred and for-
ty one to establish his right to freedom
against one James E Blount and
Leakin Baker and that the summons in
said cause has been executed on one
of said defendants To wit said Baker by
the Sheriffs of said County and that Said
Blount the other defendant has not been
found as he is informed and verily believes
-that he verily belives he will be run
beyond the jurisdiction of your honorable
Circuit Court and be otherwise mal-
treated by said defendants and others in
consequence of bringing said suit afore-
said unless prevented by the timely inter-
position of your honor- before said suit in in said court to the end that
he may be protected and saved harmless
in the apertion of his rights secured to him
by law he humbly petitions your honor
to grant him a warrant as the law in
such case made and provided contem-
plates- that he may be brought before
your honor or to be further dealt with as
> may be deemed right and necessa-
ry as the law in such case provides and
contemplates - And grant to your petitioner
all such relief as his case merits in the
premises and as in duty bound he will
ever pray &c.

Richard Tompson
by John B King his
atty.

State of Missouri
County of St Louis
ss.

Personally appeared before
me the undersigned an acting justice of
the peace for the county and state aforesaid
Richard Tompson (a man of colour) and made oath that the facts matters and things
stated in the above petition so far as stated
from his own knowledge are true and so far as
stated from the information of others
he believes them to be true.

Sworn to and Subscribed before me
this 2nd day of February 1841.J W Walsh Justice Richard his mark Thompson

Richard Tompson
a man of Colour
vs Petition
Blount & Baker

Filed February 3 1841 Jn Ruland Clerk

No. 161 March Term 1841

Richard Tompson
vs
on petition
Blount & Baker

Summons

Shff ordered to hire petitioner out BK 12 p 93

County of St Louis SctThe State of Missouri To the sheriff of the County
of St Louis greeting:

We command you to
seize Richard Tompson (a man of color) where=
ver he may be found and bring him be=
fore the Honorable Luke E . Lawless Judge
of our Circuit Court for the county of
St Louis at the Courthouse in the City of
St Louis on the fourth day of Febuary
1841 at 10 o'clock a.m then and there
to abide the decision of said judge on a
certain petition of the said Tompson this
day filed, and that you summon James
E. Blount and Leakin Baker , or any other
person whatever in whose possession he may
he found, to appear before the said Judge
at the same time, then and there to abide
such decision as the said court may make.

Witness John Ruland clerk
of our said Court with the
seal thereof hereto affixed
at office in the City of St .
Louis this 3rd day of
February 1841 Jn Ruland Clk

Excuted this writ & have
now in open court the body of
the within named Richard Thompson
in in open court this 4th day of
Feby 1841 and Summoned Leakin
Baker as by this
writ I am commanded James
E Blount not found in my
county

Wm Brotherton
Sheriff Fees $ 2.50

In the St Louis Circuit Court
March Term 1841

And the said defendant
Baker by his attorney comes & defends the force &
injury when & he says that he is not
guilty of the said supposed grievances or any of
them or any part thereof in manner & form as the
said plaintiff hath above thereof complained
against him and of this he puts himself upon the
country

J.Polk P.D

No 161 Cir Court
March term 1841

Leakin D Baker implended
ats
Richard Thompson

Plea not guilty

J. Polk PD.Filed March 17 1841 Jn Ruland Clerk

a suit for freedom
an appearence for
March Term 1841

Dismissed

John B King
att'y for plff