To the Honorable Alexander Hamilton ,
Judge of the Circuit , Court within and,
for the County of St. Louis State, of Missouri ,

The petition of Alfred Taylor , a free man, of color
respectuflly represents,, to your honor, that he is now confined,
in the common jail, of said County by the jailor of the County aforesaid., your pet
itioner states, that he was by the sherrif, of said County
as the property, of at the
of commenced in the Court, of
Common pleas of said county by attachment your petitioner states, that at the present term, of the said
Court of common pleas, the said letter moved the,
said last mentioned court, for an order of sale in said
Cause and the Said Court of Common Please where the said motion, did make, an order that your petitioner,
should be sold as the property of said as aforesaid, your petitioner states,
that the said sherrif, has your petitioner, for
sale and will on this seventh day
of October 1848, Unless, your honor, should and
allow your petitioner, to sue, for his freedom your
petitioner states, that at the time, he was on the
attachment aforesaid as the property, of said he was entitled to his freedom and of to have, been free, and absolved from mandatory servitude,, your petitioner states, that he was formerly,
the slave of Isaac VanHouton , a resident, of
St. Louis aforesaid now deceased,, that said Isaac departed,
this life, in the in the early part, of 1847. after the death, of said Isaac the said Cornelius claimed, to
be the owner of your petitioner, and held, him in slave
ry up, to the time he was attached as aforesaid,. your
petitioner states, that he does not know, by what right

or authority, the said Cornelius , holds or to
claim, your petitioner, as his slave. Your petitioner states, that in the lifetime, of the said petitioner, your petitioner,
was often by the said Isaac , that your peti
tioner, should be liberated, and set free, upon the pay
ment by your petitioner, of the sum, of eight, hundred
dollars your petitioner states, that he paid, to the said
Isaac , in his lifetime, two hundred and forty six
dollors and to the widow, of the said Isaac ,
at the of the said Cornelius the sum of ninety nine dollars and to the said Cornelius , the sum of
four hundred and fifty five, dollars making in all,
the sum of Eight hundred dollars, your petitioner states,
that the said Cornelius since, the death, of the said Isaac ,
and before the issuance, of the attachment in said cause
promised, your petitioner that he the said Cornelius
would in due time by proper and sufficient, liberate
and emancipate your petitioner, which promises and
the said Cornelius have, broken and wholly failed, to fulfil, and perform. Your petitioner states that he is in equity amd good, to his freedom
upon the ground that, he has paid to those owning, him as
a slave the amount agreed, that he should pay, and his
value, even if he were a slave your petitioner, further
states, that in the year, of our Lord one thousand eight
hundred and forty one or two the
the said Isaac VanHouton , took your petitioner, to the
state, of Illinois , and at and
town in said state, the names, which are not known,
to your petitioner nor does, he know, the names of the counties, in which
said, towns are situated, but he knows, they are in the state,
of Illinois , that said Isaac VanHouton , in the said town
of and other towns in said of , held
your petitioner, in slavery and invluntary servitude.,

and compelled, your petitioner to labor for him the said
Isaac , Van Houton, as a Slave for a long space of, of
time to wit for the space, of ten days your petitioner
therefore prays that he may be permitted to sue as a
poor person to establish his right to his freedom that
your honor, may make an order allowing your petitioner
to sue an satisfactory to the Clerk of the
St Louis Circuit Court And also that your petitioner
have reasonable liberty to attend his Counsel and the Hon
the Circuit Court as ocasion, may require, and 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 pursuant to the form of the
statute, in such case made and and
that your Hon, may unto your petitioner such, other
and further in the presence as the law may
out and to your honor, the nature, of his case
and in he will ever

Alfred Taylor

State of Missouri ,
County of St Louis

Alfred Taylor
The above named petitioner
being, duly sworn on his oath, states there the -
tion has been to him that he understands the
Thereof and he further states, that the matter and are true, to the best of his Knowledge thereof

to
before me this 7th day
of October 1848 Alfred his x mark Taylor
and notary -

No 93
In St Louis Circuit Court
November Term 1848

Filed Oct 7th 1848

Ruland Clk,

Petition to sue for freedom

It is hereby ordered that the
named petitioner be allowed to sue
on giving security satisfactory to the
Clerk of the St Louis Circuit Court for all costs, that may be adjudged
against him

Second,, It is further ordered that the
said petitioner have reasonable
liberty to attend his Counsel and
the Court as occasion may require
and that he be not removed out of
the State of Jurisdiction of the St .
Louis Circuit Court and that he be
not subject to any severity on account
of his application for freedom
Given under my hand October
1848

Oct. 7. 1848 A. Hamilton

State of Missouri ,
county of St louis In, the st louis Circuit Court ,
November term 1848

Alfred Taylor , a free man, of color,
the plaintiff, in this case, by his attorny
complains, of Cornelius Vanhouton Lewis Moutin, and Samuel Conway defendants,
of a pleas, of trespass for, that the said defendants on, the first day, of August in, the year of our lord one thousand eight hundred and forty eight at St Louis , in the County of St Louis aforesaid with,
and the said
plaintiff, to at the county aforesaid, and then and,
there seized, and laid hold, of the said plaintiff, and with great force, and violence,-
the said plaintiff, and the said plaintiff a great many
violent blows, and strikes, and also, then and forced, and compelled, the said plaintiff, to
and off of a then and
at the county aforesaid, to go in and to the Common Jail, of said County situated,
in the county aforesaid, and there then imprisoned, the said plaintiff, and kept and detained him,
in person, there without any reasonable, or probably cause, for a long space of time, to wit
from, that day witherto,
and still holds detains
and imprisons, the said plaintiff in the jail aforesaid,
to wit, at the at the county aforesaid against the law of,
our said state and against the will of the said plaintiff,
the said plaintiff, was greatly hurt and injured,
to wit, at the at the county aforesaid, the said plaintiff,
at of the
above stated he, was and still is,a free person,

and that the said defendants held, and still holds, said plaintiff, in slavery, to wit, at
the County aforesaid, to the to the damage, of the said
plaintiff, therefore he brings his suit,

Hudson atty for plff,

no
In St louis Court , court
november term 1848

for freedom,

the

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

We command you To Summon Cornelius Van , Houton Louis , Martin , and Samuel Conway , if he be found in Your County that he 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 third Mon-
day of November next, then and there to answer unto Alfred Taylor , of color of, a plea
of trespass,
to the damage of said palintiff one 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 7th day of
Oct. in the year of our Lord eighteen
hundred and forty-
eight. 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 seventh day of October 1848

Plea, by Martin Conway ,18p391 for van 18 p 445 ( copy order ) at Sep-11-1849- 19p 175

No 93 St.Louis circuit court November term 1848

Sacdd. dam :or

Hudson p,g

It is here by ordered that there within named
petition to be allowed to sue ongoing so-
clearly satisfactory to the clerk of the St. louis circuit Court for all costs that may be
adjudged against him. Second It is further
ordered that the said petitioner, have Rea
sonable liberty to attend his counsel and
the court as occasion may require and
that he be not removed out of the state or
jurisdiction of the st. Louis circuit court and
that he be not suffer to any severity on ac,-
count, of his application for freedom. Given under,
my hand and, seal October 7th 1848

Oct 7th 1848 july filed Oct 7th 1848fea $2 nut 4 1/3 by plaintiff

Served, this writ in the county of St.Louis on this
7th day of October 1848 by offering to read
it and this declaration to Samuel Conway which he refused to hear

$ 1.00 Louis

Executed this writ in the county of St. Louis this 7th
day of October 1848 by offering to read it and the declaration
to Lewis H. Martin one of, the within named defendants which
he refused to hear Cornelius VanHouton not found in my county

Louis

$100 total $$50$150 total $ 2,50

Saint louis Circuit Court

the defendands with >
, the plaintiff

no. 93.

Plea,

Filed,Nov. 22 1848

Suit for freedom this case

10th 1849