To William C Carr Judge of the Circuit Court
Third IndividualCircuit & state of Missouri

Your Petitioner Mahala a free woman of color
represents that she was born free in the state of Illinois
about the year AD 1812 that she was born of a
freemother named Lydia whobefore her birth
recovered her freedom that both she & &
her mother
have/ her mother since 1809 & your petitioner since her birth
resides in the state of Illinois & regarded by all who
know them as free persons Your Petitioner believes
from information that one Elisha Mitchel ceceased
in 1809 or 1808 removed into the of Illinois where
he livedabout 3 months during which time he
hired said Lydia to labor there & declared that
it that was intention that said Lydia should be
free.. Your Petitioner says she has this day been
arrested as a runawayslave & confined in thejail
of St Louis county by Martin Micthelwho pretends
to have arrested your Petitioner as attorney In fact
for the Executor of Elijah Mitchel deceased &
who pretends that your petitioner is a slave belonging
to the Estate of said Elijah Mitchel
your Petitioner believes it is the intention of said
Martin Mitchel to take your petitioner to Kentucky
unless he is presented & your Petitioner does not
believe that she can remain in safety in St Louis
unless said Mitchell shall be required to gain
security that she shall not be removed. Your
petitioner prays that she may be permitted to institute
suit for her freedom as a poor person that counsel may be assigned
to her for that purpose that a writ of HabeasCorpus
may be issued requiring said Martin Mitchel to have the petitioners body before your honor that
such orders may be made in the premises as
unable her to communce & her same for freedom
& secure her safely & she will pray &c

for

Mahala the named petitioner an her sath
says the in the above petition stated are true
,
she further says that she is informed & believes
that there is danger of her being removed
to Kentucky unless she shall be brought before
your honor by HabeasCorpus & said Martin
Mitchel shall be required to give sufficient security
that she shall not be so removed. She is informed
& believes that said Martin Mitchel requested the
constable who arrested your petitioner as a runaway
slave to put your petitioner onboard the steam
boatUnion in the port of St Louis but
that said constable refused to do so & committed
your petitioners to jail as aforesaid

Sworn to and subscribedbefore
me this 20th day of July AD 1832 Patrick Walsh
Justice of the peace
St Louis County Mahala her
mark

.I.P.

Deposition
Justices fees (paid) $1.25

Mahala and others colored persons
vs
Martin Mitchell
In the Circuit
Court for that
County of St Louis

To the Clerk of the Circuit Court for the County
of St Louis - State of -
Missouri

Mahala & others
vs
Martin Mitchell

Deps for Jeffs
Ichabod Badgley

filed January 1st 1833 opened 18 February 1833 A Gamble Clk A Gamble Clerk

Deponent thinks that it is over twenty years since the said wench
returned from Missouri to Illinois , and has resided there ever since
- The names of the Children said to be the children of said wench
are as follows, to wit. (as far as deponent knows or recollects)-
Sam, one called and girl called Mahala - deponent understands that one of said children is called Matilda , and another called
Vina - Deponent believes that said wench has other children
but deponent does not know them- Deponent understands
that said Wench has had part of her children in Illinois ever since
her return there and that several of them had been born there
Deponent knows that said Wench was married to a coloured man
in Illinois ( far deponent belives) twenty years ago or upwards,
named Nase Titus , and that she had had several children by him.

Deponent further says that said Mitchell . at the time he arrived
in Illinois had a Negro man named and deponent knows
that said Mitchell had hired out the said Bob in the said territory
of Illinois to a man named John Byron for some time and
deponent saw the said Bob at work there for three days making
sugar troughs for said Byron

Ichabod Badgley

I Patrick Walsh a Justice of the Peace within & for the
County of St Louis ane State of Missouri do hereby certify that
the above named Deponent Ichabod Badgley was by me duly sworn
to testify the whole truth of his knowledge touching the matters in
controversy between each of the parties aforesaid that his
examination was reduced to writing & by him subscribed
in my presence on the day between the hours and at
the place in that behalf trial aforesaid given under my
hand at St Louis in said County this 28th day of November
in the year of our Lord eighteen hundred & thirty two

Patrick Walsh , Justice
of the peace St Louis County

Mitchell had rented of said Valentine for the terms of two years
the said land was situate within about five and a half miles of Harrison -
ville aforesaid in the aforesaid State of Illinois - Deponent
then observed to said Mitchell that perhaps he was ignorant
of our lives, meaning the laws of Ilinois , that he, Mitchell
had some Negroes with him, and that if they stayed over sixty days
they would be free according to the laws of Ilinois - the said
Mitchell then thanked deponent and observed that he had been
already over seventy days in Illinois , and that it was not
his intention that they should be Slaves. that he knew they would
remain unith him during his natural life: that it was not his
intention they should be Slaves after his death: that the old
wench had been a mother to his children in raising them and
he knew she would not leave him - The said Mitchell afterwards
in the same year (in what month of said year deponent does not now-
recollect moved with his family and Negroes to the Territory of Missouri .
Deponent understood that said Mitchell , after his removal to Missouri , had died in the said territorry of Missouri - how long after, deponent
does not recollect - The or said our of said Mitchell had
returned to the Territorry of Illinois with the said family
of negroes - when Mitchell had first arrived in Illinois deponent
understand that Lyd. the old wench above referred to. had children, howmany
this deponent does not know - Deponent recollects that there was a
suit and as deponent understood. was a suit brought by said
wench for her freedom - he does not recollect the parties, but suposes
the suit was brought by said wench against the said wife or
widow of said Mitchell and against the heirs of said Mitchell
The deposition of Ichabod Badgley taken before Mr Patrick
Walsh a Justice of the Peace within& for the county of St
Louis at my office in the city of St Louis & and state of aforesaid on the twenty eighth
day of November in the year of our Lord eighteen hundred
& thirty two between the hours of eight o'clock in the
forenoon & five Oclock in the after noon of that day
pursuant to the enclosed to be read in
in the following causes pending in the circuit of
St Louis County & State of Missouri namely Mahala
a woman of colour against Martin Mitchel also
in the cause of a woman an of colour against
Martin Mitchel also Sam an infant of colour by his
guardianadlitum against Alexander P Lucida & Elijah
Mitchell also Marianne a woman of colour against
Alexander P. Fields & Elijah Mitchell also Anson an
infant of color against Henry C Russel impleaded with Henry
G. Mitchel also Michael an infant of
against Henry C. Russel impleaded with Henry G Mitchell also Mitchal an infant against Henry
C. Russel impleaded with Henry G Mitchel on
the part of the planitiffs.

Ichabod Badgley of lawful age being produced
sworn & examined on the part of the planitiff deponent
& saith, that somewhereupwards of twenty years ago. and as
deponent believes about the year Eighteen hundred and eight, in the
month of February. deponentbecame acquainted with a certain
man named Elisha Mitchell - said Mitchell as deponent understood
had then recently arrived in the Then territorry of Illinois said
Mitchell then stopped at a placed within about five miles of what
is now called Harrisonville in the State of Illinois : In the month
of May next following, the said Mitchell called upon deponent to
get him to witness an agreement, which said Mitchell had made
with one George Valentine for the rent of some land. which said

Free negros
notice

a woman of Color
vs
a woman of color
vs
Sam an infant of color
by his guardian
vs
& by his next friend
vs
vs a woman of color
vs
&
an infant of color
vs
impleadedwith

vs
Cimpleaded
with an infant
vs
Cmispleads
with

All the above are actions for freedom in the St Louis
Circuit. The above named Defendants &
Stephen W Foreman their attorney of Record
will please to take notice that on the 25th
day of November instant at the office of Patrick
Walsh Esquire in the City & County of St Louis
& state of Missouri between the hours of eight
Cclock in the fornoon & five o clock in the
afternoon of that day I shall take the
Depositions of the trespass to be read in evidence
on the trial of each of said causes

A Bird atty for cash
of said plaintiff

Served this notice on Stephen W
Foreman on the 24th November 1832
by reading it to him. the plaintiff
not forced in my county Service 50 cents John K Walker plff

"By the HabeasCorpus acts"

Serve this writ on M . Mitchell on the
21st July 1832 by reading it to him Jno K. Walker
plff

"By the HabeasCorpus act"The State of Missouri To Martin Mitchel & the
Sheriff of St Louis Greeting

You are hereby commanded that the body of
Mahala a woman of color in your custody
detained (as is said) under safe & secure conduct
together with the day & the cause of her being
taken & detained you have on Monday the 23
instant between the hours of 10- & 12 O'clock A.M. before me at the Courthouse
to do submit & receive whatsoever shall hereby
in that behalf considered
witness William C Carr Judge of the Circuit
Court third Judicial Circuit & State of
Missouri at Chambers July 21st 1832

Will : C. Carr

Death of plaintiff suggested & suitabates No 7 page 29

A Gamble Clerk

No. 6 Saint Louis Circuit Court
November Term 1832

Mahala
vs
Martin Mitchel

suit for freedom

Filed 21st July 1832 Archibald Gamble Clerk

I William C Carr the Judge of the Circuit Court third Judicial Circuit & State of Missouri
do hereby order that the above named petitioner Mahala be permitted to sue as a poor person
to establish her freedom I do assign Gustavus A Bird as her counsel to commence & prosecute
her said suit for freedom, and I do moreover order that said Mahala shall have reasonable
liberty of attending the Court & her counsel when occasion may require & that the said
Mahala shall not be taken out of the Jurisdiction of the Circuit Court for Saint Louis County
& State of Missouri nor he subject to any severity because of her application for freedom

St. Louis July 21st 1832 Will C Carr .theabove is a truecopy of the order of the Judge in this behalf A Gamble Clerk

County of Saint Louis
The State of Missouri To the Sheriff of the County of Saint Louis Greeting

We command you to summon Martin Mitchell that he be and
appear before the Judge of our Circuit Court at the next November Term
thereof to be held at the City of St Louis within and for the County of
Saint Louis on the fourth Monday of November next then and there
to answer unto Mahala a free person of color by G. A. Bird her next
friend of a plea of trespass, assault and Battery and false imprisonment
by means of which premises said plaintiff says the is greatly injured
and hath sustained damages to five hundred dollars and have you
then there this writ

Witness Archibald Gamble Clerk of our said
Circuit Court at office this Twenty first day
of July one thousand Eight hundred and
thirty two Archibald Gamble Clerk

Served this writ on Martin Mitchelle on
21st July 1832 by reading to him the writ &
declaration to him & also the copy of the order of the
Judge of the Circuit Court permitting her to
sue &c. on the same day in the city of
of St Louis

John K . Walker plff Term $1.00

No Saint Louis Circuit Court
November Term 1832

a woman of colour
by her nextfriend
vs

This is an action of
trespassassault & Battery $
false Imprisonment &
suit for freedom under
the statute Sum $ 500
The clerk of St Louis
circuitcourtwill
please issueasummons
for

GA Bird plff
attyFiled 21th July 1832 Archibald Gamble clerk

State of Missouri
Saint Louis County Ss
November Term AD 1832
Circuit Court Third Judical Circuit .

Mahala a free person of color by G A Bird her next
friend complains of Martin Mitchel of a plea of
trespassassault & Battery & false imprisonment for
that heretofor towiton the Twentieth day of July
in the year of eighteen hundred & thirty two
at St Louis in said county the said Defendant
did the form & arms make are upon the
the said plaintiff & did then & there great
form & beat & her & did then
& there unlawfully improson her any
reasonable or probable cause whatsoever & kept
& detained her in prison there without any lawful
cause for a long space of time to wit for the
space of twenty four hours from the time last
aforesaid & other wrongs to the said Mahala
then & there did against the & the law
of the state and said Mahala says that before
& at the time of the committing said grievances
she was & still is a free person & that the defendant
held & detained & still helds & detains her in slavery
to wit at the plan aforesaid By means of which
promises said plaintiff says she is & hath
sustained Damages to five hundred Dollars therefore
she suesto:

GA Bird atty for plff

6 Nov 1832

vs

Petitioner for freedom
&
forHabeasCorpus

I William C Carr the Judge of the Circuit Court third
Judicial Circuit & State of Missouri do hereby
order that the above named petitioner Mahala be
permitted to sue as as a poor person to establish her
freedom I do assign Gustavus A Bird as her
counsel to commence & prosecute her said suit
for freedom and do moreover order that said
Mahala shall have reasonable liberty of attending
the Court & her counselwhen occasion may require
& that the said Mahala shall not be taken out
of the jurisdiction of the Circuit Court for Saint
Louis County & state of Missouri nor be subject to
any severity because of her application for
Freedom St Louis July 21st 1832

Will : C. Carr