Circuit Court

the matter
of
Catherine Felix & Mintor
Persons of Colour

Petition &c

Blennerhassett
atty-

State of Missouri
County of St Louis ss

Catherine one of the within
Petitioners being duly sworn says that she
knows the facts set forth in the within petition
and that the same are true according
to the best of her knowledge & belief

sworn & subscribed to before
me this 4th day of January
1842 James L Perrds
a justice of the county court St Louis County Catherine her mark Felix

In of the within petition, it is ordered
that the within named Catherine Felix & Minta
persons of colour be allowed to sue for their freedom
and for that purpose R . Blennerhassett
one of the counsellors of this court is assigned to the
said Catherine Felix & Minta as their counsel
to conduct said suit —

And it is further ordered that the said Catherine
Felix & Minta have reasonable liberty to attend
their said counsel of the court as occasion may
require, that they be not removed out of the
Jurisdiction of the court, and that they he not
subject to any severity on account of their
application for their freedom

Bryan Mullanphy

To the Hon.bel B . Mullanphy Judge of the St .
Louis Circuit Court

The Petition of Catherine Felix
son to said Catherine and Minta persons of colour represent to
your honor that they were once the property of
one Eli West as his slaves that on the 23. day
April in the year Eighteen hundred & forty
your petitioners were severall emancipated
by the said Eli West as appears by their deeds
of emancipation herewith annexed & which
your petitioners Pray be taken as part of this their
petition that was since the said Deeds of
emancipation was executed your petitioners
have lived as free persons of colour until on
or about the 15th day of December A. D. 1842
when your petitioners were arrested on an
attachment issued from the Circuit Court
the United States in favor of one Spencer to use of Thos . by D. P . Pattison
against the said Eli West as the property of the
said West & that your petitioners are now
confined in the jail of St Louis County under
& by Virtue of said attachment - your petitioners
therefore pray your honor for leave to sue
as poor persons in order to establish
their right to freedom & that the and and your petitioner
as in duty bound will in pray & c.

Witness G. H . C. Mellody Catherine her mark

Your petitioners further show that they came to the state of Missouri
in the said year 1841 and lived in the State of Ohio for three years
prior to that time—

State of Missouri
County of St Louis SsIn the St Louis Circuit Court
November Term 1843

Persons of Colour
vs
and
&

Catherine Felix William & Minta persons of colour
Plaintiffs in this suit by R.S. Blennerhassett their
attorney complain of Thomas Hundley & D.S. Pattison Wm H. Russell
defendants for that the said defendants to wit on
the first day of January in the year of our Lord one
thousand eight hundred & forty three at the county
aforesaid with force & arms did then & there wrong-
fully & falsely imprison them the said Plaintiffs
without any reasonable probable on lawful cause
whatever, and them so then & there imprisoned and Keep
and detain for a long space of time to wit for the
space of four months, and the said plaintiffs aver
that before and at the time of the said wrongful false
& unlawful imprisonment they and each of them were and
still are free persons and the Defts held & as still hold
them in slavery To the damage of the since plaintiffs of
one Dollar & therefore they bring suit &c

R S Blennerhassett hand &
Deffs atty -

Circuit Court

Catherine Wm Felix &
Minta persons of colour
vs
Thos Hundley D. S Pattison
& W. H. Russell

Novr,

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

We command you to summon Thomas Hundlcy, D. S. Pattison
and Wm . H. Russell , 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 Mon-
day of November next, then and there to answer unto Catherine
Felix , William & Minta persons of Colour of a plea
of Trespass for 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 eighth day of
May in the year of our Lord eighteen
hundred and forty three 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

L.S .

Pleas filed Nov 23rd 1843.

Dismissed by Plffs at nobody's costs
Bk 15 of 95 (June 4.1844.)

No. 20 St. Louis Circuit Court
November Term 1843

Catharine, Felix , William
& Minta , persons of Colour
vs
Thomas Hundley . D.S .
Pattison & Wm H. Russell

Suit for freedom, Dam $ 1.00

Blannchapete p.9.

Filed May 8th 1843

In. Ruland Clerk

It is ordered that the within named Catherine
Felix & Minta persons of Colour be
allowed to sue for their freedom and for that
purpose R.S . Blannerhassett, one of the counselors
of this court is assigned to the said Catherine
Felix & Minta as their counsel to conduct said
suit. and it is further ordered that the said Catheriane, Felix , & Minta have
reasonable liberty to attend their said counsel
& The Court as occasion may require, that
they be not removed out of the jurisdiction
of the court, and that they be nut subject
to any severity on account of their appli-
cation for their freedom.

Bryan Mullanphy (45) Free.

Executed this unit in the county.
of Saint Louis on the 8th day of May 1843.
by offering to read it and the Petition to
Thomas Hundley D. S. Pattison and William H
Russell the defendants which they each
refused to hear - and by reading the
order of the judge to each of said defendants

Servici — $ 3.00 William Milburn Sheriff
By Henry B Depty

& Poeple of Colour
vs

And the said Defendants come & defend
the wrong & injury when he & for plea say that they did not falsely
imprison the said plaintiff in manner and form as is above engaged
by them & of this they put themselves upon the county & c

And for further plea in this behalf the said defandants come & say that
the said plantiffs Catharine Minta Felix & William were not free
persons nor was either of them in manner & form as the said plain
-tiffs have alleged & of this they put themselves upon the Country & c
And for further plea in this behalf the said defendants say that
at the date of the filing the petition & declaration on this behalf the
said plaintiffs were Slaves, the property of one Eli West
and this they are ready to wherefor they pray Judgement & c

Drake & for Defts

Catharine & others
vs
Hundley Pattison & Russell

Pleas

Filed Nov 23rd 1843 Jn . Ruland Clerk.