St. Louis Circuit Court . November Term 1846 St. Louis Countyss

Gabriel (man of color) by his
attorneys complains of Andrew Christy Executor and
Mary Coons Execution of the Estate of David Coons
deceased of plea of trespass. For that the said defen-
dants on the third day of August in the year Eighteen
hundred & forty six at St. Louis , to wit; at said County,
with force & arms &e, made an assault upon the said
plaintiff, and then & there beat bruised and illtreated
him the said plaintiff, and then & there imprisoned
him the said plaintiff, and kept and detainted him
in prison there without any reasonable or probable
cause whatsoever for a long time to wit, for the
space of seventy two hours, then next following
contrary to the laws and coustoms of this country and
against the will of the said plaintiff, and the
said plaintiff that before and at the time
of the grievances aforesaid he was and still is a free
person, and that the defendants held said still not
him in slavery, and the said defendant then & there
did other to the said plaintiff, to the great
damage of the said plaintiff and against the peace
of the country, wherefore the said plaintiff saith that
he is injured, and hath sustained damage to the amount
of three five hundred dollars and therefore he brings
his suit &e

John R SheplyAtty for Plff

Papers filed 17p. 447- Submitted to County Judgement 17/p 448-Jan. 4, 1847

324 November Term 1846 St.Louis Circuit Court

(of Colour) vs &
, Executor & executrix
of

Now

In Trespass for assault
& false imprisonment J R Ayty Filed Decr 28 th 1846 Jno. Ruland Clk
Hugh Gallaghin
Geo. W . Coon
Witness

St. Louis Circuit Court

suing for
freedom
vs.
Executor &
Executrix of
Bavid ,

And the said
defeendants in this proper person came & defend
the force and injury when &c, and say
that the said Gabriel was at the
times when &c, & is now the slave of the said
defendant without that that he was & is a
free person in manner and form or in said
declaration is alleged, & of this they put thir
upon the County &c.

Andrew Christy
Mary Coons

St. Louis Circuit Court

( of color)
vs.
, &
executrix & execu
to of

plea

FiledDecr 28th. 1846
Jno. Ruland Clk

We the undersigned were present and wit
messer to the agreement and service made by
the late David Coon to Gabriel McClelland which
promise was that he the said Gabriel should
have his free papers when he should repay the
money advanced by David Cerrs to said Mc
Clellan to bring Gabriel sworn his former
Walton McClelland Gabriel himself had
part of the purchase money and Mr David
Coons hent him the balance taking as
security a file of race for said Gabriel
four his former master Mc Clelland and we know that he Gabriel is en
titled to his free papers

signed G Geo W. Cerrs
Original in & Hugh Gallaghin
It is further admitted by the attorney
for the palintiff & defendants and thereby
the foregoing statement of which the
is a copy is the testimony
evidence in this cause and it is
further permitted by the defendants
that the plaintiff Gabriel has paid
to the defendant as excutor the
sum of seventy six dollars which
was the balance due to the estate
of David Cerris for the money ad
vanecd by said David and they never
said Gabriel as belonging to
said Estate

J R Shipley Atty for pltf