Frank Jennifer & Maria Jennifer v. Thomas Ewell & Hutchinson. Petition for Freedom
To The Hnble the Judges of the Circuit Court of the District of Columbia for Washington County
The petition of negroes Frank & Maria Jennifer infants under the age of twenty, are by their next Friend, humbly sheweth they are kept & held in bondage & slavery & falsely imprisoned by a certain Thomas Ewell & Hutchinson to the [illegible] of your petitioners
They further represent that the said Thomas Ewell & Hutchinson are strangers in this District (the said Hutchinson [illegible] of your honours court. & your petitioners have reason to apprehend that they will be carried off to a distance.
They thereupon pray that your honours would command the [illegible] said Thomas Ewell & Hutchinson should for good & sufficient security, to have your petitioners present, at the next December, in the Court Room, Washington. Hutchinson (being mere sojourners & strangers in this District) would, not withstanding the [illegible] of a subpoena upon them, carry these petitioners afar off from your Court & Being without redress in any other manner, they pray your Honours
will grant to them the United States most preciouss[?] writ of subpoena directed to the said Thomas Ewell & Hutchinson commanding them to be & appear before you Honours at the next court on the third Monday of December next, to be made dependants to this petition & also the command to the Marshall of the District of Columbia, to take the said negroes out of the possession of the said Thomas Ewell & Hutchinson unless they shall give good & sufficient security in such sum as to your honours shall see meet That your petitioners shall be & appear before your Honours Court at your next sitting. And as in duty bound they will ever pray them. resplly
Thos Turner & Ct. Cox Solrs for Petrs
District of Columbia,
Washington County ss.
On this 4th day of July 1825. personally appears Francis Jennifer negro, & make oath on the Holy Evangels of Almighty God that the facts as stated in the above petition are true
Sworn before -
[illegible], Cox
Frank & Maria Jennifer
v.
Thomas Ewell & Hutchinson
Petn for Freedom
Col Brent,
Let a Subpa issue as prayed
B. Thruston
4th July 1825.
Mr. Brent,
Will please file this petn. & issue subpa.
T Turner for prs
Dist. of Cola sct
The marshal of this district is hereby directed & required to take into possession the negroes named in this Petition, viz; Francis & Maria Jennifer for safe keeping, unless the within named Hutchinson & Thomas Ewell shall give bond on the penally of eight hundred dollars, with security to the satisfaction of the said Marshal, that they will have the bodies of the said Francis & Maria Jennifer before the circuit court of the said district to be holden for the county of Washington in December next, on the first day of the said court then & there to abide such order as the said court shall make concurring the said two negroes.
B. Thruston
asst. Judge &c &c
4th July 1825
The clerk will file Mr. Turners letter (enclosed) with the bill
B. T.
filed 4th July 1825
Mr. Brent,
Will please issue the subpa prayed in the petn which the bearer of this will convey to his office & read[?] it by the bearer[?] to me & should the Judge [illegible] upon the Petr an order to the Marshall, commanding him to take the petrs out of the possn of the Defts to send also the Petn with it. Tis necessary to do something immediately.
resplly
Ths: Turner
July 4th, 1825
58 appearances to Decr. 1825
Petition sent with the subpa to the Marshal it having on the back of it an order from Judge Thruston to take the negroes
