John Thornton v. Orrin Davis. Affidavit of John Thornton
Frederick Cty To wit
Personally appeared before the Subscriber a Justice of the Peace in & for sd Cty John Thornton a mulatto man who stated that he had instituted a suit in the City of Washington to recover his freedom from his master Orrin Davis, that he is desirous that said suit should be dismissed, & that his determination to dismiss the same is of his own free will, & not induced by any compulsion on the part of his master Mr Davis And that he desired me to take his acknowledgement to this effect, in order that it might be exhibited to his Counsel in Washington, as a request from him & as an authority to them to dismiss the said suit Given under my hand & seal this 3 day of June 1835
Abm Miller J. P.
I certify that the above named John Thornton was examined apart from his master by Mr Miller & myself & the character of the act he was about to do was fully explained to him & that our examination into the question whether the act was of his own free will & not under any undue influence was minute & particular. But the said boy continued with pertinacity to insist that the above acknowledgement should be taken & that he still wished the suit to be dismissed Mr Davis gave the boy his choice to be taken back to Washington, but he declined
J Marshall Jr
313.
fd 6th June 1835
