John Baptist Lee v. Augustus Preuss. Petition for Freedom
To the Honorable the Judges of the Circuit Court for the County of Washington in the District of Columbia.
The Petition of John Baptist Lee by his mother and next friend Joanna Lee, humbly sheweth unto your Honors that he is entitled to his freedom and is unjustly and illegally held in bondage by one Augustus Preuss who means (as your petitioner verily believes and is informed) to sell him a slave for life. Wherefore she prays your honors that a subpoena may issue from your Honorable Court to the said Augustus Preuss directed commanding him to be and appear before your Honl Court and answer hereto and that your petitioner may be discharged from his service and obtain such relief in the premises as to your Honors may seem meet.
And as in duty bound your petitioner will ever pray &c.
Jeremiah Elkins
Attorney for Petr
March 1. 1827
62.
John B. Lee by Joanna Lee his next friend
vs
Augustus Pruess
Peto for freedom
Filed 1st March 1827
