O Say Can You See

The Petition of John Lee, Lizettee Lee, & Janett Lee and Nancy Lee, humbly sheweth, that your Petitioners severally filed their petition for freedom, at the December Term of your Hon. Court for the County of Washington AD. 1820, and that the same are now pending in said Court and undetermined. That your Petitioners are now confined in the common Jail of the County aforesaid at the instance of a certain Augustus Preuss, and as runaway slaves, and are claimed by said Preuss as his Property. That they are apprehensive that before the session of the Court, which commences on the first Monday of May next, the said Preuss will attempt to possess himself of your petitioners and remove them without & beyond the jurisdiction of the Court, and that they are advised that without the interpretation of the authority of the Court to restrain the Marshal of the District of Columbia from   from suffering your petitioners to be taken from his custody that the said Preuss has it in his power, at any time, to obtain possession of your petitioners. Your Petitioners therefore pray the Court that the said Marshall may be restrained & enjoined from suffering your petitioners or either of them to be taken from Prison & but directed to return them in his custody, until a hearing has been granted them upon their petition aforesaid & until the further order of the Court.

by their attorney
S. B. Barrell

On the 25th of April 1827 Samuel B. Barrell made oath before me in due form of law that he believes the facts stated in the foregoing petition to be true as therein stated.

W. Cranch