John Lee v. William Dent. Petition for Freedom
To the Honble the Judges of the circuit court of the District of Columbia for the county of Washington
The petition of John (colored man) Lee humbly sheweth unto your honors that he is a free man and that he is illegally & unjustly detained in bondage by one William Dent who claims your petitioner as a slave for life. And your petitioner is credibly informed & veryly believes that the said Wm Dent is now about to sell him as a slave for life to some distant state
Your petitioner therefore prays your honors to consider his case and grant him such relief as to your honors shall seem meet
R Beale for Petitioner
178.
John Lee
vs
Wm Dent
Petn for freedom
Filed 10 Sept 1827
