O Say Can You See

And the said respondent by Jos. H. Bradley his attorney comes into court and answering to the petition of the said Petitioner says that he does not hold the said petitioner in slavery, and disclaims all and every interest in or control over the said Petitioner, that he has nothing to say why the said petitioner should not be discharged. That he is informed and believes that the said petitioner is the slave, and was at the time of the filing of the said petitioner, for a long time before and hath been ever since the property of one Andrew B. McLean a citizen of Washington from whence this respondent hath hired the said petitioner & to whom he hath paid, and is not responsible for the hire of the said negro, and the said respondent prays to be hence dismissed, and that the court may make such judgement in the case, as to them may seem meet and proper.

Jos. H. Bradley
Dft atty