O Say Can You See

We of the Jury find that negro Will Thornton the Petitioner for freedom, was a Virginia born slave. And was held by Mrs. Graham the mother of the late George Graham for her life and after her death he was the property of the said George Graham. That the mother of the said George Graham resided in Virga. and the said negroe William resided with there also here, until her death which happened in the year 1819. That at the time of the death of Mrs. Graham, negro William was hired out to Mr. Jno. Stith of Virginia, and the said George Graham sent for then a resident of the City of Washington sent for the said slave (with intent to carry him from Washington with his other slaves to the State of Kentucky). That the petitioner did not come so as to go with the other slaves, and the said George Graham left Washington with his other slaves without taking with him the said negro William. That after the said Geo. Grahams departure as aforesaid for Kentucky, and during his absence from Washington, the said negroe William came to Washington that is to say on or about the year last of April 1819 1820 and has remained here ever since. That the said George Graham returned from Kentucky in the year month of August (1830) 1819 and took possession of the said negroe William and held him in Washington until the period of his death, which took place in 1830. That the said   George Graham was appointed to a position to an office under the government of the United States in the year 1814 and upon his appointment came reside in Washington and from thence continued to reside in Washington until the period of his death. (That he came to Washington with no intent to make it his permanent residence but to continue only so long as he should remain in office.) That he continued an office under the general government until the year 1817 and in 18     was appointed President of the Branch Bank of the United States in Washington. That he continued to act as President of the said Bank until the year     when he was appointed commissioner of the General Land Office and remained in that office until the period of his death. That the said George Graham uniformly declared that it never was his intention to become a permanent resident of Washington and never received[?] the right of a Citizen in that place and that his residence in Washington was a sojournment in the said place so long as he should continue in office under the general government.