John Lee v. John S. Hutcheson & Benjamin Lewis. Affidavit of Bernard Hooe
In pursuance of an order of the Honble the Circuit Court of the District of Columbia, sitting in Alexandria I have examined into the facts and circumstances, connected with the Petition of John, alias John Lee, for leave to sue for his freedom in forma pauperis in said Court, and find that Elizabeth Patterson late of Calvert County in the State of Maryland departed this life having first made & published her last will & testament on the 8th day of September 1807, but which it is directed that her servant John should [strikethrough] remain in bondage til he attained the age of Twenty one years. I have also ascertained that [strikethrough] Sarah Patterson to whom John is bequeathed afterwards intermarried with a certain John Francis Holt; that this slave man John was sold at the sale of the said Holt's effects after his death, when he was purchased by a certain William Hooper, to serve only til he should attain the age of thirty one years. and the said William [strikethrough] Hooper brought the said John to Alexandria in the year 1825 and sold him to the said Benjamin Lewis as a slave for life & under the authority of his said purchase the said Lewis had sold him to a southern trader and he was about to be removed contrary to right & Justice under all the circumstances of this case. I think the Petitioners claim is well founded.
B: Hooe for Compl
