Jack v. Charles Collins
Item
Jack V. Charles Collins. 1830, St. Louis Circuit Court Historical Records Project, accessed October 8, 2026, https://digitalexhibits.library.washu.edu/s/ccr/item/60738
- Case Title
- Jack v. Charles Collins
- Series
- Freedom Suits
- Plaintiff
- Jack
- Defendant
- Collins, Charles
- Date Filed
- 1830-09-23
- Filing Date
- 1830-09-23
- Plaintiff’s Attorney
- Strother, George French
- Court Name
- St. Louis Circuit Court
- Court Term
- 1831-07
- Judge
- Carr, William C.
- Clerk
- Gamble, Archibald
- Justice of the Peace
- Bird, Gustavus A.
- Sheriff
- Walker, John K.
- Cause of Action
- Trespass
- False Imprisonment
- Assault and Battery
- Case Notes
- Jack born in Africa, brought to South Carolina; brought to St. Louis by David Williamson & sold to defendant. He was taken to Carrollton, Illinois for 12 months.
- Case Number
- 3
- Identifier
- ccr1830.06738.005
- Source
- Missouri State Archives - St. Louis
- Rights
- Public Domain
- PDF Download
- Download PDF of all images
- Transcription
-
**Jack v. Charles Collins**
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**Page 1** (6738_001.jpg)
> *Legal Function: Plaintiff's Petition for Leave To Sue as a Poor Person*
To the Hon, the Judge of the Circuit Court of the ThirdJudicial Court,[?] State of Missouri, Saint
Louis County[illegible]
Your Petitioner Jack represents
[illegible] [illegible] [illegible]that he was born in
Africa, wasbrought[?] from Africa to South
Carolina, was brought from South Carolina to the City of
Saint Louis in the County of Saint Louis and State of Missouri by David Williamson and
sold by him to Charles Collins , who sold him to James English and the saidEnglish took[?] him to Carolton[?] in the State of Illinois
in the year One thousand eight hundred Twenty nine [illegible] where he said Jack residedTwelve Months[?] and that he was brought from Illinois to Saint Louis & Saint louis County &
State
of Missouri by the said Charles Collins, that he
now resides in the City, within the County of Saint
Louis &
State of Missouri
Your petitioner states that he
is still held in slavery by the said Charles Collins
in the County of Saint Louis and
State of Missouri when he is advised and believes that he is entitled
to his freedom [illegible] and therefore your petitioner prays
that he may be permitted to sue in forma pauperis to
estabish[?] his right thereto and that other and furtherorders[?] may be made in the premises as the law directs,
and as may seem & proper to this Hon Court
*Jack X his mark*
> *Legal Function: Affidavit*
State of Missouri
St. Louis County Ss
This day came before me
Jack
the above named petitioner & on his oath says that the facts in the above petitionstated[?] are true
*Stated are true Sworn to before meSeptember 23 1830[?] Bird
Jack X his mark*
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**Page 2** (6738_002.jpg)
> *Legal Function: Order*
The within named Jack is hereby permittedto sue as[?] a poor person to establish his right to free
-dom and George F. Strother Esquire[?] is assigned as his counsel. It is moreover order that the said Jack have reasonable liberty to attend his his counsel& the court when occasion may require: and that
he shall not be taken out of the jurisdiction of the
Circuit Court for the County of St Louis ,> nor be subject to any severity because of his applicationfor freedom[?]
*Given under my hand This24. of Sept[illegible] 1830.
Will C.
Carr
Judge 3rd Circuit*
> *Legal Function: Caption*
Jacka coloured man[?]
vs
Charles Collins
Petition to sue informa pauperis[?]
*Filed 17 March 1831
A Gamble Clk*
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**Page 3** (6738_003.jpg)
> *Legal Function: Certificate of Service*
Served this writ on Charles Collins on the 17th March 1831[?] by offering to read
it & the declaration to him which he re-fused to hear read & acknowledged service the order endorsed on said writ by
reading it to him on the same day atat[?] the same place
*Jn. K Walker Shff[?] [illegible]*
> *Legal Function: Certificate of Execution*
The other defendant William [illegible] not
found in my County9 July 1831
*John K Walker Shff*
> *Legal Function: Caption*
No. 3-
July Term 1831-
St St. Louis Circuit Court
Jack a man of colour
vs Chs. Collins[?]
Trespass assault & battery &false imprisonmentThe Clerk will issue sum[?]
*Geo. F Strother Atty[?] Filed 17 March 1831-
A Gamble Clk*
Dismissed at defendants costs Book 6[?] page 285
Archibald Gamble Clerk
*Fee bill 215*
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**Page 4** (6738_004.jpg)
> *Legal Function: Complaint*
St Louis County
Circuit Court
of the Term of July 1831 State of Missouri
Saint Louis County [illegible] Jack a man of colour who by
permission of the Court sues in forma pauperis complains of
William Sewel Charles Collins For that on[?] the first
day of September in the Year of our Lord 1830 the said Charles Collins made an assault on the said Jack
to wit at the City of Saint Louis
State of Missouri and then and there seized and laid
hold of the said Jack and with great force and violencepulled, and draged[?] about him the said Jack and
then & there struck the said Jack a great many violentblows[?] and strokes and then and there imprisoned the
said Jack and kept and detained him the said Jack,
in prison there without any reasonable or probable causewhatsoever[?] for a long space of time to wit for the space of
six Months then next following contrary to law and against
the will of the said Jack whereby the said Jack was then and
there not only greatly bruised and wounded and was thereby greatly
exposed and his life [illegible] endangered to wit within the County
aforesaid And the said Jack avers that before and
at the time of committing the said grievances he was & still is a free person and that the defendant Charles Collins held and detained him and still holds and
detains him in slavery to wit within the County of Saint Louis aforesaid and other wrongs to the said Jack,
then and there did against the peace of the State and
to the damage of the said Jack of Five hundreddollars[?] and therefore he brings suit
*Geo F StrotherAtty[?]*
---
**Page 5** (6738_005.jpg)
> *Legal Function: Summons*
County of SLouis Ss[?]
The
State of Missouri To the Sheriff of S Louis County Greeting-
We command you to summon William Sewel[?] and Charles Collins
that they be and appear before the Judge of our Circuit Court at
the next term thereof to be held at the City of S Louis within and
for the County of S Louis on the fourth monday of March next
then and there to answer unto Jack a man of Color of a Plea of
assault & battery and false imprisonment to the damage of saidplaintiff[?] of five hundred dollars and have you then there this writ
*Witness
Archibald Gamble Clerk of our said Court
at Office the Seventeenth day of March 1831 -
Archibald Gamble Clerk*
> *Legal Function: Order*
The within named Jack is hereby permitted to sue as a poor person
to establish his right to freedom and George F Strother Esquire[?] is
assigned as his counsel- It is moreover ordered that the said Jack
have reasonable liberty to attend his counsel & the court when occasion
may require, and that he shall not be taken out of the Jurisdiction
of the Circuit Court for the county of S Louis nor be subject to any sever-
ity because of his application for freedom
*Given under my hand at hand at Chambers this 24th of sept-
1830 Will C
Carr Judge 3rd Circuit*
Jack V. Charles Collins. 1830, St. Louis Circuit Court Historical Records Project, accessed October 8, 2026, https://digitalexhibits.library.washu.edu/s/ccr/item/60738