Case Summary

Nancy Martin, a minor, was arrested and jailed under suspicion of being a fugitive from slavery. Eliza Mettaner asserted that she was the child's mother and that Martin was free, petitioning for a writ of habeas corpus, which was granted. After hearing the evidence, Martin was released.

Case Information

Petition type(s)

• Carceral

Petition subtype(s)

• Fugitive slavery
• Child custody

Outcome

Writ allowed

Fate of bound party

Released from custody

Case Citation

St. Louis Law Commissioners' Court, August Term 1856, No. 95

Source material(s)

Case File

Case document transcriptions

• hc.case.mo.0049.001
• hc.case.mo.0049.002
• hc.case.mo.0049.003
• hc.case.mo.0049.004
• hc.case.mo.0049.005

Length of case file

Between 6 and 10 pages

Repository(s)

• Missouri State Archives-St. Louis (St. Louis, Missouri)

State

• Missouri

Tag(s)

• Slavery
• Children

People

• Martin, Nancy (Nancy Belle Miller) (bound party)
• Mettaner, Eliza (petitioner)
• Felps, James A. (respondent)
• Felps, James A. (responding party)
• Felps, James A. (holding party)
• Herckenrath, Rudolph (authority ordering detention)
• Colvin, John W. (judge)
• Glover, Samuel Taylor (petitioner attorney)
• Richardson, John Crowley (petitioner attorney)

• Additional parties

  Lackland, James R. (judge)

  Lawler, Martin (constable)

  Miller, E. G. (affiant)

  Williams, Matthew (clerk)

  Miller, John (enslaver)