Case Summary

Leah filed for a writ of habeas in order to regain her freedom from Arthur Mitchel. She claimed that she had been taken to Ohio multiple times in the past by Arthur back in 1817 and 1826. In 1826 she filed for habeas in Ohio to gain her freedom and succeeded in being discharged from the custody of Arthur Mitchel. As a result, Arthur is in violation of her freedom as established by the Ohio court system. Judge Carr agreed to hear Leah’s petition, and also allowed her to sue as a poor person and assigned Gustavus Bird as her attorney. With Bird’s help, Leah charged Arthur with trespass, assault and battery, and false imprisonment. Arthur pled not guilty to these charges, and a few witnesses were summoned to the court to help resolve the controversy. Further events within the case, as well as the final outcome, is unknown.

Case Information

Petition type(s)

• Interpersonal

Petition subtype(s)

• Wrongful enslavement

Outcome

Unknown

Fate of bound party

Unknown

Case Citation

St. Louis Circuit Court, Term, Year, Case No. 68

Source material(s)

Digitized Record

Length of case file

Between 11 and 20 pages

Repository(s)

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

State

• Missouri

Tag(s)

• Slavery

People

• , Leah (petitioner)
• , Leah (bound party)
• Mitchel, Arthur (respondent)
• Mitchel, Arthur (holding party)
• Carr, William C. (judge)
• Bird, Gustavus A. (G.A. Bird) (petitioner attorney)
• Newman, G. (respondent attorney)

• Additional parties

  Patrick Walsh (Justice of the Peace and witness to petition), Archibald Gamble (clerk), John K. Walker (sheriff), Joseph Powell (mentioned alongside Arthur Mitchel), Robert King (witness) Betsey Johnson (witness), A. O. Abbey (deputy)