To the Hon John W. Colvin Law Commissioner of St Louis County in the State of Missouri
The undersigned Eliza Mettaner respectfully represents that she is free woman of color that she was born free in the State of Virginia, and for more than 16 years last past she has resided in Quincy in the State of Illinois, that she has a daughter named Nancy Martin, a colored girl and also born free, who was born on the 29 February 1840, the said girl is now imprison in the jail of St Louis County by James A Felps, and was committed by Mr Herkenrath a Justice of the Peace of St Louis County on the 26 June 1856 as a runaway slave under the name of Nancy Bell Miller. The said Felps has refused [?] to give your petitioner a copy of the papers by which he have of said Nancy in prison, Jas Felps has likewise refused to release said Nancy from custody.
The imprisonment of said Nancy is illegal for the reason that she is not and never has been a slave, but was born free and your petitioner is entitled to the service of her said daughter, as she is ready to prove[?]
The undersigned prays that a writ of Habeas
Corpus may be issued without delay
requiring said Felps to produce the body of said
Nancy before your Honor, and to show cause
why she shall not be released from custody
The Hon James R Lackland Judge of the Common
Court of St Louis County is now absent from the
State of Missouri
Eliza Mettaner
by Elmer[?] & Richardson[?]
her attys.
The affiant EG Miller on his oath says that the foregoing petition and the matter therein as stated are true as he believes and this affidavit is made in behalf of the foregoing petitioner
EG Miller
Sworn to and Subscribed Aug 11th 1856 before me
M Williams Clk
