Ker, John, fl. 1828 [Petition of Antonio Vela]
Order a pdf of this item here.
Gilder Lehrman Collection #: GLC02887 Author/Creator: Ker, John, fl. 1828 Place Written: Adams County, Mississippi Type: Document signed Date: circa 1828 Pagination: 1 p. ; 33.5 x 20.8 cm Order a Copy
Legal document by attorney John Ker who served as petitioner for Antonio Vela, a citizen of Louisiana, in the County Court of Adams County, Mississippi. The petition was showing the court "That on or about the first day of April 1828 he [Vela] was possessed of a certain negro man called Peter. That the said negro ran away about the time above mentioned." Says Peter was captured and jailed under the assumed name Harrison in Adams County. Claims that the Sheriff Horace Gridley sold Peter to Gabriel Winter for $380 to cover the cost of jail fees and other expenses after the time allowed by law. Ker also claims that Vela did not know Peter was in jail at that time. Vela knows he has been divested of his ownership interest in Peter because he was not claimed in the time period allowed by law, but he is putting forth "a claim to the balance of said sale (after deducting the prison fees & expenses)." Clipped newspaper advertisement for a runaway enslaved person also in the file. Advertisement says "Ranaway from the plantation of Mrs. Lopez in this parish, an American negro man named BOB, speaks English and French, 6 feet high. A reward of 20 dollars will be paid to whoever will deliever said negro to the undersigined. Jan 3 Rosalie Lopez." The two items do not appear to be related. A small news clipping (appears unrelated) is included witht the letter.
Citation Guidelines for Online Resources
The copyright law of the United States (title 17, United States Code) governs the making of photocopies or other reproductions of copyrighted material. Under certain conditions specified in the law, libraries and archives are authorized to furnish a photocopy or other reproduction. One of these specific conditions is that the photocopy or reproduction is not to be “used for any purpose other than private study, scholarship, or research.” If a user makes a request for, or later uses, a photocopy or reproduction for purposes in excess of “fair use,” that user may be liable for copyright infringement. This institution reserves the right to refuse to accept a copying order if, in its judgment, fulfillment of the order would involve violation of copyright law.