Dist. Court of the U. S. for the Dist. of
Col.
Clerk of the Court
"Fugitive Slave Cases, 1862," May 15-19, 1862
(By file date or affidavit)
Original papers in fugitive slave cases
before the Circuit Court of the U.S. for the District of Columbia consisting
of claimants petitions, affidavits for arrest of fugitive slaves, warrants
of arrest, depositions, court orders to deliver fugitive slaves to claimants,
and related papers.
Transcribed from National Archives
Microfilm Publication M433 "Records of the United States District
Court for the District of Columbia Relating to Slaves, 1851-1863, Roll
3.
Fugitive Slave
Cases Home
Catherine
J. Gaston vs. Isaac Sharkey
To the Honbl
the Justice of the Circuit Court of the District of Columbia for the County
of Washington-
The petition of Catherine
J. Gaston, presenter, respectfully presents:
That she is the owner
of a certain mulatto slave man named Isaac Sharkey and owned and
held him as a slave for life in the District of Columbia aforesaid, when
the said Isaac Sharkey escaped and fled from the said District and from
the possession of your petitioner. And is now, as your petitioner has
been informed and believe, in the State of New York. That your petitioner
is prepared to address and exhibit before your honor, full and satisfactory
proof of the escape of said slave and that he owed and still owes, service
and labor as such slave to your petitioner.
She prays your honor
to hear and examine the proof which she is prepared to address on the
premises: And that a bond thereby may be made according to the Act of
Congress in such case made and provided: and that an authenticated transcript
thereof may be made and delivered to your petitioner, in the end that
the said slave may be reclaimed & received in the manner provided
by said Get.
For your petitioner
rule we pray.
Catherine J. Gaston
by Mr. (illegible)
her Solicitor & Atty.
In the matter of Catherine
Gaston: claiming to be the owner of Isaac Sharkey a fugitive
slave.
Circuit Court of the
District of Columbia
for the County of Washington
March Term 1851----
In open Court personally
appeared George W. Graham, he being duly sworn deposes and says:--
That he knows a certain
mulatto slave named Isaac Sharkey:--whom this deponent cannot now
describe with perfect accuracy, but who according to deponents recollects
is about thirty to thirty five years of age: about five feet ten or eleven
inches high: a mulatto: eyes light colored: no particular marks recollected
other than as above.
That this deponent
knows the said Isaac Sharkey to be a slave for life the property of the
above named Catherine Gaston. That this deponent knew the said Isaac Sharkey
to be held and owned as a slave by the said Catherine Gaston in the County
of Washington in the District of Columbia: and knew him to have been held
and owned before that time by the late Judge William Gaston the
father of the said Catherine, who received her title from his estate.
That the said Isaac Sharkey to being a slave for life and owing service
and labor as such slave to the said Catherine Gaston escaped and fled
from the said District of Columbia, about two years ago and is now a fugitive
slave.
Test. Jno. A. Smith,
Clk
1st April 1851
In the matter of Catherine
J. Gaston claiming her fugitive slave.
Wherefore the said
petition having been read and considered by the Court it is ordered that
the said Catherine Gaston have to address and exhibit to the court her
proof in support of the matter of the said petition.
And wherefore the
said Catherine Gaston proceeds to make proof thereof here before
the Court.
And the said proof
having been duly heard and examined by the Court. It is therefore on this
first day of April 1851 by the Court here considered and adjudged, that
the said Catherine Gaston hath here made due full and satisfactory proof
to the court that the before named Isaac Sharkey is the slave of
the said Catherine Gaston, and that being such slave and owing service
and labor to the said Catherine Gaston and held by her as such slave in
said District of Columbia, he did escape from the District of Columbia,
and from his said owner and is now a fugitive slave: of which said Isaac
Sharkey the general description with such convenient certainty as may
be, hath been now proven before this court to be as follows-that is to
say-
That the said slave
is a mulatto man named Isaac Sharkey, and is about the age of thirty to
thirty-five years: about five feet ten or eleven inches high: & has
light colored eyes. Wherefore the said Court doth order that a record
be made of the matter and as aforesaid proved, as also is the said general
description of the said fugitive slave, and that a transcript thereof
authenticated by the atty. taken of the clerk and of the seal of the said
Court, be delivered to the said Catherine Gaston or her duly authorized
agent or attorney in fact, to be (illegible) in accordance with the Act
of Congress as such case made and provided.
By Order of Court
Test. Jno. A. Smith
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