Indiana American. [volume] (Brookville, Ind.) 1833-1861, 1854-01-20
Ra-That the following NAV hare an

ES-That the following may have an
extensive circulation. We are requested
to ask the papers in the State to copy it:
Ind. Journal.
Appeal to the Ministers md Chur-
chcs OF indiana and Georgia.
REV. AND DEAR SIR:-At the request
of JoHS FREEMAS. a man of color, we
make the following statement to the
benevolent, and ask that you will rem
der him the aid so much required, by
laying the following statement before
your congregation or friends, and re-
ceiying such sums as they may contri-
butte to his relief; which you will please
remit to G. FLETCHER, Esq, President
Of the Branch Of the State Bank of In
dianapolis, in which Freeman is liable
for note of 81, 288, with interest, and
which must be paid, or his little prop
erty will be sold to meet it.
STATEMENT.
John Freeman has been much res
pccted citizen Of indianapolis, Indiana,
for many years; where by industry he
has acquired a small property, in the
enjoyment of which he lived undisturb-
ed until about six months ago. when
Pleasant Ellington, a citizen of Mis-
souri,, came here and claimed him as
slave, and instituted suit accordingly,
stating that Freeman had escaped from
him, while he (Ellington) was resi-
dent of Kentucky. He then caused
the Imprisonment of Freeman for sixty
eight days, during most of which time
the U. S. Marshal required Of the pris-
oner three dollars per day for guarding
him, positively refusing to take bail. in
any amount, though offered to the
amount of half a million.
The writer visited .the prisoner on
the 2ed of June, which was the first or
second day of his Imprisonment; and
from examination became convinced
that he never had been a slave. With
this conviction we addressed letter to
citizen Of the town in which Freeman
claimed to have lived, namely, Monroe,
the seat ofjustice for Walton county
the person addressed was the clerk of
of that county. The following answer
was soon returned by an aged and res
pected citizen of that place, and does
credit to the heart Of the writer. We
publish the whole letter as it places
Freeman's claims in strong light:
MONROE, Walton CO., GAL
July 6, 1858.
DEAR SrR:-Mr. VIM. w. NOVEL;,
the Clerk of our county court, has just
handed me your letter of the 22d June,
with the request that / should answer
it, as | was better acquainted with
John Freeman, the person enquired
about, than he was. / replied to a
letter of Mr.. John Coburn, of your
place, yesterday, on the same subject.
l have lived in this place ever since
January, 1926, and was well acquaint-
ed with John Freeman from the time
he came here in 1881, till he left in
1874. may be mistaken about the
time he came; at any rate, it was in
1881 or 32,-but think it was 1881.
lie had free papers. which were recog-
nized by the Judges of the inferior
Court OF this county, and certificate
was granted him. Col. John p. Luz
cas- was clerk at that time, if recol-
lect. Col. Lucas wrote abolder and
palmer hand than l do. lie died of
apoplexy or paralysis since them
John Freeman went With HIM TO the
Florida war in 1886. John Freeman
is Of medium size, well made, and a
black negro. There arc hundreds of
persons in this county who could tes-
tify that he came TO this place as early
rs 1891 or 80, and remained here all
the while except his trip to Florida
in the spring of 1886, and one or two
other times when he was absent for u
few days on business for Creed M.
Jennings and others. Creed Nj. Jen-
nings lives now in Wetumpka, Ala
lie made his home with Mr.. Jennings
for several years after he came to this
place. His statements that you speak
of are true. and there can be no doubt
but that the claim set up by the man
from Missouri, is fraudulent, and can
be proved TO be so by any reasonable
number Of our most respectable cit-
zens. Respectfully,
LEROY PATTILLo.
Postmaster.
Mr. Pattillo, tho writer Of the above,
(at the request Of Mr.. Ketcham, one Of
Frceman's attorneys, who visited Ga. J
came upto indianapolis, and identified
the prisoner as being former citizen
of Monroe, Ca. and lodged his testi
mony to that effect. Notwithstanding
this clear evidence Of the prisoners
freedom, Ellington persisted IN urging
his claim, which made it necessary to
call other witnesses from Georgia. AL.
II. "A.