The Waxahachie daily light. [volume] (Waxahachie, Tex.) 1894-current, 1911-08-08
OLD COURT RECORDS
BROUGHT TO LIGHT
PAPERS ARE INTERES A.
COMPARED WITH DOCI-
MENTS OF TODAY.
Voluntary Petition to Become Il
Slave Found in District
Clerks Office-Doctor
Violates the Ethics,

Deputy Clerk Dan Wilson are JUS
of going through all the papers il
the office and refiling them in new
Jackets so that they may be preserV
ed against the erosions of time. The
Jacket is a large envelope made OF
thick paper or card board and il
used in the office in which to depos
it papers filed in civil suits. A large
red envelope is used for crimina
cases. Mr. Wray and Mr. Wilson
have commenced at the very begin,
first case ever filed in the office at
ter the organization of the district
court. The papers in every cause Of
action that has been filed from thai
time to the present will be handled
by them In addition to this all the
books and records in the office Will
be rearranged and placed in the fill
ing cabinets in their respective con
secutive order
| If the clerks had the time to make
|
| filed in the early days of the court
they would no doubt find many in
teresting documents as compared
with the present day legal phrases
and technical terms One character
istic of these old and time worn doe
uments is their simplicity and con
ciseness. 1t did not then require ten
or twelve pages on which to draw
up a petition in railroad damage
suit
While at work the other day
Messrs. Wray and Wilson unearthed
a document that will be read with |
more than ordinary interest by the |
present genration. It was a petition |
filed by a negro boy praying the |
court to place him in slavery The |
petition in full is as follows;
"Exparte Cornelius: Application !
to be made a slave:
- ITO the Honorable District Court
of Ellis County; The petition of Bow
Cornelius, who resides in the coun-
ty of Ellis, state of Texas, would re
| spectfully represent to the honorable
court that he is a free person Of col
or of African descent, ageds about
/ s years, and further that it is his
desire to choose a master under the
provisions OF the laws in such cases
and provided further that he is fuilF
aware of the conditions to which he
subjects himself by this application
being granted; that he is liable TO
be sold by the master he may select
as other slaves, and is subject to be
sold by the sheriff for the debts Of
the master hereafter contracted;
that he desires to remain in the
state and does not desire to be sold
by the sheriff for remaining in the
state contrary to law. And he furth
or states that he desires to choose
John G Williams of this county to
be his master. The premises consid-
cred he prays that legal notices and
summons issue and that the court
decree petition to be the slave of the
said John G. Williams and as in duty
| bund will ever pray
Der 20, 1858, and was subscribed to
| before b. f. Hawkins and r.. A. Da-
| Wis The John G Williams referred
| to in the petition was the father Of
Ed Williams of this city.
In looking through the papers il
a civil suit the clerks found ali
agreement that would no doubt be
considered as violation OF the rules
| of professional ethics by the doctors
| of the present day It was the writ
! ten guarantee of a doctor to cure &
| woman Of the sore eyes The fee was
to be two hundred dollars in the
event a cure was effected. A note
for the amount was given by tae
woman. There was a further con5id
alton that if the patient was not ur
ed the note became null and void
The patient also signed
agreement that she woL,
remain under the treatment
of the physician and follow his di-
rections 1t seems that the woman
was not satisfied with the treatment
received and after paying SluV on
the note allowed suit to be instituted
in an effort to collect the remand
er. The two agreements are short
and simple and are as follows:
Mckinney, Texas, April q
1S59-Dr. c. r. Jones have ola
ced myself under your treatment fol
to be cured of the sore eyes and
hereby agree to remain under youl
treatment until you pronounce me
well and not do anything contrars
TO your directions. and if / do not g
according to your directions the note
shall remain in full force and effee1
against me
ELIZABETH COUCH
Mckinney. Texas, April q
1888 DR. Jones / hereby agree t.
cure Mrs Couch Of the sore eyes 70.
the sum Of 5000. If ! fail TO do so the
note that | hold against Mrs. Codct
and Guy Stokes shall he null ana
void and Of no effect
DIR c r JONES