violently taken away in the night time, and carried
by compulsion to the City of St. LouisCity of St Louis in the StateMissouri
of MissouriMissouri, To herefore your petitioners say they
are free and pray that they and each of them
may be permitted to sue as paupers to establish
their freedom and that said Stephen SmithStephen Smith who
is now in said City may be made defendant in
said suits; your petitoiners state moreover that none of
them have ever been in possession of said SmithSmith
except as above stated.