Depositions of witnesses produceed sworn, and examined,
at the court house in MadisonvilleMadisonville in the
County of Hopkin and State of KentuckyKentucky before
me, MeredithMeredith Myers MyersMeredith Myers a Justice of the peace
for the county and State aforeaid in a certain
cause, now depending in the Circuit Court of
the county of St. LouisSt Louis State of MissouriMissouri, between
RalphRalph (a man of colour) is plantiff and
Coleman DuncanColeman Duncan is Defendant, on the part
of the Defendant

William GordonWilliam Gordon of Lawful
age being produced, sworn and examined
on the part of the defendant deposit and sayeth
Question by the Deft Do you or not know that
John GordonJohn Gordon (ever hired a certain negro man
by the name of RalphRalph , where he had in possession,
in the state of IllinoisIllinois Ans I know
nothing of my own knowledge I heard John GordonJohn Gordon
say he never hired him there; John GordonJohn Gordon went
with him there in the year 1819, the negro had
time away before that time and give to the
State ofIllinois IllinoisIllinois - Questionby same State if you
recollect where old AbnerAbner Martin MartinAbner Martin moved to this
country the age of his son AbnerAbner Martin MartinAbner Martin
at that time and your opinion of the opportunity
of said AbnerAbner Martin MartinAbner Martin Jr. of knowing anything
about this man RalphRalph : Ans I think
it was in the year of 1817 or 18 that AbnerAbner Martin

MartinAbner Martin Jr.moved from Union County to this county.
I think young AbnerAbner Martin MartinAbner Martin was ten or eleven
years old at that time he was acquainted with
the boy but I think he could have known
but about the boy living at Lick in the
State ofIllinois IllinoisIllinois or about when it was made
a state Question by same Areyouacquainted
with John Steel formerly of this county if so
state his general character and all you know
about him when he first came here and with
where he came: An I am acquainted with
him, his general character with a majority
of the people is bad, he first came to this
country with John GordonJohn Gordon or a few days after the him
John Came from the Lick which was in November
her 1819- and Whether he ever saw John before
that time I know not but I believe he never did
And further this deponent saith not.