William Bell requests compensation for expenses incurred during the prosecution of J. J. Rainwater, convicted of "trafficing & bartering with slaves." Rainwater was "a dangerous man in a slave community," inducing slaves to steal from their owners. One of Bell's slaves, for example, stole $260 from him and took the money to Rainwater, who "appropriated it to his own use." Bell retained attorneys and paid their fees. When a criminal indictment was handed down, Rainwater fled to parts unknown, forfeiting $500 in securities. Bell seeks a portion of the forfeiture.
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Repository: Mississippi Department of Archives and History, Jackson, Mississippi
