Meredith Calhoun, a resident of Huntsville, Alabama, is the administrator of the late William Smith’s last will and testament. Mary Smith Taylor, Calhoun’s wife, and Mrs. Margaret Smith, William Smith’s widow, are the heirs. They are suing a slave trader named James Andrews and his alleged partner-in-fraud, Samuel Conway Richardson. Calhoun represents that William Smith, shortly before his death, sold six slaves to Samuel Richardson for the sum of $5,500. To pay for the slaves, Richardson gave Smith three notes of $1,833.33 each and secured the debt with a mortgage on the slaves. Calhoun contends, however, that Richardson has now sold two of the mortgaged slaves, Adam and Lewis, to James Andrews, thus fraudulently cheating the heirs from their right of mortgage and ability to collect the unpaid debt. He further alleges that Andrews was well aware of the mortgage on the slaves. He therefore prays for an order of attachment against Andrews for $1,600, the value of the two slaves, and an order enjoining him not to sell, conceal, mortgage or transport the slaves until full payment of the debt. He also prays that Andrews and Richardson be condemned to furnish “good security” that the slaves will not be sold or, in default, to pay $1,600, plus interest.
Result: Denied.
Or you may view all people.
Repository: New Orleans Public Library, New Orleans, Louisiana
