Daniel v. Guy

19 Ark. 121
CourtSupreme Court of Arkansas
DecidedJuly 15, 1857
StatusPublished
Cited by4 cases

This text of 19 Ark. 121 (Daniel v. Guy) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Supreme Court of Arkansas primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Daniel v. Guy, 19 Ark. 121 (Ark. 1857).

Opinion

Mr. Chief Justice English

delivered the opinion of the Court.

This was a suit for freedom, determined in the Ashley Circuit Court, at the April term, 1855.

The action was brought against William Daniel, by five persons, who are described in the declaration as “ Abby Guy, Elizabeth F, Daniel, Mary Daniel, John Guy, and Malissa Ann Arnold, the four latter being minors, and suing "by their mother, and next friend, the said Abby Guy.”

The form of the action was trespass for false imprisonment^ under the statute (Dig., ch. 74,) the declaration alleging that the plaintiffs were free, but held in slavery by the defendant. The defendant interposed two pleas; first, not guilty; and second, that the plaintiffs were slaves, and his property, etc.; to which issues were made up, tried by a jury, verdict in favor of plaintiffs, and judgment that they be liberated. The defendant moved for a new trial, which the Court refused, and he excepted, and appealed.

It is necessary to state the substance of the evidence introduced upon the trial, and set out in the bill of exceptions, in order to understand the decisions of the Court upon questions of law, which are complained of as erroneous, etc.

ON THE PART OF THE PLAINTIFFS.

Richard Stanley testified, that several years ago, Abby spoke to him to move her and her children: he asked the defendant if he could do so, and he said he had nothing to do with her. Witness asked him who would pay him for it, and he said Abby could pay him. Defendant was then living in the Hills, and plaintiffs on Bayou Bartholomew. Abby was working for1 herself, making and selling her own crops. Plaintiffs passed as free persons. The oldest girl boarded out, and went to school. They lived eight or nine years on the Bayou, visited among white folks, and went to church, parties, etc., — should suppose they were white. They lived part of the time with a man named Guy, and Abby passed as Mrs. Guy, but witness did not know that she was married to him.

“ Here the plaintiffs were personally presented in Court, and the judge informed the jury that they had the right, and should treat their observation and inspection of plaintiffs’ persons as evidence; and might and should apply, in the observation of their persons, their knowledge of the distinction between the negro and the white races, and such rules as might be proven to them to be reliable means of determining the existence of negro descent or negro blood.” To which the defendant objected, and excepted.

Wrn. M. Duckcr testified that he was sheriff of Ashley county, from 1849, until the last general election before the trial. The defendant listed his slaves for taxation by families, and not by name. He would name the head of the family, and make a gross estimate of their value. Witness could not say whether the plaintiffs were included, in any of such lists or not. Abby was never named in making the lists. Witness never thought of taxing her, as the law exempted widows, and he passed her without enquiry. She was living with Guy when witness came to the State, and when he died, he gave her a tract of land, etc.

Jeremiah Oats testified that, when he first came to the State, ■he hauled some cotton for Abby. A year afterwards, she wanted him to move a fence. Having heard that defendant had control of her, witness spoke to him about doing the work, and asked him who would pay him for it. He said he had nothing to do with it. Witness told him they called her a negro. IJe said they could not prove it. That she could make her own contracts, and pay her own debts out of her property, and that witness could deal with her as he pleased.

K. Saunders testified that he had talked a great deal with defendant about Abby, but never heard him say "she had no negro bldod in her. It was understood that he had title papers to her. Witness had heard him say so. When she lived on the Bayou, she managed her own business, as a free womanj and visited among the whites as an equal. Defendant came to Arkansas in 1844, and from thence until just before suit, plaintiffs had lived to themselves, as free persons — had lived in this State during that* time, except a year or two past, they moved to, and lived in Louisiana. A' short time before suit, defendant took them in possession as slaves, and treated them as such, when the action was brought.

A. Bull testified that, in 1849, he stepped into the court-house (in Ashley county,) while the defendant was talking to the judge, respecting some matter apparently before the Court, and heard him' say, that no person, except himself, could prove that Abby had a drop of negro blood in her, and he could not do it without reference to his papers; and he did not know that he could do it then, etc.

FOR THE DEFENDANT.

Thos. S. Thompson. — Had known Abby since 1822, when she was a little girl, and was living with James Condra (who married defendant’s sister Betsey). Also knew Abby’s mother, Polly, generally called “ Aunt Polly,” who was a yellow woman, darker than white — a tolerably bright mulatto, and a shade darker than Abby. Could not say whether Polly was of African or Indian extraction. Had seen half-breeds as white as she was. She was then in advanced age, was called a mulatto, and had the appearance of such. When witness first knew her, she was the slave of defendant’s mother, who lived with him. Polly was under his control, with other slaves of his mother.

Witness knew Abby first at Condra’s. She afterwards lived both with Nathaniel Daniel (defendant’s brother,) and defendant. The latter brought her from Alabama to Arkansas. Never knew her to claim to be free. Knew her and her mother both as slaves. Polly had dark straight hair — had a curl on the side of her head. Hair dark as Abby’s. She had other children besides Abby, who were slaves; and she always held herself as a slave, and acted as such. She and Abby always labored and conducted themselves as slaves in the family, with the exception that they took more care of themselves perhaps than others. Polly wore her hair long, with a comb — was a house servant, the cook, usually wore a cap, and took good care of herself — she called defendant Master Billy. Witness was brother-in-law to defendant — had never studied Physiology, nor the distinction of races. Had seen persons darker than Abby without any stain of negro blood. Had seen women, who were in the habit of working in the field, get to be almost as dark as mulattoes, and as dark or darker than Abby’s mother. Had seen Portugees and Spaniards as dark as she was. She died several years before witness left Alabama. Abby came with defendant from Alabama to Arkansas, and witness never had any other idea than that he brought her, always looking upon her as a slave. She went on the Bayou to live, etc. Piad seen white person’s hair curl as much as Abby’s mother’s. Witness did not know whether she had any negro blood in her veins or not. He only inferred so from her being treated as a slave, and from her dark color. If negro at all, she was a very bright mulatto.

James Barnett — was forty years old, and had known the defendant and Abby all his life. Had seen the other plaintiffs. Abby belonged to James Daniel, father of defendant, and (maternal) grand father of witness, when he first knew her. Had seen her in the possession of James Condra as a slave, and afterwards in the possession of defendant.

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19 Ark. 121, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/daniel-v-guy-ark-1857.