Knox County court record for Decker vs. Purcell, 1825

Description:	Folder 3456 in Box 63 of Knox County Circuit Court records at the Knox County Public Library’s McGrady-Brockman House contains 12 documents in the case of Decker vs. Purcell, 1825. This case revolves around the sale and purchase of 4 slaves (2 women and 2 female children) who were transported into Knox County by David Coons who acted as an agent for Simon Vanorsdal, known to deal in trafficking of slaves. In a previous trial Luke Decker was sued by John Purcell who had been given a promissory note by Decker for the purchase of slaves. When Decker learned that the slaves purchased (with the intent of selling to Vanorsdal with David Coon acting as Vanorsdal’s agent) were free people of color and had been illegally transported by force, he refused to pay John Purcell. The court ordered Decker to honor his debt. Decker had filed for an injunction to plead his case again in another court claiming that he had not been able to prepare an adequate defense before the previous trial. The injunction was granted. This case then became a Chancery case (a case where justice is administered according to fairness as contrasted with strictly formulated rules or when there is no existing law specific to the situation). One document titled “The amended answer of John Purcell for defendants to a bill of complaint of Luke Decker complainant” notes that “the said negros were claimed by Noah Purcell as servants.” The same document goes on to discuss the free (or not free) status of the children in the context of the constitution of the State of Indiana. Decker then filed a document on January 5, 1825 called “exceptions to amended answers of John Purcell.” Before the next trial Luke Decker died and John Decker and John Claypoole were executors of Decker’s estate and now represented him in the trial. The documents include testimony of Decker in request for the order of injunction, bond on injunction, deposition of David Coon, testimony of John Purcell, amended answers of John Purcell, exceptions of amended answers, Bill of Revivor, answer to Bill of Revivor, two subpoenas for John Purcell, and statement of Luke Decker’s death.
Origin:	1825
Contributor(s):	Decker, Luke; Decker, John; Coons, David; Coon, David; Vanorsdal, Simon; Purcell, Noak; Purcell, John; Claypoole, John;
Source:	http://indianamemory.contentdm.oclc.org/cdm/ref/collection/kcpl/id/47271
Collection:	Knox County Public Library
Rights:	http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/NoC-US/1.0/
Copyright:	No Copyright - United States
Geography:	Vincennes, Knox County, Indiana, United States
Subjects:	Black people -- America -- History African Americans -- History Black people -- History Slave records Slave labor Slavery Slaveholders Enslaved women Enslaved men Slavery -- Law and legislation Indentured servants Indiana -- Northwest Indiana -- History Vincennes (Ind.) Knox County (Ind.)

Further information on this record can be found at its source.