Harrison & Ashe v. Martin}
Charles Harrison & John Baptista Ash by Thomas Boyd their Attorney come to prosecute their Suite agt: Thomas Martin in custody &c. of a plea that he render uto them one hundred and fifty pounds currt: money for that to witt that whereas in & by an Act of Assembly Intituled an Actt concerning Servts: & Slaves ratifyed at a Bienniall assembly holden at the house of Capt. Richard Sanderson in Little River began on the Seventeenth day of November One thousand Seven hundred and fifteen & continued by adjournmts: to the nineteenth day of January follown: among other things it is Enacted that if any person or persons shall harbour or entertain any runaway Servant or Slave above One night he or they So offending shall for every twenty four hours afterwards forfeit & pay the Sum of ten shills: to the Master or Mistress of Such Servant or Slave together with all Costs losses & damages which the Master or Mistress shall sustain by reason of such entertaining or Concealing to be recoverd. in any Court of record within this Governmt:
Narra:
Now the plte's in fact say that one Jabez Tom an Indian Servant Man belonging to the plte's did run away from them on the eleventh day of February One thousand Seven hundred and twenty two new Stile and on the Same day & year came to the house & plantacon of the Defte. in South River in Bath County & was by him the said Defte. from thence afterwards entertained & concealed untill the twelfth day of August following being One hundred eighty & three days & further that the sd: plte's were at great costs & charges in pursuing after the said runaway & also lost his Service during the said one hundred & eighty three days by his being entertained harbour'd, & concealed as aforesd. whereby Action hath accrued to the plte's to have & recover of the Defte the sd. ten shills pr. day, being ninety one pounds ten shills: & for loss of service one hundred eighty four days at five shills: pr Day the Sum of forty five pounds fifteen shills. & for Costs & Charges Expended twelve pounds fifteen shills: in the whole amounting to the Sum of One hundred fifty pounds Currt: money which said Sum the Defte: unjustly denys to pay unto the plte's altho' often thereunto required to the plte's damage one hundred & fifty pounds of the like money whereof by Thomas Boyd their Attorney this their Suite is produced &c.
Marshal's rete.
And the said Defte. being Solemnly required came not and the Marshall's returne being that he had left a Copy of the Writt and Declaracon at the house of the Defte. according to the direction of an Act of Assembly in that Case made &c.
Attachment
It is therefore granted at the plaintiffes Motion that an Attacht: do issue agt: the Goods & Chattells of the said Defte. for the Debt & Costs aforesaid thereby to compell him to appear at the next Court to answer to the Suite of the plte's aforesaid.
It is also further Granted at the plte's Motion that a Dedimus do issue directed to Some persons within the Government of Virginia defining and impowering them to take the Deposition of One George Owen of that Government relating to the said Suite.
