Letter from W. W. Dedrick to Mississippi Governor James L. Alcorn; April 29, 1871

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Letter from W. W. Dedrick to Mississippi Governor James L. Alcorn; April 29, 1871

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Document Metadata

Each transcribed document contains links that connect it to other documents on the same topic in the collection.

People

Alcorn, J. L. (James Lusk), 1816-1894 Arthur, A. H.Dedrick, W. W.Hewson, H. F.Kuhn, A. P.Martin, H. M.Moyers, Unknown Mygott?, Unknown Scales, Mary Young, Unknown

Events

Finances Finances--Collecting of accounts

Organizations

Courts and Judicial Systems Courts and Judicial Systems--Chancery Courts Mississippi--Executive Department

Businesses

Law Offices Law Offices--Moyers & Dedrick, Attorneys at Law (Vicksburg, Miss.)

Occupations

Clerks Collection Agents Judges Judges. Justices of the Peace Lawyers Secretaries

Places

Mississippi--Marion County Mississippi--Warren County. Vicksburg

Social Identifiers

African Americans African Americans--Historically Free and Newly Freed

Page 1

Vicksburg April 29^th_,, 1871

Moyer^s & Dedrick
Costs in case Mary Scales [gap] 3.00
Paid by Mary Scales and to be refunded to her

Paid

H M Martin J. P.

Page 2

State of Mississippi
County of Marion

33—

On this 29 day of April A. D. 1871 before me a Clerk of The Chancery Court in and for said County formally appeared W. W. Dedrick who being by me duly sworn oath depose that on or about the 10 day of March A D 1871 as affiant verily believes he commenced suit against Mary Scales for the sum of fifteen dollars—That said suit was commenced before H. N. Martin J. P. Vicksburg Miss. That said suit was set for trial ten (10) days from the date of issuing summons—That affiant did not appear against said Mary Scales to prosecute his said suit, and the said suit was dismissed at his Cost by reason of his said default or if the same was not done it was the duty of said Justice so to do, affiant being a responsible party liable for said Costs=That on or about the 20^th day of April 1871, affiant heard that said costs were levied by said Justice against said Mary Scales and paid by her to said Justice prior to the rendition of Judgment in her said favor—Affiant himself subsequently paid said costs amounting to three dollars and on charging said Justice with having collected said Costs of said Mary Scales—said Justice admitted the same and agreed to refund to said Mary Scales Further saith [not?]—

W W Dedrick

Page 3

Sworn and subscribed before me this 19. day of April A D 1871 & also appeared A. P. Kuhn who being duly sworn oath depose that he was present when W. W. Dedrick aforesaid paid the sum of three dollars ^costs^ to H A. Martin aforesaid and heard said Dedrick Charge said Martin with having collected said costs of said Mary Scales and that said Martin admitted the same giving receipt to refund said Money to said Mary Scales—

Sworn to & Subscribed before me by Messers W. W. Dedrick & A P Kuhn 29 April 1871.

A. P. Kuhn

,
A. H. Arthur Clk
Chancery Co. Warren Co. Miss

[illegibe: partially coverd] OF [illegibe: partially coverd]NT CLAIMS [illegibe: partially coverd]ecuted at the [illegibe: partially coverd]er Departments And before the Court of Claims Pensions, Back Pay and Bounties Collected,

Page 4

W. W. Dedrick,
Attorney at Law,
Vicksburg, Miss.

[illegibe: page folded] OF
[illegibe: page folded]NT CLAIMS
[illegibe: page folded]ecuted at the
[illegibe: page folded] Departments,
And before the
Court of Claims.
Pensions, Back Pay and Bounties Collected

MOYERS & DEDRICK,
Attorneys at Law and Collecting Agents,
Vicksburg, Miss., April 29, 1871

Hon Senator Mygott?

Dear Sir—

I hand you enclosed affts. which speak for themselves—Justice is simply dealt out here by the pound & ounce and it must be stopped—The facts in the case enclosed are briefly these—I commenced suit against Mary Scales for a pension fee in behalf of Moyers & Dedrick. The Defendant employed ? Young Esq who on investigation declined to act as her attorney and advised her to settle. Supposing that Defendant would settle I did not go near the Justice's Office nor pay any attention to the suit, I was informed the next day that Martin had given Judgement for Defendent she appearing without attorney and sitting there nearly all day, I did not learn at the time that said Martin made her pay the costs as he certainly had no right to do. Subsequently I commenced suit again in same case before another Justice and in this suit it leaked out that although Martin had given ~~her~~^the Defendant^ judgement in the preceding case he had made her pay the costs

Page 5

in other words—one of two things was true—He had either [?] [illegibe: page folded] her Justice and his Judgement was in consideration that she should pay costs—or he had imposed on her ignorance and forced her to pay costs although she won the suit—

Martin subsequently heard that I was after him in this matter—when he presented bill against me for costs, promising to refund to the defendant as his receipt enclosed will show—I think that the costs were paid by me—(ie) the service & summons—at the time the suit was commenced and that the same has been collected three times—I however paid them as per enclosed receipt in order that I might get his acknowledgement that they had been actually paid by Defendant—Defendant is a colored woman who knew nothing about her rights and of course was only too glad to pay 4 or 5 dollars cost in order to get Judgement—Please bring this matter to the attention of Governor Alcorn—

Very Truly Yrs

W. W. Dedrick

Page 6

PRECIS.
[gap]

No'. [gap]

Executive Office,
State of Mississippi,
County of Warren

From W. W. Dedrick
Address Vicksburg
Dated Apl 29—71
Received [gap]
Answered [gap]

Complains of the action of Justice Martin, enclosed affidavit

JAMES L. ALCORN,
Governor.

H. F. HEWSON,
Private Secretary.