Двенадцать лет рабства

           Histestimony,however,wasreceivedbythecourt! Hemadeoaththatsuchabillofsalehadbeendrawnupandsigned,buthehadlostit,anddidnotknowwhathadbecomeofit! ThereuponthemagistratewasrequestedtodispatchapoliceofficertoBurch’sresidence,withdirectionstobringhisbooks,containinghisbillsofsalesfortheyear1841. Therequestwasgranted,andbeforeanymeasurecouldbetakentopreventit,theofficerhadobtainedpossessionofthebooks,andbroughtthemintocourt. Thesalesfortheyear1841werefound,andcarefullyexamined,butnosaleofmyself,byanyname,wasdiscovered! 

           Uponthistestimonythecourtheldthefacttobeestablished,thatBurchcameinnocentlyandhonestlybyme,andaccordinglyhewasdischarged. 

           AnattemptwasthenmadebyBurchandhissatellites,tofastenuponmethechargethatIhadconspiredwiththetwowhitementodefraudhim—withwhatsuccess,appearsinanextracttakenfromanarticleintheNew-YorkTimes,publishedadayortwosubsequenttothetrial: "Thecounselforthedefendanthaddrawnup,beforethedefendantwasdischarged,anaffidavit,signedbyBurch,andhadawarrantoutagainstthecoloredmanforaconspiracywiththetwowhitemenbeforereferredto,todefraudBurchoutofsixhundredandtwenty-fivedollars. Thewarrantwasserved,andthecoloredmanarrestedandbroughtbeforeofficerGoddard.