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26 Mo. 529

Helmes v. Stewart

Supreme Court of Missouri

Decided March 15, 1858

Supreme Court of Missouri · decided 1858-03-15

Louis Land Cowrt. This was an action of unlawful detainer. It appeared in evidence that the plaintiff had leased the premises in controversy to one Heitzig in 1846. Defendant admitted that he was in possession thereof under and by virtue of said lease. Plaintiff claimed that there was a forfeiture of said lease. Plaintiff was a person of color.

Cited by 1 later decisions — most recently January 1903

Good law ✅— No negative treatment on recordhow we know

Decided 1858-03-15

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Napton, Judge,

¶1delivered the opinion of the court.

¶2The doctrine that color raises the presumption of slavery was, in our opinion, not applicable to this case, and the instruction upon that point should not have been given. The suit was for unlawful detainer and the defendant admitted himself to be in possession of the premises under a lease from the plaintiff. The point in dispute was whether the lease had been forfeited or terminated. The plaintiff, if a slave, could have had no title to the premises; but the defendant’s admission that his possession was held under a lease from the plaintiff precluded him from denying the title, and it did not lie in his mouth to say that the plaintiff was a slave. There was no room for submitting any presumptions about the matter to the jury, one presumption in law being destroyed by the other.

¶3The judgment will be reversed and the cause remanded;

the other judges concur.
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