On the run from the law

Earlier in the month I was looking for traces of information on my 3rd-great-grandmother, Nancy Jane Flatt, hoping to find her and her young children in the 1880 US Census living in or near Metcalfe County, Kentucky. While I have not yet found this information, I did receive a surprise package in the mail yesterday which provides a closing chapter to the story on Nancy Jane's father, Pleasant Flatt.

Pleasant appears to have been involved in a nasty court case with a Metcalfe County land owner named Porter Masters beginning around 1871-1872. Nancy Jane, and several of her siblings (along with others who I have yet to uncover their connection to the Flatt family), were sought by the Metcalfe County Court for depositions in the case.

Pleasant Flatt v Porter Masters case file, KY State Archives

It appears Nancy and several of her sisters were evading service of process in May 1874. She would have been about 19 or 20 years old then. The Sheriff was not able to find Nancy Jane, but was able to serve her sister Martha, who was 14.

Source: KY State Archives.

By June 1875, the Court issued an arrest warrant for Martha Flatt and Dock Simmons. Nancy Jane's name is struck out, perhaps because she could not be found in the County.

Source: KY State Archives.

Huge thanks go to fellow researcher Linda, who visited the Kentucky State Archives and sent me a copy of this information. I will have a more thorough description of this case over the weekend, there's quite a bit to go through.