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398

made a complaint that he was detaining her children that he attended before Col. Beadell in obedience to his order, and that Col Beadell then decided that the two younger children should be given to the Mother, and the children David and Caroline allowed to remain with him. 
The Mother agreed to this and the two younger children were delivered to her. He also stated that the Mother was not a proper person to have the care of children and was unable to support them. These facts being given to my satisfaction I took the children in another room, out of the hearing of Mr. Jones, and questioned them as to their desire to remain with him, they both expressed a strong wish to do so, and were fearful that they would be sent to their Mother. Being informed by several Magistrates that under a similar state of affairs, white or colored children would be apprenticed by the Court, I bound these children, David and Caroline, to Mr Jones. I would further state that there is no doubt in happy days for[[?]] but that Mr. Jones is the Father, as they resemble him very much. He appears to have a strong affection for them, and they for him, and it is in every way to the interest of the children that they should remain with him. 
From the statements of Caroline and her husband Wooster, it appears that they have as much as they can do to earn a living for