Affidavit on Michael
Roark
Hawkins County Circuit Court, October 1824
(Jacob Rush and Jesse Creech had posted bond for Jesse
Walker; when Walker skipped town, they hired Michael Roark
to find him.)
Michael Rork makes
oath that he was imploied by Rush and Creech to hunt after
Jesse Walker, that he was in the states of Alabama and
Kentucky in search of said Walker, that he rode 33 days in
trying to take Jesse Walker to surrender him to the
sherriff of Hawkins County, that he must have rode nearly
or quite 1000 miles after him, and that the parties must
have spent nearly or quite $100 in trying to take Jesse
Walker to surrender to justice in discharge of themselves
as bail for his appearance to the Circuit Court of Hawkins
Co to answer a charge by the state against Jesse Walker.
He further states that Jesse Creech accompanyed him in to
the state of Kentucky, near to a place cal’d Rock
Castle where they came up with said Walker and had like to
have succeeded in taking him but was baffled by a masterly
manoevre of the said Walker. And he further states that he
does not believe that there is any reasonable prospect of
the said Walker being taken to surrender in discharge of
themselves as his bail. Sworn in open court 4 Oct 1824.
Jacob Rush and Jesse Creech makes oath that they were
induced to become bail for the appearance of Jesse Walker
... because they were indused to believe that he was
inocent of the charge and through the tears and prayers of
his wife and mother, and not for the purpose of
facilitating the escape of said Jesse. They further state
that they hired
Captain Michael Rork who is
justly celebrated for catching runaways to go in pursuit of
said Walker to surrender him in discharge of his bail. ...
They further state that they have used every exertion to
take said Walker to surrender but have wholy failed and
that they do not believe that they will ever be able to
take him. Sworn in open court, 6 Oct 1824.
John Grigsby, Joshua Smith, John Reynolds and James Sanders
makes oath that they are well acquainted with Capt.
Michael Rork and
would believe him when on oath, and that Capt. Michael Rork
is esteemed to be among the best hands in the country to
detect criminals and catch runaways. Sworn in open court, 4
Oct 1824.