To the Honorable Samuel H Treat Judge
of the United States District Court
Your petitioners citizens of [Danville] & vicinity would respectfully
represent that Jonas D Hartzler who is
arrested on a charge of purloining letters
and money from the post office at Danville 
Ill has always [*h??*] before the said
arrest so far as we know held a good character for honesty
and uprightness that your petitioners believe
said Hartzler is not naturally a bad
man but was tempted by a powerful
temptation and the prospect of want to his
family that they believe if said Hartzler
were released that he would never submit
to temptation any more and that he is truly
penitent for the crime which he has
committed. That said Hartzler has a wife
and one child who are entirely dependent
upon him for a means of support
and subsistence Therefore your petitioners
pray your Honor to be as merciful
in passing sentence upon said prisoner as
the laws [*will*] and your conscience will
permit and that your Honor will give
him the shortest term allowed by law
And as is duty bound your petitioners
will ever pray &c
Danville Ill June 3 1858
W.W.R. Woodbury/S Fossilman
J.H. Woodbury/W.H. Brown
E Kingsbury/T.M. Bruce
Wm I Moore/A. Partlow
H A West/Wm S Humphrey
Le Guinniss/E. T. Martin

R.A Short
John J. Partlow
J.B. Kilpatrick
R.E. Hanford
B. P. Murphy
Allen Latham
William Black
A G Webster
[?] V. Chesley
Dr. S. A. Humphrey
G.W. Lawrence
[?] [?] Beckwith
O. Davis
O J Harmen
Saml G Craig
John W. Mires
John Woods Jr
W T Cunningham
John A. Drake
Jas. U. Phillips
H. L. Downing
Wm Laflen
I. H. Miller
U.S. Sherman
John M Lesley
D. Clapp

chg 1.52
Hon A Lincoln
Springfield
Ill.
[*June 3, 1858*]
[*J. M. Leslie*]

Transcribed and reviewed by contributors participating in the By The People project at crowd.loc.gov.