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[thorough]ly convinsed - as he has received, and paid, and has the receipts for the bills of doctors - incurred by her in his accouchment - as was specified in the bill of the phisician his efforts to support himself and his children has been greatly encumbered by debts of her contraction - which he has been compelled to pay sinse he has been in this country to the amount of about seven thousand dollars - which debts were contracted as I am informed and verily believe - by her in constantly having about her loose and extravagant company - he is decidedly of opinion from the information of persons to be relied on directly from the spot that his wife is and has been for years perfectly abandoned and depraved - he would humbly represent as the reason of his applying to the Legislature that it was done as the best means of saving the good name and reputation of my children from that disgrace which attaches itself under a publick invsetigation before the courts - to even the inocent family of one who has been so lost to virtue and shame - as their mother has been my children a part of them are now in this country and the whole number will be here in the spring - and this application is made as above stated to save them reputation and their feelings as well as my own - He arrived at Galena in the State of Illinois on the 23d day of April AD 1838 and has resided in the neighbourhood of Mineral Point sinse June AD 1838

Peter Howard

Territory of Wisconsin County of Iowa

The undersigned Peter Howard being duly sworn doth depose and say that the facts set forth in the above petition [illegible] so far as they are stated on his own knowledge are true and