To his Excellency, The President of the United States.

The petition of David Thomas of the County of Washington now confined in the Goal of the said County, Humbly represents that sometime ago, your petitioner being much irratated and vexed, by the insolant attack made on him by a worthless fellow by the name of Wm. Prout a free black man, he was in the heat of passion urged to strike said Prout—that the battery however was but slight and trivial—for which a presentment was found by the Grand Jury of the Circuit Court for the County aforesaid, and your Petitioner on the trial of the said Presentment was sentenced by the said Court to pay a fine and fees amounting together to the sum of Fifty dollars and Eighty two Cents, for which an execution has issued and your petitioner is now confined in said Goal under said execution

Your petitioner states that he is a poor man, by his hard work, and industry, has been able heretofore barely to support himself, and a wife with five helpless Children confinement now destroying this only means of support, he fears, their unfortunate Condition will be Scarcely less wretched, than starvation—that the peculiar situation of his wife at this time (a state of pregnancy) renders her almost entirely helpless.

Your Petitioner has already suffered very much on account of the said offence, enough he hopes to be thought sufficient to attone for it—certainly to produce a determination in him (should he now be pardoned) to command and controul his temper in all future time from similar offences

He therefore prays your Excellency to take his case and its circumstances into consideration and grant him a release from said fine & fees, and said imprisonment and as in duty bound he will pray