To the Honorable Municipal Court in and for the City of —

The undersigned your most respectfully represents that he is now under arrest in the City of & that he is in the Custody of <​James A. McCance​> And by what autho[r]ity he is thus deprived of his Liberty your is unable to ascertain— your further avers that the Proceeding against him are Illegal in this that the Papers or Writ does not discloes such <​any​> a charge as is known to the Law—

And further that he has before been arrested upon a charge of the same kind and honorably acquitted. that said charge was upon the subject matter of which constitutes the subject foundation of the charge now prefered against him—

And further your avers that he is not guilty of the charge prefered against him—

Your further avers that these Proceedings have been instituted through malice private pique & corruption— [p. [1]]