STATE OF ILLINOIS  HAMILTON COUNTY 
of the October term of the
Hamilton Circuit Court, AD 1855

          To the honor Edwin Bucher presiding judge of the Hamilton Circuit Court in the 12th Judicial circuit of Illinois in chambers sitting.

          Your Orator MARY CHARLOTTE HUTCHCRAFT, honorable complaining, would represent unto Your Honor, that on the 3rd day of January, AD, 1849, at the County of Hamilton and State of Illinois, she was united in matrimony, according to the laws of said state, with one JOHN HUTCHCRAFT,  who she prays may be made party....to this her bill of complaint.

          Your Orator would further represent unto your Honor, that since her marriage as aforsaid with the said JOHN HUTCHCRAFT,  two children have been born unto them,  the said John and Mary Charlotte, that is to say WILLIAM HARRISON of the age of six years and CHARLY of the age of 4 years old at the date of the filing of this bill, both of which said children are in the custody, and under the protection of your Orator.  And may it please your Honor, your Orator from and after her said marriage with the said JOHN HUTCHCRAFT, conducted herself towards her said husband, as a loving and affectionate wife, administering to his wants and alleviating his cares, to the utmost of her ability hoping thereby to......and receive like treatment from the said John, in return.

          But may it please your Honor, he, the said JOHN, not regarding his solemn marriage vows, nor the comfort and well being of your Orator, did on or about the .....day  of ....AD 1852, entirely abandon your Orator and has since around his determination never to return and that he, the said JOHN has now been absent for more than the space of two years (four years?)...and that he has not furnished your Orator and her little children for three years last past with any of the necessaries of life.

          Your Orator would further represent unto your Honor, that for four years, last past, the said JOHN has been a man of profligate habits, and of exceedingly abandoned character, and that in consequence of the said habits and character of the said JOHN she has no longer any hopes of his being reclaimed and again living with her as husband should.  But on the contrary, she fears that the said JOHN may return and forcibly take from her said children and that they may become corrupted by his own wicked and abandoned maintain of life.

          And now your Orator prays, your Honor, that on a final hearing of this, her bill of complaint, your Honor may render a decree wholly dissolving the bonds of matrimony heretofore existing between your Orator and the said JOHN HUTCHCRAFT and that the same may be hence forth .......null and void, and further more that the right to the custody of the said minor children may be ordered, adjudged, and decreed to remain in your Orator, and furthermore your Orator prays your Honor in consideration of the circumstances, that the peoples most gracious want of subponead in chambers may be issued to the said JOHN HUTCHCRAFT commanding he and as in duty bound will even pray.

Chas Carpentier ? ??  ?

FILED August 14, 1855