W. T. Hardy and T. J. Bevill to Thomas E. Bramlette

KYR-0001-004-2542.xml

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Accession Number

KYR-0001-004-2542

Document Genre

Petition

Repository

Kentucky Department for Libraries and Archives

Collection

Office of the Governor, Thomas E. Bramlette: Governor's official correspondence file, petitions for pardons, remissions, and respites 1863-1867

Item Location

BR16-65 to BR16-66

Place of Creation

Washington County, Kentucky

Date of Creation

26 October 1865

Dates Mentioned

1865-04

--10

--02-01

1865-10-26

1865-10-27

1865-11-17

W. T. Hardy and T. J. Bevill to Thomas E. Bramlette, 26 October 1865, Office of the Governor, Thomas E. Bramlette: Governor's official correspondence file, petitions for pardons, remissions, and respites 1863-1867, BR16-65 to BR16-66, Kentucky Department for Libraries and Archives, Frankfort, KY. Accessed via the Civil War Governors of Kentucky Digital Documentary Edition, discovery.civilwargovernors.org/document/KYR-0001-004-2542, (accessed April 22, 2025).

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To His Excellency Thoma^s E. Bramlette
Govenor of the State of Kentucky

Your Petitioner^s W T. Hardy and Thoma^s Beville would respectfully represent to Your excellency that at the April Term 1865 of the Washington Circuit Court the Grand Jury Thereof returned against these petitioner^s an Indictment charging them with permitting gaming on a Pidgeon Table in a house occupied by them in the Town of Springfield as a coffee house and at the present October term of said Court a trial was had and the Jury rendered their verdict assessing a fine of $200 -- upon which verdict the Court rendered Judgment against these petitioners for $200. each. The proof in the case wa^s that about the 1^st Feby last these petitioner^s having a licensed Coffee house did set up a table called a pidgeon table which said table wa^s kept a^s a matter of amusement for their guests that no betting was allowed on the game played, but it wa^s usual for the person having the smallest count to treat ^to drink^ and ^no^ more wa^s charged for drink^s than if they have not amused themselves at said table --

Betting was positively prohibited -- s^d Table was kept in a large room open for the inspection
of any and all person^s adults, who either wanted to particiapte or see the game played. under the instruction of the Court the Jury brought in the verdict before stated -- altho the playing in said table was regarded as innocent amusement Now Your Petitioner^s would state that the first intimation they had, that setting up and allowing said Table to be played on in the Manner a^s before stated, wa^s a violation of Law. or Could in any manner, be so construed, wa^s when said indictment wa^s returned against them, since which time no playing has been allowed on said table -- for the reason that these petitioners do ^not^ & did not desire to do any act which could in any manner be construed a^s an infraction or violation of Law. and if they had have had the slightest idea of that it would or could have been so considered, they never would have set up said table

Your Petitioners say the are poor men and the Judgement in this case a is extremely severe on them, a^s they are as it were just starting in life. and were innocent of any intention to violate the Law They respectfully ask the exercise of your Executive clemency and that You will remit the fine -- a^s the costs over which they are advised your
excellency has no power i^s heavy

W. T. Hardy
T J Bevill

Sworn to before me by W T Hardy & T J Bevill Oct 26^th 1865 --

R S Peters
Clerk
{Revenue Stamp}< R S P
Oct
26
1865 >
{Revenue Stamp}< R S P
Oct
26
1865 >

We the undersigned Juror^s who rendered the verdict state in the petition of Mss^rs Hardy and Beville, Cordially unite with them in their petition to Your excellency to remit the fine^s and recommend them a^s eminently deserving of executive Clemency. The fact^s stated a^s the proof in the case are properly stated. We ask for them a remission of the fines -- ~~[...]~~

Stith Thompson
Austin Mudd
M A Brady
John, P, Bush
F B Mitchell
Alexander Waters
John Smith
W^m Raney
Thomas W. Johnston
A., Thomas
Joseph Blanford
Thos. Sweney

The within mentioned case is one which is in my opinion entitled to Executive Clemency. Oct 27^th 1865

John E Newman
Judge 5 Jud^l Dist of Ky

Washington Cir Ct
vs
Tho^s Beville & W. T. Hardy
$200, each
Gaming
17^th Nov /65

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