John Bonhan to Beriah Magoffin

KYR-0001-020-0420.xml

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Accession Number

KYR-0001-020-0420

Document Genre

Petition

Repository

Kentucky Department for Libraries and Archives

Collection

Office of the Governor, Beriah Magoffin: Governor's Official Correspondence File, Petitions for Pardons and Remissions, 1859-1862

Item Location

MG18-152 to MG18-153

Place of Creation

Louisville, Jefferson County, Kentucky

Date of Creation

25 January 1861

Dates Mentioned

1861-01-25

1860-10

1860-07

John Bonhan to Beriah Magoffin, 25 January 1861, Office of the Governor, Beriah Magoffin: Governor's Official Correspondence File, Petitions for Pardons and Remissions, 1859-1862, MG18-152 to MG18-153, Kentucky Department for Libraries and Archives, Frankfort, KY. Accessed via the Civil War Governors of Kentucky Digital Documentary Edition, discovery.civilwargovernors.org/document/KYR-0001-020-0420, (accessed December 22, 2024).

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<< Jonhanns case
Pen^y, >

Louisville Ky 25^th Jan^y 1861 --
To His Excellency Beriah Magoffin
Governor of Kentucky --

Your petitioner would most respectfully state, That he was tried in the Circuit Court ^this Term^ for Rescuing a person named John Kegan from the custody of two supernumary Watchmen sometime last July -- & found guilty & sentenced to the Penitentiary house for the Term of One Year -- all which is most unjust -- The day on which this took place, a Prize fight was to come off in the state of Indiana about 12 miles above this city & two small steam Boats were chartered to carry the spectators, the fight from some cause did not come off, but there were several Pistol shots & two or more sleightly wounded, the Boat returned to the city with the passengers & after landing a fight was commenced with fists between two men who had some difficulty before at the place appointed for the fight whilst thus engaged Kegan approached the combatants & fired his pistol at one of the them by name of Welsh Killing him instantly
& then fled down the wharf, pursued by aone of the afs^d Supernumeray policemen or rather extra Deputy Marshals, (acting as policemen, in evasion of the police Bill) as it ^is^ more properly called -- nearly a square distant, entering a house & passing to another door out of which he was escaping, at that point he was caught by the Officer, when he was caught hold of by the petitioner, for only an instant, another officer came up at the time to aid in the arrest the petitioner approached him, but upon being informed that he was an officer immediately withdrew saying if he was an officer he would not molest him The first Officer ordered the second officer to shoot the petitioner & he snapped his Revolver pistol at him, afterwards the first Officer turned upon the petitioner with a drawn Bowie Knife & gave him three severe and almost fatal stabs in the side next the heart, but in consequence of this delay Kegan escaped out the Door fled through the crowd entered a house near by & has not yet been arrested -- The petitioner isSays he is a stranger here did not Know Kegan or the officers as they had no badge & supposed they were following a man for the purpose
of beating him or seriously injuring him which he endeavored to prevent, the man fleeing was a very small man & the person after him was quite a large man he did not announce himself a policeman or any indication of acting under authority of law, & which I state in truth & in fact I did not believe they or either of them were officers, nor did I Know that any body had been shot or Killed -- at that time, my wounds were painful & how I escaped being Killed by the pistol or Knife was miraculous indeed -- ~~This~~ last October I was tried by a Jury I had no witnesses the same officers testified at both trials, their statements were not exactly alike, the Jury composed of some of the most respectable & intelligent gentlemen in the city or state such as M^r William Pope & others like him were for acquitting they stood six & Six -- viz equally divided I was afterward told that there were three old policemen on the Jury who prevented a verdict of acquittal then, the influence of men in their situation can not be successfully [rensted] here

I have ^been^ in jail almost ever since July 1860 -- I am a stranger here am not guilty of intentional violation of Law am the only child of a widowed mother living in New Orleans have no relatives in this state -- & I now pray y^r Excellency to Pardon me & I will strive ever to deserve so great a boon

John Bonhan

ToThe foregoing petition I drew and am sure the statement is entirely true as to the evidence adduced & proceedings of the two trials, I am also convinced this is an extremely hard case & no other would have been convicted under similar circumstances I fully concur in the petitioners prayer for pardon and am authorized to sign the name of M^r Hodges assistant counsel to this but will not he was about to leave for New Castle & had no pen to sign his name with great respect I am sir y^r obliged humble serv^t

John Joyes

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