Willis G. Hughes and D. H. Hughes to Beriah Magoffin

KYR-0001-020-1685.xml

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Accession Number

KYR-0001-020-1685

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

MG22-366 to MG22-367

Place of Creation

Morganfield, Union County, Kentucky

Date of Creation

8 February 1862

Dates Mentioned

1862-02-08

Willis G. Hughes and D. H. Hughes to Beriah Magoffin, 8 February 1862, Office of the Governor, Beriah Magoffin: Governor's Official Correspondence File, Petitions for Pardons and Remissions, 1859-1862, MG22-366 to MG22-367, Kentucky Department for Libraries and Archives, Frankfort, KY. Accessed via the Civil War Governors of Kentucky Digital Documentary Edition, discovery.civilwargovernors.org/document/KYR-0001-020-1685, (accessed December 28, 2024).

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Morganfeld
Feby 8' 1862
To his Excellency
Govr Magoffin
Dear Sir

Vincent Shields is & has been for over two years confined in the Penitentiary of this state and was sentenced for 10 years.

We respectfully to suggest to you that is our opinion Shields case is one that deserves and ought to receive Executive Clemency -- He was charged with the murder of his wife, she was found by Shields in Trade water, was pulled to shore by him, and then he went to the neighbours for assistance first going to a sh school house near by, where all of his children were at school except two small infants -- the neighbours assisted in taking the body to the house, when she was washed & dressed and then a Coroners inquest held over the body, whose verdict was that she had come to her death by drowning, she was buried -- and some days thereafter the body was exhumed, and a partial indeed a very slight Post Mortem examination made and the opinion given by the physicians that her neck had been broken by violence, on this Shields was arrested and tried as her murderer and sentenced to the Penitentiary for 10 years If Shields was guilty the Gallows was too good for him, if innocent his fate is a hard one indeed --

A Short summary of the evidence will show
in our opinion how hard the verdict was --

It was in proof by many witnesses that Mrs Shields had been subject to very severe [paranoias] of Insanity for over 20 years, during which no Control Could be exercised over her, and while thus afflicted she would make a great & loud noise that could & had been heard for miles off, as if the surest kind of punishment, was being ~~afflicted up~~ inflicted upon her -- thus had Caused many of the women in the neighborhood to Conclude Shields was in the habit of punishing his wife very Severely, and had of Course murdered her, but the proof of two of his & her Daughters both fully grown, and two sons nearly grown, as will as many other persons that were in the habit of visiting Shields house, that his treatment to her was always kind, and affectionate -- It was proven by his two Sons above refered to that on the morning of the day of her death, she went down to Tradewater her usual place of washing in Company with these sons who went along to Carry the Clothes & [...], and to make her a fire, ~~aft~~ leaving her there, they returned to the house and then went to school leaving the two small children at the house, & their father at work in a field nearly a mile off from the place of washing -- the two daughters above refered to were married and living off at some distance After Sheilds was arrested & during his trial before the examining Court, under our advice her body was reexumed and a through Post Mortim examination had by those of of as able Physicians as the County afforded Howard, Say & Graves all of whom testified that there was no fracture or dislocation of the neck, and that she died of drowning but on the final trial Shields was deprived of the evidence of these Physicians owing
to their absence -- except the evidence of D^r Howard which we read by agreement as it had been taken down at the examining Court, which was a [...] meager out line --

Mr Shields Brother [Mathew] Shields of Spencer County will present to you a large Petition from the Citizens of this County, among whom are We believe the names of all save one who took an active part in the prosecution -- And we believe it is now the universal desire of the Citizens of this County that he should be Pardoned and nearly every body believes his punishment is unjust --

We send you the Petition of 9 of the Jury who tried Shields asking his Pardon, the other three are dead & removed --

Hoping it will meet your views to grant this Pardon we remain Respy
Your Friends
Willis G Hughes
D H Hughes

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