William Alvis et al. to Beriah Magoffin

KYR-0001-020-1795.xml

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Accession Number

KYR-0001-020-1795

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

MG23-158 to MG23-159

Place of Creation

Fayette County, Kentucky

Date of Creation

n.d.

Dates Mentioned

1860

1862-04-24

William Alvis et al. to Beriah Magoffin, n.d., Office of the Governor, Beriah Magoffin: Governor's Official Correspondence File, Petitions for Pardons and Remissions, 1859-1862, MG23-158 to MG23-159, Kentucky Department for Libraries and Archives, Frankfort, KY. Accessed via the Civil War Governors of Kentucky Digital Documentary Edition, discovery.civilwargovernors.org/document/KYR-0001-020-1795, (accessed December 22, 2024).

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His Excellency Beriah Magoffin,
Governor of the State of Kentucky:

Your Petitioner William Alvis would respectfully represent that during the year 1860, he kept a grocery store in Athens Fayette County, Kentucky, and on the [ ] day of [ ] 1860 your peitioner was indicted in the Fayette Circuit Court for Keeping a disorderly house -- A number of persons were placed at the foot of the indictment among them one Columbus Kent -- Your petitioner gave bond to appear and immidiately went to see all of the witnesses all of whom except said Kent was his neighbors All of whom, Kent included, said they knew nothing against your petitioner and they would swear that he kept a perfectly orderly house -- On the trial all of petitioners neighbors were examined and swore that they knew your petitioner, that he was a good citizen and had kept a house above suspicion, so far as their knowledge was concerned -- Columbus Kent then appeared, pretendedly so drunk that he could not testify and by the order of the Court was taken to jail -- The day after he was
brought out and swore every thing the Commonwealths attorney wished him to swear a viz that "he had seen your petitioner trading with negroes; had seen him sell whiskey in less quantities ~~^less^~~ than a quart; that great disorder was kept at his house &c." -- Deft's council then called in Kents neighbors, such as could be found in the Court house and all of those who knew Kent said that he was a wild and reckless character, a magistrate and constable would swear, and wanted to do so, that, they knew that Kent had sworn to a lie, but this was overruled and upon said Kent's testimony your petitioner was fined $500 and three months imprisonment -- Your petitioner applied for a new trial and filed an affidavit showing that since the trial he had found that more than thirty persons, the most respectable in the County could be brought to prove that Kent was a man of bad moral character and could not be believed or oath -- But this was overruled and your petitioner was committed
to jail -- Your petitioner thinks it hard that he should thus suffer on account of the testimony of a vagabond, the only witness in the county who did swear against him and prays that his Excellency may interpose his Clemency --

William Alvis

We the undersigned would petitioner His Excellency to remit the above mentioned fine --

M. L. Mitchell
S O [Merrick]
D R Henderson
Robert Todd
R A [Isaac]
B F Farra
A Maydwell
W Jones
W^m Foley
Y P Foster
J. B. Rogers

B H Allen
L C Graves
Speed S. Goodloe
B F Graves
Jno C Hansbro
J A M^cMillan
John Holland
J. D. Hunt
James A Grinstead
Julius Hacker
B C Wood
Tho^s. S. Logwood
W. C. Wallace
H. C. Kearns
Quincy Burgess
Robert M^cClanahan
Tho^s G Randall
C. S. Randall

Remitted as to imprisonment & respite the balance for 12 mo
B. M

Fayette Cir. Ct.
W^m Alvis
Iss^d Apr 24. 1862

Send to Bryan H. Allen

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