William E. Arthur to John F. Fisk

Accession Number

KYR-0001-004-0539

Document Genre

Correspondence

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

BR9-351 to BR9-352

Place of Creation

Covington, Kenton County, Kentucky

Date of Creation

9 February 1864

Dates Mentioned

1864-02-09

Covington Ky
Feb 9^th 1864
Hon John F, Fisk,
My Dear Sir —

Enclosed herewith I send you petition of the Jury who convicted him, signed by reputable citizens, for the pardon of J^o. Clark, recently convicted of receiving a stolen Pistol &c, &c, in the Kenton Circuit Court,

You will perceive the Jury are unanimous in recommending a pardon.

Several of them came to me the morning after the recording of the verdict, and deeply regretted having consented to the conviction

Poor old Mrs Clark his deeply
afflicted mother obtained the signatures to the petition in a few hours,

I advised her it would be unecessary to accumulate names. The signatures of a few respectable citizens in conjunction with those of the Jurymen who tried the unfortuate Boy, together with the evidence adduced in the trial would perhaps be all the Governor would regard in considereding the application for the pardon

I sent up this record to the Court of Appeals, who refused the appeal — The record is in the possession of Co^l Bolling, Please get it from him and hand it to the Governor with the petition, You will see by looking at the record that the Boy should
never have been convicted upon such evidence

You knew old Mrs Clark so does Mr Benton, She is a most excellent woman, She requests me to appeal, earnestly, to the hearts of you and Mr Benton, to urge her Sons pardon upon the Governor, as athe only means of saving him from infamy and as an act of Christian charity & benevolence to a poor broken hearted widow whose ~~bosom~~ boosum is torn and bleeding by many woes.

I recommend this matter to you and Mr Benton with all becoming urgency.

I am solemnly of the conviction that ~~his~~c the verdict should never have been rendered,

He solemnly protests to me that he is innocent and I believe in him.

Please visit the Governor in this regard immediately — Clark will be removed from this place for the Penitentiary on Friday next unless sooner pardoned —

There is barely time to save him — Please act at once and despatch me as to the result, at my expense

I need not multiply words with you — I write in haste for the evening mail.

Your Friend
W E Arthur

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