John H. Groom, Jr. to Beriah Magoffin

Accession Number

KYR-0001-020-0510

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

MG18-291 to MG18-292

Place of Creation

Clinton County, Kentucky

Date of Creation

21 January 1861

Dates Mentioned

1860-06

1861-01-21

1861-01-30

To his Excellency Honorable Beriah Magoffin Governor of Kentucky:

Your petitioner John Groom Jr respectfully represents that at the June Term 1860 of the Clinton Circuit court, he was indicted for taking and carrying away a horse not his own and at the same term of said court he was tried and found guilty and fined one hundred dollars. He further represents that, at the Same term, he filed grounds for a new trial, and to Sustain his motion he filed (among others) an affidavit of John J Denton (the main witness in the case for the Commonwealth) stating that he (Denton) had not been sworn before testifying — Said motion for a new trial was continued till the next term of the court at which time, the motion was overruled — But the Commonwealth,s Attorney agreed to have the judgment set aside if your petitioner would confess judgment for fifty dollars, and in order to make his fine as small as possible he did confess judgment for that amount.

Your petitioner would respectfully represent that he did not take or have anything to do with the horse, and that it was said Denton who took and rode the horse instead of your petitioner, and that he (petitioner) never touched the horse unless it was to place the bridle over the horses head when turned loose by Denton — The fault of your petitioner was that he was young and inexperienced and caught in bad company, and got in a spree one night with Denton who rode the horse and turned it loose in the morning
He thinks he ought not to be fined for other peoples faults, he therefore petitions your Excellency to remit said fine — Besides being young and poor and desirous of having a good name and becoming a useful member of society, he does not want to be cut down in his youth and before he arrives to the age of manhood —

Very respectfully and humbly Submitted

John H. Groom Jr

Sworn to before me by John H. Groom this 21^st day of January 1861

W^m Nann P J. C. C. C
To the Govenor of Kentucky:

Your petitioners would respectfully State to your Excellency that your petitioner John Groom jr is a boy of very good intellect and capable of becoming a useful member of society and that we believe him entitled to full credit on oath — Neither he nor Denton do we Suppose intended to injure the property of any man further than they wanted fun and the horse was rode by some person (one of them) We would be glad if you could if you feel it in your power and duty to remit the fine against said Groom, believing that the cost in the case will be a Sufficient chastisement —

W^m Vonn
C P Gray
J J Wood
G. W. Braswell
J W Gwinn
J. M. Harper
M S Wheeler
E V Trammell
J M Elder
Clinton
Cir. Ct
$100 } Misdemeanor
John Groom
Remission Iss^d
Jany 30. 1861

Remitted
B. M

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