Alice O. Smith to Beriah Magoffin

Accession Number

KYR-0001-020-0632

Document Genre

Correspondence

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

MG18-467 to MG18-470

Date of Creation

23 March 1861

Dates Mentioned

1861-03-23

Cherrie Grove,
March 23^rd 1861.
Honorable. B. M^cGoffin,
Dear Sir,

I hope you will not think me over bold in thus addressing you and I do most truely and sincearly beg, that you will lend me a willing and patient ear whilst I bring and lay before you the cause for which I come, I am not vain enough to think that I will influence your decisions, but still I hoped that perhaps I might say something which might tend towards convincing you, that my cause is not alltogether hopeless. There is now within the walls of your penitentiary a young man, sent there for man Slaughter, I come now before you to plead in his behalf, and Oh believe me, if I only knew what words, or form of words, would tend to help me in the cause I have advocated, I would hasten to
use them, and nothing would give one truer and deeper happiness, young Rufus Jones did wrong I know, but I believe, that the wrong was done in the heat of passion, and when he was under the influence of liquor, and urged on by others, themselves sober at the time, is he entirely to blame for this ^&^ is he the first man, young or old, whom is sometimes under the influence of thatenimy to man, Whisky, and does it not make the wisest of men fools, and cause then to err.. He is sent there for four years, he will never live to see the end if kept there, it will knill him just as surely as the thing is done, and is he the only one who is made to suffer by this sentence? is his heart the only one broken by this blow? by no means, allow me to point you to the aged Grandfather totering on the brink of the grave, his hair white with the frosts of many winters, ah think you that he is happy? the thought is sacrilage, his heart is bleading at every pose, and when he thinks of the
boy now far away, filling the criminals cell, the wounds open afresh, and think you this will not hasten this faltering footsteps to the grave? Oh I ask and beg you send this young man home, and make this one heart rejoice, and the dearest blessings of an old man are yours, How can I wish to be silent? How can I bid my pen in lieu of tongue, be stil? the thing is impossible when I see so many good and honest hearts are suffering, oh if I could only beg you to think and ponder on this, and remember "Blessed are the mercifull for they shall obtain mercy" I spent last Friday at his sisters house, the day was past into evening before any mention was made of her brother, when turning around in her seat, she pointed us to a little room the door of which was standing open, and said, "that was Rufus's room, that ^is^ his bed, his books and cloaths are all there, again in speaking of the death of her buggie horse, she said, the horses are all buisy but one, that belongs to Rufus, Oh we cant use
that, in showing his minature she sat, with lips and face as bloodless as snow, and the agony ^that^ was pictured on her countanance was hard to see, and I could not look without trying to help, and God Gran, therefore I will not refer to the case in point of law, but I will say that the whole difficultie was occasioned by one of the young men in the neighborhood slandering Jones, to a young ladie to whom he was engaged, is he to be blamed for resenting, this? I think not and I feel confidant that you can and will not in your heart blame him for this, this statement which I have made I know to be true I heard of the slander being promulgated before the difficultie occured & it was hard to stand, I know that young Jones did wrong whilst under the influence of passion, but when reason again acquired the ascendancy he was noble in his conduct —
did he not remain in Bowlinggreen several days without any confinement, or guards, true he was at the Jail but when he could have gone any minuite but that he would not do, sentance was pronounced on him and he prefered staying and meeting it honorably as a I man should, does not this deserve some reward and consideration, in make^ing^ up your mind? does not this seem worthy of haveing some weight in his favor? Honorable Governor, I could write much more, but I have already written untill with my feeble health my head is very painfull, my side no better, but once more before I stop, lett me beg and entreat you to grant this reprieve, think how happy would be his aged Grandfather if Mr Gossom could only bring him home the boy, the prop of his old ^age^ and then there is Mr Gossom himself the bearer of these letters, the uncle of the boy, for whose liberty I could plead with a tongue nothing
could withstand, if I only knew how, and how his heart would leap for you if his petition and prayers are only granted, and then the sister once more I will mention, think of her agony and suspence whilst Mr Gossom is gone, how will she watch and wait, day by day, who of us know the agony she will endure, hope will reign supream for awhile, oh let not her heart grow sick with waiting, let not the fond devoted Sister look in, vain, for I know that it will almost kill her. if the petitioners come home with blasted hopes, Oh Governor M^cGoffin I I entreat you let not this be done, if I thought that this action would be wrong, I would not urge you to comply but I know that every wright minded person will be, and is, for the reprieveal of young Jones.

As the night is already fast wearing into the small house. I will stop, leaving the cause for which I would plead in the hands of a kind and mercifull Governor, I know that my heart would dictate farther, but no more Allow me to send my resepcts to yourself & familly.

Your true friend & well wishes,

Alice. O. Smith,

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