W. C. Grier to Beriah Magoffin

KYR-0001-020-0715.xml

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Accession Number

KYR-0001-020-0715

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

MG19-113 to MG19-114

Place of Creation

Olive Hill, Carter County, Kentucky

Date of Creation

20 September 1859

Dates Mentioned

1859-09-20

1859-09-27

1861-02-05

W. C. Grier to Beriah Magoffin, 20 September 1859, Office of the Governor, Beriah Magoffin: Governor's Official Correspondence File, Petitions for Pardons and Remissions, 1859-1862, MG19-113 to MG19-114, Kentucky Department for Libraries and Archives, Frankfort, KY. Accessed via the Civil War Governors of Kentucky Digital Documentary Edition, discovery.civilwargovernors.org/document/KYR-0001-020-0715, (accessed July 2, 2024).

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Olive Hill Carter Co Ky Sept 20/59
Beriah Magoffin Gov. of Ky

Dear Sir_ I address you this informal petition in behalf of some of my neighbors who have become ruinously involved by being Security for the appearance at Court of a young man, their connection, who has fled the country-

The facts are these_ Last spring one year ago William Henderson broke into my store and stole from there about fifty dollars in money. The evidence was very conclusive against him, and part of the the money was obtained from him. The young man is 16 or 17 years old, of previous good character, the only son of a widowed mother, She was of course nearly heart broken. The bond for his apperance was put at three hundred dollars. His mother was in possession of but very little property, but by tears and entreaties prevailed upon Harvey Henderson George W. Henderson Robert J. Henderson and John Bocook her brothers and brotherinlaw to go his security, they also bring of the opinion that older heads had planned the theft and the really guilty ones would be brought to light. The family are of the first in this country though dilapidated in wealth, yet politically and morally they are intimately connected with every movement in our county. The grandfather (now deceased) of the young man, with whom he and his mother lived after the death of her husband was an early pioneer of this country. He was nominated by the democracy as their candidate for the convention but which he declined, preferring to live a private life and labor for others as he had always before done. He has raised a numerous family of children of unimpeachable character, and with this one exception, nothing has ever occurred to tarnish the fair name of this family Now they are prostrated by this blow, from which no
executive clemency can rescure them, and should this bail bond be collected they will be completely ruined. It has been repleived and the bond has just expired. There is no money in the country, and five times the amount in property will not raise the money in this country. Here we think executive power could perform a noble and righteous act by saving a good and innocent family from total ruin- I am the only sufferer by the theft. These men offered ever facility in their power to ferret out the theif, and when it fell upon of their own family they were paralized with grief, but interposed no obstacle to justice. They have acted in every instance as became honorable highminded men.

A petition, numerously signed was presented to your predecessor by their attorney, which was unanswered, perhaps, by being so close to the end of his term he had not time to give it attention, or because it was gotten up by their attorney, he might have supposed it was one of the objects of his engagement, and the reasons were exaggerated, as lawyers sometimes do; but I regard the case as one of extreme necessity and that the power reposed in the executive could never be more righteously exercised, than in this instance, and I have unasked, as a last resort to save a worthy family, determined to address your Excellency, in hopes you may be prevailed upon to exercise that power, which becomes you so well, to save an unfortunate family from ruin. Should it please you so to do, the commencement of your administration will be characterised by one of the noblest acts of humanity. With feelings of the highest esteem and personal regard, I submit.

Respectfully &c
In haste
W. C. Grier

Address me at Olive Hill
Carter Co. Ky
Carter Circuit Court
$300 } Forfeited recognizance
H. Henderson
Geo. W. Henderson
Rob^t J. Henderson
Jno Bocook
Respt^d 12 mos
Issued Septe 27. 1859

Remission Iss^d
Feby 5. 1861

Respite 12 mo^s
B. Magoffin

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