John P. Harrison to Beriah Magoffin

KYR-0001-020-0764.xml

Metadata
Citation
Download

Accession Number

KYR-0001-020-0764

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

MG19-190 to MG19-191

Place of Creation

Covington, Kenton County, Kentucky

Date of Creation

14 March 1861

Dates Mentioned

1861-03-14

John P. Harrison to Beriah Magoffin, 14 March 1861, Office of the Governor, Beriah Magoffin: Governor's Official Correspondence File, Petitions for Pardons and Remissions, 1859-1862, MG19-190 to MG19-191, Kentucky Department for Libraries and Archives, Frankfort, KY. Accessed via the Civil War Governors of Kentucky Digital Documentary Edition, discovery.civilwargovernors.org/document/KYR-0001-020-0764, (accessed December 22, 2024).

Download XML

Covington, Ky. March 14. 1861
The Honorable B Magoffin
Governor of Kentucky:
Dear Sir:

I was a Commonwealth's Witness in the Prosecution of Joseph Temple for False Swearing and am cognizant of all the facts that led to the indictment. The false swearing set forth in the Indictment took place in the Kenton Quarterly Court in a suit of MacGregor vs Temple in which I was Attorney for the Plaintiff.

I have no particular acquaintance with Temple outside of the Prosecution above attended to, but am led to believe by personal
enquiry and from the testimony during the Prosecution that he has long stood high in the estimation of his friends who are quite numerous. He is an old man, of Very respectable family, and is now in infirm health. He went into his trial under disadvantages, two of the attorneys whom he had employed being sick and absent at the time. -- Colonel Fisk defended him in connection with Mr Summerwell upon very short notice.

I am led to believe -- it is my honest conviction. that confinement in the Penitentiary would be an exceedingly severe punishment in this case, and
I do not think it can be enforced with safety to the life of the prisoner. Mr Temple has already suffered greatly.

Executive clemency should be cautiously used, and always with an eye to the public wellfare. I allude to this to show that I do not address this letter out of idle sympathy, but after due reflection. I am satisfied that a pardon for Mr Temple would meet with universal approval and would have no ill effect in the City of Covington or in this County.

I have no interest in this matter except that of one citizen in another cit-
-izen's behalf: in fact as Attorney for McGregor, my leaning in ordinary cases would be the other way, as it would be in this case, were it not outweighted by better & higher considerations.

I hearily Join in any Petition for his pardon, and conclude with the expression of an earnest desire that it may be granted. With Great Respect. Yours Truly

John. P. Harrison

Early Access is a work in progress. Help us improve our edition by suggesting a correction for this document.

Suggest a correction