J. C. Prewitt to Unknown

KYR-0001-020-0873.xml

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Accession Number

KYR-0001-020-0873

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

MG19-376

Place of Creation

Paducah, McCracken County, Kentucky

Date of Creation

28 March 1861

Dates Mentioned

1861-03-28

J. C. Prewitt to Unknown, 28 March 1861, Office of the Governor, Beriah Magoffin: Governor's Official Correspondence File, Petitions for Pardons and Remissions, 1859-1862, MG19-376, Kentucky Department for Libraries and Archives, Frankfort, KY. Accessed via the Civil War Governors of Kentucky Digital Documentary Edition, discovery.civilwargovernors.org/document/KYR-0001-020-0873, (accessed December 8, 2024).

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Paducah Ky March 28^th 61
Dear Sir

You will please excuse the liberty I have taken in addressing you as I am prompted only by a desire to give you and through you his excellency Beriah M^cGoffin facts which I know to be true -- and what I believe also relative to the case of J H Powell a convict from this place. I never knew Powel until the day he was lodged ^in^ Jail, he & family came on that day & took boarding at my house, Mrs Powel has boarded ever since when here with us for some weeks past gratituously, and believing her to be one of the best women on earth, I feel it my duty (though unasked) to aid her if I can do so by stating what I know and also what I believe.

The jury were forced to find him guilty from the evidence -- It is almost unanimously believed here that he never stole before -- that he opened the carpet bag through mistake & finding the money could not withstand the temptation this we believe from the awkwardness of the Job for a sane man, he seemed to be in very bad health -- the Jailor informed me at one time that he thought Powel would not live one month -- another thing looked strange to me in Powel -- a prisoner broke all the doors open & all that wished went out Powel did not go I have talked with several of the Jurors, all seem to be exceedingly anxious for his pardon -- all say more than one year was not spoken of in the Jury room, and that they agreed to sign a petition before they brought in their verdict -- Now for what I merely believe I have thought for some time that the Jailor P C Smedley
was from some cause very much opposed to Powels release -- and was working against him from a remark he made to me, when I said Mrs had obtained about a hundred of the best citizens names to the petition and could get as many as she wished, he spoke as one knowing something and said the Governor would not pardon him if she had seven hundred I then believed & so expressed myself to Mrs Powel that there was something wrong -- because Smedley was one of the first at my house after the rendering of the verdict to comfort and console the woman of sorrow & her sweet little boy and whom every body here loves & pities, he Smedley then took charge of a petition to obtain the signatures of the Jury and others but utterly failed to do what he so solemnly promised and as far as we know never shewed it to a man and even refused to sign one himself his father however Judge Geo Smedley who first tried Powel did sign the petition. P C Smedley says some man said he saw a man some where in the penetintiary named Powel & thought this man looked like him but would not say it was he this however no one here paid any attention to nor believed P C Smedley is a man who is said to drink hard, & to this purpose his course may be attribtable I am sixty years old & never knew as much interest manifested as in this place for this good woman and little boy -- As to whether I am entitled to credit I refer to Judge ^Terry^ member in legislature from Todd where I lived 35 years -- Shaver from Muhlenberg -- Bowlinggreen Hon J R Underwood W V Loving A M Gram H H Grider Russelville G W Ewing -- M B Morton -- Elkton T M Bristow Ben T Perkins and every body else -- Hopkinsville all the bar & all others Cadiz Hon T C Dabney C D Bradley H C Burnet Madisonville & Greenville any body I presume Gov knew my brother Harvey Prewitt in Mercer --

J. C. Prewitt

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