John B. Perkins to Beriah Magoffin

Accession Number

KYR-0001-020-1164

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

MG20-321 to MG20-322

Date of Creation

13 June 1861

Dates Mentioned

1861-05

1861-06

1861-06-13

To his Excellency Beriah M^cGoffin Governor the Commonwealth of Kentucky, Your Petitioner John Bales Perkins, commonly known by the name of Bales Perkins, would most respectfully represent to your Excellency, that he is a poor young man, making an honest living by the cultivation of the soil- having a widowed mother and several small children, dependant on him for support- that he has in times past, occasionally gambled in a small way with some of his associates and companions, but he has some time since seen the folly of it, and entirely forsaken the practice- and never intends hereafter to indulge in a habit so pernicious to youth- Last summer your petitioner was engaged in a game of cards with two of his associates Franklin Black and Ja^s H. Morris but on that occasion had nothing at stake, and nothing on that occasion was either won or lost- but it so happened that at the Circuit Court thereafter shortly held in Green County, your petitioner was presented to the Grand Jury, and a true bill found against him- by what authority, or upon what testimony your petitioner knows not- In the month of May just past, Your petitioner was served with process requiring his attendance at this the present June term of the Green Circuit Court- and on the 4^th day of said term as your petitioner understood the officer- to say- Your petitioner attended punctually on the day, he understood himself to be summoned, together with witnesses, to show his inocence of the charge of Gaming made against him- but was greatly surprised to find, that a jury had been empanneled to assess the fine, and your petitioner not having appeared and plead, a fine of fifty dollars was assed against him, without the introduction of testimony on either side- Your petitioner being young and inexperienced, and without competent
advice, settled with the Commonwealths attorney, his costs or interest in the judgment- although he is now advised, that he could doubtless have obtained a new trial, had he made application in time- Now therefore relying on the clemency of your Excellency, may you be pleased to remit the fine aforesaid, or so much thereof as may appear unsatisfied- and as in duty bound your petitioner will ever pray &c —

John B Perkins

Jno. B Perkins personally appeared before me and made oath that the statements made above he believes to be true
June 13^th 1861 —

W^m. B Allen
Examiner for Green County

The undersigned concur in the above petition —

C, C, Morris
G. Close
Charles Bleving
John Bloyd
L. B. Stinnett
W B wooren
W C Thompson
T A Lewis
W^m Barnett
Wm S. Peace
C. T. Cox
S. T. Wilson
G T Spillman
M C Cox D S
Y O Booker
Thos C Edwards G [...]
Robert Marshall
Jno Moore
W L Barnett one of jury
S. A Spencer

John D Scott
W. N. Vaughan
J, C, Edwards
Jefferson Henry
F L. [Lidelbottom]
James A Friar
Joseph H Graham
E A Jones
W H, H, [Young]
P C Warren
Fields Skaggs Juror
Matthew Skaggs
E, H, Hobson
Henry Correr
J Altman
J N Reid
John C Skaggs
H B Skaggs
M A Vaughn one of the jury
D S. Caiter -- one jury

Tho^s R Barnett
F, T Murray

Govn^r M^cGoffin
Dear Sir —

I regard the foregoing as a meritorious case, and it would be but justice to grant the prayer of the petitioner. The petition was gotten up and signed in a few minutes by persons about the court house- all the jurors present signed it- the County Judge, the sheriff the Clerk, several Magistrates and other prominent citizens of our county — The young man lives in a remote part of the county, any communication sent to him, if addressed to me at this place will be attended to —

Respectfully &c
W^m. B Allen

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