John De Parris to James F. Robinson

KYR-0001-029-0205.xml

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Accession Number

KYR-0001-029-0205

Document Genre

Correspondence

Repository

Kentucky Department for Libraries and Archives

Collection

Office of the Governor, James F. Robinson: Governor's Official Correspondence File, Petitions for Pardons, Remissions, and Respites, 1862-1863

Item Location

R3-310 to R3-311

Place of Creation

Frankfort, Franklin County, Kentucky

Date of Creation

16 February 1863

Dates Mentioned

1863-02-16

1855-10

1856-07

1856-11-07

John De Parris to James F. Robinson, 16 February 1863, Office of the Governor, James F. Robinson: Governor's Official Correspondence File, Petitions for Pardons, Remissions, and Respites, 1862-1863, R3-310 to R3-311, Kentucky Department for Libraries and Archives, Frankfort, KY. Accessed via the Civil War Governors of Kentucky Digital Documentary Edition, discovery.civilwargovernors.org/document/KYR-0001-029-0205, (accessed November 21, 2024).

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Frankfort February 16 1863,
To His Excellency Governor Robinson
Dear Sir

As I am a prisoner and as I have been so unfortunate as to be sentenced to confinement in the State Prison for life. I ask you in the name of Mercy. Justice. and Humanity to examine the records of my case and see if you think according to the Evidence that I am Justly imprisoned, I have been told by learned counsel that my sentence was not Just. but being a stranger here without friends or money I have never had an opportunity of having my trial examined having heard that your Excellency was well versed in the laws I concluded that my best course to pursue would be to give you a true statement of my condition and trial, and as I have a wife and two helpless children that look to me for support I hope that as your Excellency is a man of family you will have compassion on me,

I was arrested in Lexington October 1855 On the charge of Larceny, the goods that were said to be stolen were found in my possession and the claimant swore that it was his property, there was no evidence but his and no marks by which the goods could be identified, the goods were never brought into Court during my trial to be identified and I do not believe if I had had a fair and impartial trial I would ever have been convicted, as it was I was tried at the July term of Court in 1856, and convicted the Prosecuting Attorney informed the Jury that the penalty was confinement in
the State Prison from One to Five Years, and that one year would satisfy the Law Or that five years would satisfy the Law, but they had the records of a man that was convicted in Louisville by my name, and a man in the court room swore that he had seen me in Prison but whether a convict or not he could not say. The Jury brought in a verdict against me for Four Years, when the Judge asked them if they believed I was the same man that had been in prison before, the Jury answered in the affirmative. the Judge told the clerk to set that down. I was then returned to Jail where I succeeded in making my escape in the act I injured my ankle, I was not arrested again until after court had adjourned, when I was again arrested I was kept until the 7^th day of November 1856 when I was again called into court. I was then told by my Counsel that the Jury had given the Court power of Judgement in my case, When the Judge asked me if I had anything to say why sentence should not be pronounced against me according to Law, after I had made a few remarks. the Judge proceeded to Sentence me to the State Prison for life instead of 4 years as the Jury had said. I understood that my trial was for Larceny and not for having been in prison before. it is therefore that I appeal to Your Excellency to have mercy on me,

For any Statements I have made in this appeal I would respectfully refer you to the Hon Mr Bush the Senator from Clark county he was the examining Magistrate before whom I was tried, also the Hon J. B. Huston Representative from the same County. he was my Counsel,

John. De Parris

Jno. De Parris
Pett for Pardon

No good grounds

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