Rufus K. Williams to James F. Robinson

Accession Number

KYR-0001-029-0313

Document Genre

Petition

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

R4-12 to R4-13

Place of Creation

Frankfort, Franklin County, Kentucky

Date of Creation

23 April 1863

Dates Mentioned

1863-04-23

1863-04-25

1863-04-28

To His Excellency Govenor Jas F Robinson,

The undersigned will state that he presided over the Graves Circuit Court at the term that George M^cDougal was convicted of Manslaughter and sentenced to four years confinement in the Penetantiary of this state,

That whilst he will not at this remote period attempt to detail the evidence he will say he recollects distinctly that Stone the decedent was killed in a rather general seat at the town of Dukedome on the Tennessee State line in Graves County, that quite a large and drinking crowd had that day assembled, that there was some controversy of evidence wether McDougal or some one else done the shooting that killed Stone, Stone was shot with a pistal and the undersigned then thought the preponderance of the testimony was that McDougall fired the shot but whether he did or not it was done by the crowd he was with and who had raised the riot
As to the conviction he thought and still thinks it was right

But George M^cDougal is a young man he has served out his time wanting about three months, his mother is an old lady of respectability, She impoverished herself in the defence of her son, she lives where labor is scarce and high and ^and she unable to hire^ the country considerably Exhausted by this war now dessolating the [...], it is of the first importance to her that she makes a crop the present year she has no son living with her but a lad of some 12 years of age ^has no one else to work on the farm,^ She resides near to the Kentucky State line in Weakley County Tennessee

This is respectfully urged as a proper case for Executive clemency for the small remnant of time that George has yet to serve as it will then be too late to aid his mother in making a crop the present year

Respectfully
R, K, Williams
Frankfort Ky
April 23 1863

I am of opinion that the Commonwealth, under all the Circumstances of this case as detailed in Judge Williams statement and by others, can afford to give this man the little remnant of his time for the benefit of his Old Mother

His Pardon granted 25 April 1863
J F Robinson

Graves Cir. Ct
Geo M M^cDougal
4 yrs. Penty
Manslaughter
Pardon Iss^d
April 28. 1863

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