To his Excellency Thos E Bramlette Governor of the Commonwealth of Kentucky.

Your petitioner Simon Hopper, states that he was find in the Lexington city Court sixty dollars upon a charge of keeping a tippling House. on the 19^th day of November 1863.

Your petitioner states that the charge was only sustained by one witness viz Nicholas Morgan, who was known to be a personal enemy of this petitioner, That the sentince is a hard one upon your petitioner, who is and has been a good and law abiding citizens of Lexington for 40 — years. That it is hard upon your petitioner because he is a poor man & has a large family to support, Wherefore he prays your Excellency to remit said fine of $60 —, or suppend it during good behavior —

Simon Hopper

The undersigned citizens and neighbors of Simon Hopper unite in the prayer of the petition to remit said fine of $60- as in justice to him and his family.

Simon Hopper, in addition to the statements as set forth in his petition here to attached, says, that he is not an was not at the time of his conviction guilty of the charge of keeping a tippling house, never having sold liquor to any one, nor kept liquor for sale. The only witness against him on the trial, and by whose testimony alone he was convicted, was Nicholas Morgan, who for some time prior to, and at the time of the trial was a personal enemy of affiant. The ill will of said Morgan arose the fact that affiant had refused to let said Morgan have liquor, and some time before had been a witness in a small case on warrant against Morgan — After this testimony in at the trial of Mr Morgan made his threats that he would make affiant pay for his account, which upon affaints testimony he had failed to get judgment for Morgan testified in substance that affiant [...] liquor to slaves and to Robt Hukell [...]Vance, when in truth he had not sold liquor either to slaves or to any other person. Knowing his innocence of the charge, he did not make such throrough preparation as he would have done had he Known what reckless statements would have been made by said witness. Being supprised by the statements of said witness, he applied for a new trial, but not having brought his case within{Revenue Stamp}[...]

the technical rules of practice, the court refused his application-

The signatures to his petition are the genuine signatures of his neigbors and eight of the jurors who tried him They are all reputable citizens of Lexington. and cheerfully signed his petition. He says that the statements of the petition here attached, as well as the statements here made are true- His conviction, he is satisfied, isresulted from the want of proper care in making his defense upon the trial — resulting from a consciousness of innocence, But this apparent carelessness having placed him and his case in an attitude where he cannot get a new trial, he is compelled to ask a remission of the fine. As an evidence of the manner in which Morgan attempted to entrap affiant, Morgan tried to induce ^one^ Vance to come to my store to buy liquor, and when he and Morgan came, affiant refused to sell or let them have liquor, as had been his custom in all cases. Affiant has not only never sold liquor himself but given positive orders to those in his employ not to sell any liquor to any person — He never kept liquor for sale —

Simon Hopper

Franklin County Sct

Sworn to in due form before me a Justice of the peace for said County this 25^th day of Novr 1863

Geo W Gwin J.P.

Petition of
Simon Hopper

Remit all except fees & costs
Nov 25^th 1863

Tho. E. Bramlette