His Excellency Governor Bramlette

At the February term 1862 of the Campbell Circuit Court. Philip Kennedy and Patrick White were tried and convicted of the crime of committing a rape on the person of Elizabeth Franklin and were sentenced to the penetentiary. They were convicted upon the sole testimony of the prosecution who as it afterwards appeared was a woman of bad repute. She had only resided in this community a short time previous to the commission of the crime for which they were convicted and we are of opinion that had her character been then known a different verdict might be rendered the young men being poor were not able to procure the services of able counsel and not being acquainted with the prosecution did not the know her character nor did the counsel who represented them. They could have proved an excellent character, which they offered to do but were refused by the Court, the opportunity of introducing testimony on that point the testimony of the prosecution was very contradictory in many important features. We are of opinion that the case of Kennedy is one that appeals to your clemency and that the punishment he has already received will if he is guilty be a warning to him for the future. We would therefore most Earnestly pray your

Excellency to exercise the pardoning power in his behalf and restore him to his family and his usefulness as a mechanic. We are informed that you have already pardoned White in which act we heartily concur.

William
W

I heard the trial and really think the boys have been more than sufficiently punished though I cant subscribe to a knowledge of all the statements in the above petition.

F, M, Webster
Attoy at Law
J, Hawthorn
W. F. Gosmey
J. Fillander
S. Geisler

I believe that the boys White and Kennedy have been sufficiently punished for their crime —

Oliver W. Root
County Atty
J M Caldwell