To his Excellency Thomas E. Bramlette Gov. of Ky.

Your petitioner JamesSchofield Wm Benson, would respectfully represent, that at the October term of the criminal court for Jefferson county Ky. he was Sentenced to the State Penitentiary for a term of 4 years, he haveing plead guilty to a charge of Stealing Some money from a man by the name of Weaver.

He Says that although he put in a plea of guilty, that he was not guilty, and that he never did take the money. He Says the reasons he put in a plea of guilty were were these: viz: that he had been confined in the Jail of Jefferson county for 4 or 5 months, unable to give bail; and when the trial come on he was unable to get his witnesses there; Some of whom were out of the State; and others at Munfordsville in the employ of the Government as teamsters and laborers; and he was unable to State that he could procure their attendance by the next term of the court; and even if he could have got a continuance he would have Still been compelled to lay in Jail til the next term; and having no hope of procuring his witnesses even then; and having Seen Some cases tried where the

the parties plead guilty and threw themselves upon the mercy of ^the^ Jury get off with only one year, and others, the Same Sort of case, & Sometimes in the Same Indictment, where they plead not guilty, were Sent for 3, 4, and 5 years; I was induced, in the hope of getting ^off^ with one year, and the fear of being Sent the full extent of the law, 5 years, to plead guilty to the charge. I was also induced by the dread of lying in Jail, to plead guilty, thinking that I had rather go and Serve one year in the penetentiary, ^than to wait in Jail 4 or 5 months,^ and then probably be in no better condition as to my witnesses than then. So I plead guilty and got 3 years more than I bargained for.

I am a citizen of Hamilton county Ohio; and have a kindhearted and excellent mother who is a widow; and very poor but highly respectable. My character at home is good, as you will See by the accompany letters. I appeal to my God who is my Judge that I am Suffering innocently. In view therefore of all these considerations, I do most earnestly pray that your Excellency will intervene your Executive clemency and release me from this Prison.

Respectfully. Wm Benson

He says that when arrested he gave the name of Wm Schofield, and was convicted under that name; but his name is Benson

Wm Benson

We the undersigned residents, and citizens of Louisville Ky, believing that there is merit in this case; and that it is one in which the pardoning Power would be properly exercised would recommend the Said James Wm Schofield to the clemency of the Governor; and respectfully pray that he pardon him

W H Thomas
J. Shaw
E A Parsons
J C Baird, policeman
J. D. Seaton
H C Russell
F G Dannecker
L. A. Wood.
M. E. Burkhart
James Harris

Jefferson Cir Ct
vs
W^m Schofield
21^st March/65
Pardon granted

[...][...] Ct. 11 & 12
James [Confectionary]
M