To his Excellency Thos: E Bramlette Govenor of the Commonwealth of Kentucky —

Your petitioners William Owens and George Ashlock humbly complaining, respectfully represent unto your Excellency that the February term of the Franklin Circuit court — 1865. that they were by the Grand Jury in and for said county, indicted in six several indictments each, for setting up, exhibiting and keeping severally, a faro table and bank — on six different occasions each.

Your petitioners say, that they are not guilty as charged in any of said indictments, They admit that they jointly "exhibited the continuance used in betting" and played one game, and say that this offense has been, as they verily believe unjustly, if not unlawfully split into twelve parts: — Each part being, as they are informed, of a size weight heniousness and oppressiveness equal to that of the one offense out of which these twelve were founded: Wherefore believing that the object spirit and interest of the Law, has not only been perverted but acturally violated in the finding of the aforesaid indictments and that in permitting

them to be matured into judgments, that an evil would accrue to the public (viz the gorging of the already too plethoric pockets of a Commonwealth's Atty) far greater than those intended to be remedied by the statues against Gaming: even leaving out of view the very great hardship to your petitioners in case of convictions; They confidently appeal to your executive clemency to relieve them from further prosecutions from the burthen of a defense; well knowing that your Excellency has always, under all circumstances, been prompt to interpose whatever of executive power has been conceded you by our constitution to shield the citizen from injustice and oppression come from what quarter they might; — and humbly pray that your excellency will before judgment, pardon the offenses charged in said indictments and let them go "Scott" free, as they are illy able to bear severally or jointly the oppressive weight of $1800,⁰⁰/100 in Commonwealth's Atty's fees, to say nothing of their utter inability to sustain the crushing force of the full sum of $6000.⁰⁰/100 in fines, super added to the costs of their defense.

William Owens
George Ashlock

We whose names are here unto subscribed join in the prayer of the petitions and recommend that their offense be pardoned and since under the circumstances, we deem their case one meet for executive interference.

Franklin Cir Ct
vs
W^m Owens & Geo. Ashlock
Dealing Faro
&
Offence Pardoned
15^th Mch/65