To His Excellency
Thos. E. Bramlette
Govenor of Kentucky

Your Petitioners R. F. Baird & J. H. Price would respectfully state, that they defended Adam Stephan in the city of court of Louisville in the month of October 1864 on a charge of Grand Larceny. Stephan was held in the sum of five hundred dollars $500 — to answer in the Jefferson Circuit Court. When court met he attended regually & was present when the Indictments were reported. No cases were set that day, & he left the court room with instruction to report at 9 Oclock next morning & have his cases set. After Court adjourned, the Attorney for the Commonwealth Martin Bijur Esqr. who acted during the term by appointment of the Court, ordered a bench warrant for Stephan & he was arrested in the night time & presented to Court next morning and

& required to find security in the sum of $5000 —. Your petitioners offered a German citizen as bail, but the Court refused to accept him: we then offered our selves as bail & was received.

We will offer the following reasons for going upon his bond. His case was fully investigated in the Examining Court & his bail was fixed at $500 —. He attended Court regually every day & gave evidence that he would stand his trial; and the bail beeing increased to $5000 — ten times the amount of the origonal bond. A bail never before required of any citizen upon such a charge, & he beeing a German, we went to his relief because we thought the court was too severe upon our Client. Stephan did not appear & judgment was rendered against us in the Jefferson circuit Court at the May term 1865 for $5000 —, we took an appeal & the Judgment of the circuit court was affirmed. We are inclined to the belief

that the bench warrant & the subsequent arrest, & the enormous increase of bail so terrified Stephan, he beeing an ignorant German, that he was scared away.

At the time we entered into the recognizance we had in our possession five notes of $1000 — each, executed to Stephan by W^m Enissman. Stephan left the commonwealth without assigning the notes to us, & Enissman the maker of the notes beeing a sutler in the army in Tennessee, & the law requiring notice to be given to Enissman the maker of the notes; we were very much alarmed for fear that we would loose the entire amount of $5000 — We have settled the entire business, & find that we have lost a fraction over one half; & have now less than $2500 — to pay the debt & cost which amounts to the sum of $5235 — 42.

We ask your Excellency to remit that part coming to the state for the following reasons. The commonwealth's attorney has commissions amounting to $2000.

We were not indemnified in a larger sum than we will have to pay. if the amount coming to the commonwealth is remitted. When this amount is paid it will amount to more than any sum ever required as a bond in the Jefferson Circuit court in a case of Grand Larceny. Lastly we are not able to pay the full amount with out feeling great distress. The commissions & costs will be hard enough on us.

We again ask your Excellency to remit the amount coming to the commonwealth & we will ever pray &c

very Respectfully
Baird & Price

Jefferson Cir Ct
vs
R F, Baird &
J H Price
Forfeiture
28 June/65

Remit
$2600 of
the Judgt —