Covington
July 1, 1865
His Excellency
Tho. E. Bramlette
Dear Sir,

I am solicited by Mr. Thos. Nolan of this place — a man of honest and exemplary character from all that I Know and have heard of him — to unite in the application to your Excellency, now pending, for a pardon to Patrick James Nolan, son of the said Thomas.

The son I do not remember that I have ever been acquainted with. My sympathies are deeply enlisted in behalf of the father. He is nearly blind,

and in straitened circumstances; but in addition to his pure and fair character, a man as deeply versed in classical and other learning as any one it has been my fortune to meet with lately. The son did not get any faults, I think, by inheritance.

Mr. Thos. Nolan stated to me that Hon. John F. Fisk had prepared the petition in this case; and also the affidavits of Marshal Clinton Butts and A. H. Herod, lately a member of the H. R.; — the affidavits to show that the statement that young Timberlake, (who was pardoned, and is now, I believe in this city,) had been seduced and misled by Nolan, was entirely gratuitous and groundless. These affidavits

proved the truth; for certainly there was more seduction practiced by Timberlake than by Nolan.

Timberlake, to my Knowledge, and it is notorious also throughout this city, was indicted, several years ago, by the Grand Jury of Kenton Co., for an offense of the same character as that afterwards committed at Louisville. I trust this young man's experiences that conviction and punishment almost inevitably follow crime, may reform him altogether; but it was unjust and unfair to Extenuate his offense by preferring a false charge against Nolan.

In truth it was Timberlake who led Nolan (and not Nolan Timberlake) into temptation.

Nolan is, I think, also the younger of the two; being 20 on July 21, 1865.

His father narrated to me facts and circumstances touching the connection of a young lady with this case, which I deemed it necessary to prepare and submit in the form of the accompanying affidavit. It is a delicate matter; but the whole truth of this case should be told. Miss T. was evidently what is called a "fast" girl; and although I believe there was no great criminality, still there was enough to get Nolan into an evil scrape.

Timberlake leaving been pardoned — and I believe now doing well — I trust Your Excellency may deem it not incompatible with a sense of duty to remit the sentence of Nolan; believing, from what I have heard of him, he would not err again.

Very respectfully.
R. Richardson