To his Excellency
Thomas E Bramlette
Governor of Kentucky

The undersigned would respectfully represent that at the present (Aug) term of the Logan Circuit court one Thos Sears was indicted, arraigned, tried and convicted of the offence of Larceny and upon trial plead guilty and was sentenced to One Years, imprisonment in the Penitentiary. The prisenor is a young man of fine personal apperance, a Canadian by berth and been in the United States but a few months, Stopped in this county and obtained work as a day laborer was taken sick and had a difficulty with his employer claiming pay for service, remained to an extent disputed by his employer and who refused to pay the amount demanded — Whereupon said Sears left his employer taking with him a pair of pantaloons and a coat the property of his employer and of value little above four dollars he stopped in a few miles of his former employer and obtained work — the clothes being missed his former employer called on him & charged him with taking the clothes & demanded them — Whereupon he delivered the same giving as a reason for his possession of them the one stated above He is without means and a stranger and when arraigned for trial the court appointed him councell, who on asking him in consultation, as to his guilt — or innosence he said he was guilty as stated above & would not tell an untruth in Connection with the matter, to avoid

the Penitentiary and therefore plead guilty as we are informed — He seems very penitent and promises never to be guilty of such an offence again. We therefore petition your Excellency to interpose in his behalf and releive him from further imprisonment he has lain in jail some months already this restoration to liberty will restore ^to society^ a good citizen for the future — his further imprisonment will no doubt result in his ruin — We hope your Excellency will Grant our prayer —

Russellville
Ky
Aug 31^st. 1865.

The above names Marked 1 2 3 &c are the Jurors who served in The Case of The Commonwealth agst Tho. Bears.

By appointment of the Court I appeared for the prisoner Thomas Sears he plead ^guilty^ because he said he would not tell an untruth about the matter to escape the Penitentiary He is quite young and doubtless from his appearance and demeanor this is his first offence and I should be gratified to have him released from further confinement and punishment as he has been confined in jail since last April and I therefore join the prayer for his pardon

Russellville Septr 13th 1865
A, G, Rhea

We join in the prayer for The Pardon of Thomas Sears,

His friends will wait at Planters Hotel Louisville go by Temples for money will wait in L until [...]