Governor Bramlette

Your petitioner, James R. Hewlett, would respectfully state to your Excellency, that on the [...] day of October 1865 Mrs Mary Daniel was arrested in Caldwell County and State of Kentucky, charged with having stolen a mule belong to N. N. Rice, a citizen of the County and State aforesaid, and brought before W S. Talbott, Town Marshall Police Judge of Princeton, in the County and State aforesaid, who at once proceeded to examine the charge and the following facts were elicited:

That Rice's mule was stold one night from his lot, that the next morning there ^were^ tracks made apparently by a man in said lot, the mule was traced from there to near the prisoner's house, a distance of some 5 miles, that the next day the prisoner exchanged the mule for a bay ^horse^ and rec'd five dollars in addition and the bay horse was found in the possession of the prisoner, when she was arrested.

The prisoner stated from whom she got mule, that party was arrested, confessed his guilt and was committed to Jail. On the part of the defence Mrs Corly stated that she was the mother of the

Prisoner, that in November 1864 she, the prisoner who was then a widow and a son was driven from Dixon County in the State of Tennesse by the Guerillas on account of adhesion to the Union, that at Smithland Ky. the prisoner married Robert Daniel, that he and her son joined the 17 Ky. Reg., that she and her daughter moved to this County the Winter before, that her daghter had two children, one 3 years of age and the other four months old, that she and the prisoner resided in the ^same^ house, that the prisoner had provided the family with food and cloathing, that she and Daniel did not get along togeather well, that he brought the said mule to her house and commanded the prisoner to take the mule and dispose of it, that he was fifty odd years of age and was then sick, that the prisoner then had a severe chill, that the little infant at the breast of the prisoner was sick, that the child at home was also sick and that they had no food or wood at home.

Your petitioner would state that, although he had never before heard of the prisoner he defended her before said Court because of the pitiable condition of the prisoner.

her two children and her mother. Never was Iso will satisfied with any effort of mine, thoes who were having her prosecuted were not so well pleased. One of the main causes of her being prosecuted was that the prisoner's sympathies were for the Union.

The Court required of the prisoner a bond of One Hundred Dollars for her apperance at the next Circuit Court. She had no friends and it was apparent that she and her child must be sent to Jail that cold day or I must go her security. I do not hesitate one moment as to the action I should take — I became her surity.

In a few days she went to Tennessee without my knowledge or permission. She had started some 6 hours before I learned it, I at once started — night as it was — and went to Cadiz arriging there the same night. The next day I went on to or near the State line and not hearing from her since the night before I abandon^ed^ further pursuit.

At the present Term of our Court that bond has been taken forefeited and summons awarded against me. It would be needless for me to site Authority to show that you have the power to remitt said forfeiture. Should you have, see 14 B. Monroe page 392 and 18 B. Monroe page 513.

Had I as much money as is imperatively

demanded of me, legally and morally, I sould have taken pleasure in paying the forfeiture, for I have an approving conscience and think I did right under the circumstances I feel confident you will do what you think is right and I will be satisfied.

I am your friend James R Hewlett

Governor Bramlett

I have carefully read the above petition of M^r James R Hewlett, addressed to your excellency and beg leave to state that the Mary Daniel was brought before me and I investigated the facts of the charge to which Hewlett alludes and that his statements are true,

willremittthefor I hope and trust you will remitt the forfeiture, He needs all the money he can command, Mr Hewlett, by endorsing the reconizance Bond ^of this lady^ was govenorded by the noble impuse of our nature, this woman was poor and destitute, has two children the youngest at her breast, and but for the Kindness of Mr Hewlett, this woman and infant child would have been committed Jail, I think the act of Mr Hewlett in Keeping this unfortunate woman and her infant child out of Jail, was a noble and generous act, and I should much regret indeed if he shall have the bond to pay, I do therefore earnestly hope if compateable with the faithful discharge of your official duty, you will remit the fine, Mr Hewlett is a young gentleman of high respectability and a very promising young lawyer, but his circumstances are quite limited, alsothough the penality of the

the bond is a small amount, yet because of his limited means, the payment of the bond to him would be oppressive, whilst I am decidedly opposed to indiscriminate Executive clemency; Yet there does arise cases, in which executive interposition is fully justifiable, And I religiously and concientious believe that the appeal of Mr Hewlett to ^your^ excellency in his petition is one of those cases. I now submit the subject to your wise discreet and benevolent decision, having the utmost confidence you will do wright in the premises, please accept assurances of my very high and tender regards

W. S. Talbott, Police Judge of the Town of Princeton

Caldwell Cir Ct
vs
Jas R Hewlett
$100,
Forfeiture
Princeton Ky
2^d Dec/65

Remit the forfeiture
T. E. B