State of Kentucky Barren County
To his Excellency the Governor of Kentucky.

Your petitioners William H. Atwell, John Williams, Franklin Williams, J. W. Strader, and Davis David, citizens of said County of Barren respectfully represent unto your Excellency, that on the [...] day of September in 1856, Thomas Scaggs was held to bail in the sum of Five hundred Dollars by H Petty & P I. Snider justices of the Peace for said county upon the charge of being guilty of ^the murder^ Green B. Forbes as citizen of Green County, and your petitioners became his securities in said bail bond, an attested copy of which is here with filed.

They state that said Scaggs without their consent knowledge, or approbation a few weeks after the Execution of said bond privately absconded from the State as they are informed & believe and failed to appear at the last October term of the Circuit Court for said County & upon motion of the attorney for the commonwealth said bond was by an order of said Court forfeited & summonses were ordered against said Scaggs, & your petitioners to show cause why judgment should not be ordered against them on account of said forfeiture.

They state that they have no good and legal defence or cause to show, why judgment should not be rendered against them for $500 by said Court. But they feel convinced that their case is of such a character

as to justify the interposition of Executive Clemency to save there and then & their family from the [...][...], & ruinous penalty of said bond.

1st They state, that they Entered no bail for said Scaggs believing from the Evidence which they heard on his Examining trial that he had reasonable cause to believe, & did believe at the time he shot & killed said Forbes, that was neccessary to do so, to save his own life, and that he would in good faith comply with said bond by appearing in said Circuit Court & [...] himself amenable to the orders and process thereof. They file herewith a statement of the proof before said Examing Court certified by said Justices marked Proof & also on attested copy of the order of said Circuit Court forfeiting.

2^d They further state they have not nor have any or either of them, advised, conducted or in anyway approbated the absconding of said Scaggs, nor do they or Either of them know where he is or might be found, and they verily believe that should he return and stand his trial that he would be acquitted

3^d They state that they are all poor men with wives, & children dependent on them for a support Except your petitioner Strader who has no family of his own, but he has two widowed sisters with little children who are poor and need all the assistance he can send for a support and that should then be compelled to pay the penalty of said bond

it would be destressing and ruinous to themselves & their families.

Wherefore the promises considered, they pray. Your Excellency to remit the penalty of said bond, Except that portion to which the Commonwealth's attorney may be Entitled or is release them therefrom, & for all other proper relief

Very Respectfully
Your fellow citizens
John W Straden
Franklin Williams
John ^his x mark^ Williams
Lewis Davis ^his xmark^
William M Atwill

We the undersigned citizens of Barren County unite in the prayer of the foregoing petition believing the case of the petitioners deserves the interposition of Executive clemency.

We unite in the prayer of the Petition
Travis Cockrill clk Barren Co court
W. F. Evans
D B Curd Sheriff of Barren County
J R Barick PM Glasgow Ky
Tho J Helm
T H M Winn
William Depp
Thomas Jones
Carey A. Snoddy
Jos St Lewis
J W Trabue
J W Gorin Cty atty.
J P Garnett
Geo Cake
James M Reynolds
Samuel C Carbison
H. P. Gunn
D. M Ashby

Jno. W. Strader Jr
} Petition