His excellency Thos E Bramlett Governor of Ky

Your petitioners would respectfully represent to your excellency that the Several persons indicted for a breach of the peace embraced in the indictment of which we Send a certified copy accompaying this petition Towit Isaac Read William Read George Read B. B. Read W^m F Trigg George W Spencer Jr George H. Nickolls Reuben Reynolds George Dearing Thomas Helm Benjamin Fansler Ed Evans P Forrester Rufus Defevers Benjamin Tracy John Neace & Williams Jackman were engaged in a melee on the day of the last august election under high political excitement Some of the combatants hallowing for Hobson and Some for Duval and a number of them being fresh from the army confederate and federal Some twenty or thirty pistol shots were fired and several guns and great excitement prevailed and citizens lives were much endangered from the firing

Now your petitioners would most humbly and earnestly ask your excellency to pardon each of the defendants as a matter of policy to avoid an array of the parties against each other upon the day of trial at the ensuing march term of our cir

cuit court for we earnestly believe that there would be great danger of reenacting the Scene and a renewal of the fight of the parties are brought to trial arrayed as they will be against each other in feelings of Sentiment and Spirit of revenge for the past. We believe that the circumstances Surrendering this case are Such that good policy and reason require executive interposition and hope that the Governer of Kentucky in the discharge of the high and responsible duties of his office will exercise it

Frank. B. Hazleton
J. R. Waiter
G. T. Dewey

Barren Cir. Ct
Commonwealth
vs
Reed &c.