To His Excellency. Thos. E. Bramlett
Gov. of Kentucky

At the last March term of the Webster Circuit Court J. C. Stevens and Harrison Edmunson were both Indicted in the Webster Circuit Court for robing A. B. Wallace. and B. P. Wallace in August 1865

Now we the undersigned citizens of the county of Webster and Union Counties without regard to party or Polatics, have learned with regret, that an application has been made to your Excelleny for their pardon, signed by sundry citizens of Crittenden and other counties. We don't know what special grounds they rely upon for clemency. We would therefore represent to your Excellency. That J. C. Stevens was a Union soldier during a portion of the war and that Edmundson was a Rebel soldier or Guerrilla- Neither were soldiers at the time of the alleged robery. That both of the Wallaces wree southern men in their feelings. They would state that A. B. & B. P. Wallace were not the only men robbed in Webster County but that not less than twelve ^Twenty^ persons were robbed during the sumer and fall of 1865 without regard to party, and that in the night time and by parties who were often in disguise. These roberies were so prevalent that no man felt safe and in fact none were safe. We would therefore beg of your Excellency to with hold or reserve the proposed Pardon (If your Excellency is disposed to grant it) till a jury passes on the merits of their several cases. They may be acquitted by a jury, if so no pardon will be needed. If they

are found guilty then your Ecellency can pardon them if you deem it just to do so. We fear that a pardon at so early a state of Prosecution would rather embolden other men, by creating the belief that it is an easy thing to procur a pardon Wheras if they are convicted and then pardoned it causes them to feel as if they had made a narrow escape, and will have a better effect on the parties pardoned, as well as other evil doers.

After they shall have been convicted if they should be- your Excellency will have learned more about the merits of the case and will in all probabilty be better advised in the premise than at Present.

From Union and Webster Countys