Petition

Jabel Smith et al. to Beriah Magoffin

1860-11-21

Date of Creation
November 21, 1860
Place of Creation
Clay County, Kentucky
Document Genre
Petition
Repository
Kentucky Department for Libraries and Archives
Collection
Office of the Governor, Beriah Magoffin: Governor's Official Correspondence File, Petitions for Pardons and Remissions, 1859-1862
Box / Folder
MG17-164 to MG17-165
CWGK Accession Number
KYR-0001-020-0209
Rights
This image and its transcription are freely available to the public. Images appear courtesy of Kentucky Department for Libraries and Archives. Transcriptions and annotations were created by Kentucky Historical Society staff, volunteers, and interns. When referencing this document, please use our preferred citation.; The use of transcriptions, images, or annotations from this collection beyond the exceptions provided for in the Fair Use and Educational Use clauses of the U.S. Copyright Law may violate federal law. Permission to publish or reproduce any material on CWGK is required.
FTP Identifier
32208619

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Dates
--11
1860-11-21
1860-12-01
1860-11-21
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Citation

Jabel Smith et al. to Beriah Magoffin, 1860-11-21, Office of the Governor, Beriah Magoffin: Governor's Official Correspondence File, Petitions for Pardons and Remissions, 1859-1862, Kentucky Department for Libraries and Archives. Accessed via the Civil War Governors of Kentucky Digital Documentary Edition, https://discovery.civilwargovernors.org/document/KYR-0001-020-0209 (November 14, 2026).

[Page 1]

To His Excellency Beriah Magoffin Govr. of the Commonwealth of Kentucky

Your Petitioners Jabel Smith Elias Smith Hiram Smith and Milam Smith would respectfully state that at the present November Term of the Clay Circuit Court a fine of $20. was assessed against each of your petitioners Jabel, Elias and Milam Smith & Hiram Smith upon a charge of illegal gaming They state that the game played was a game for 5 Cents only and played outside of any tenement or enclosure, They are verry illiterate and live in an out of the way place about 15 miles from Manchester the seat of Justice, and did not know that it was against the law to play a game in an out of the way place, unless there was as much as $20. bet, won or lost — They are not only unlearned but very poor and have families —

And at the same Term of the Court there was a fine of $20. assessed against each of your petitioners Hiram & Milam Smith for retailing liquor one time — your petitioners do not follow the business of Selling liquors, and owing to their ignorance and poverty, they pray your excellency to remit said fines — they cannot pay said fines & costs without Serious injury to them and their families

Jabel Smith
Elias Smith
Hiram Smith
Milam Smith

Sworn to before me by Jabel, Elias, Hiram & Milam Smith. Nov 21 1860.

J S, M, Dickerson D Clk
for G W Price Clk

[Page 2]

We the undersinged Citizens of clay County believe the Statemts in the foregoing petition and would also ask your Excellency to remit the fines therein named.

T. T. Garrard
J. S. M. Dickson
John Heyden
F. Z. Gilbert
Danl Garrard
G. W. Price Clerk c. c. C.
D, Y, Lyttle

[Page 3]

Clay cir. ct.
Clay Co
Respite 12 mo
B, M
$20.
$20
Smith Family
IssdDecr. 1 1860

[Page 4]

Manchester Nov 21st
Gov Magoffin

The foregoing petitioner are ignorant honest men who live a considerable distance from the county seat and being illiterate and so far removed from where any information can be had in relation to the penal laws that I have no Idea that they as either of them knew that they were violatiang the law and I am fully satisfied that they never will violate the law again in the manner they have done for which they were fined I hope that you will remit the fines against them

yours respt
Granville Pearl
John Dishman