To his excellency Beriah Magoffin
Gov. of the Commonwealth of Kentucky

The petition of William Hays respectfully shoith unto your excellency that at the March term of the Whitly Circuit Court 1861 he was fined fifty Dollars on an indictment for carry concealed weapons, he states that he never has been in the habit of carrying concealed weapons, he states that the weapons he was convicted for carrying was a knife which he got from a boy, that he never owned a pistol or Boe Knive he states that a dificulty came up among his brothers and William Skeens upon the one side and a company of other men and a knife was drawn upon one of petitioners brothers, & he possessed himself of the knife he was indicted for carrying for defensive purposes only Wherefor he prays your excellency to remit s^d fine and your petition will not lay himself liable again

William Hays Petitioner

Dear Gov. I have examined the within petition a know the occasion on which the knife was exhibited which give rise to the fine. the petitioner is a cleaver boy not in the habit of carrying wepons a deserves executive clemency I have nothing of interest to communicate

Whitley Cir. Ct
Remitted
B. M
$50 } Weapons
W^m Hays
Id Apr 9. 1861

I have been acquainted with M^r Hays for many years & think according to custom & my understanding of the circumstances that it would be right to remit the fine &c

Yr friend
J. G. Curd

M E White wone of the Joury
D Wyatt one of Jurorers
[...] Adrew higgenbotham one of Jurars

William Hays