To his Excellency Beriah M^cGoffen Governer of the Commonwealth of Kentucky Your petitioner would respectfully state that at the May Term of the court 1861 he was fined the sum of Sixty Dollars upon an Indictment charging him with the offense of Keeping a tipling house a copy of the Verdict and Judgment are herewith enclosed he States he was informed about the commencement of the court that the legislature had abolished the courts & that there would be no court held for Grayson county at the May term which he relied upon as a fact but on Wednesday of the term he heard court was in session when he got there the tril was over & Judge Stuard before whom the trial was ^was^ sick in bed & not able to hear an application for a new trial he feels satisfied if he could have had his witness present the trial would have resulted differently he states that he was fined upon the evidence

of only one witness only a man named J T William the same witness that deposed in the case of the petition ^of^ James Alvey. he says that Williams was at emnity against with your petitioner he states that he did not sell wine or any other spiritous liquors in less quantities than one gallon & that to be taken away by the purchaser & did not suffer it to be drank in his house on his premises or adjecent thereto which all his neighbours would have proven [...]Your petitioner feeling as he does that he is not guilty of Keeping a Tippling house or any infraction of the law and that the payment of the fine will be very oppressive on him a poor man as he is with a wife & eight children dependant upon his labour for a support would therefore most earnestly ask your Excellency to remit said fine & as in duty he will ever pray &c
May 20^th 1861

Jas M, Alvey

We the undersigned concur in the foregoing facts and Join in the prayer of the petitioner ^we his neighbours^ believing his case is deserving of Executive aid

Grayson Cir. Ct
J M Alvey
Petition
$60 } Tipling

Respite 12 mo.
B. M

Iss Sept 10. 1861