Covington Ky May 29^th 1861
Hon. Beriah Magoffin
Governor &c
Dear Sir

At the last February Term of the Circuit Court for the County of Campbell, held in the City of Newport one John Moyughn or Monahan was indicted & and convicted for cutting with a pair of Taylors shears a man by the name of William Karney- His punishment was fixed at six months confinement in the County Jail and fifty dollars fine. The proof indicated that Karney was drunk and disorderly and although the conviction & the punishment were manifestly just and proper yet there were mitigating circumstances in the case-

[Poer] Mayughn or Monahan has now been serving his time in the County Jail near four months- His conduct has been exemplary-

His poer and excellent wife has called upon me this afternoon to ask you to pardon her husband and also remit the fine- She is entirely destitute. She has two helpless children, one one a cripple. A third child she buried since her husband has been ^in^ Jail-

Her husband is a Taylor and she says he is good to her and her children and pr will provide for them if he can obtain his liberty Her case is one which appeals strongly to my sympathy. The law has been vindicated, and the prisoner punished to a wholsome extent, and I Know of no good likely to result from to his further punishment- but his innocent and suffering family will be benefitted by his release

I think this is a case where Executive clemency may well be freely bestowed

I therefore ask your Excellency to gladden the hearts of this good woman and her little famishing children by granting a free and full pardon & remission both as to imprisonment & fine.

I beg that this application may be acted on at once and if it should prove agreeable to the Executive will to grant it request hereby to enclose to act of pardon & remission to me at this place

Your Excellency's
obedient Servent

W. E. Arthur
Atty Com'th

Remitted May 31st
B M

Campbell Cir. ct