To His Excellency Beriah Magoffin
Gov^r. of Kentucky

Your petitioner would respectfully state that he was fined Fifty doll^s for an assault & Battery in the city Court of Louisville on 5^th Ins^t under the following circumstances, He lives in the suburbs of the city & has a lot enclosed with plank, to rear a nursery of a variety of fruit trees — his brothers widow lives adjoining, upon whose estate the petitioner administered the widow has been very quarrelsome of a violent temper & unceasing in her abuse which heretofore failed to excite petitioner, on the day the assault is charged M^rs Rafferty the widow whilst the petitioner was absent, tore down several planks of the fence & when he came home to his dinner he attempted to repair the damage by nailing on the plank from where they had been thrown down, she came out of her house & in a furious rage commenced abusing him which he disregarded then she picked up a large piece of plank & struck him with another piece of plank which was all that was done, he could have proven all this by a man named Postlewaite who is employed on the

of the Louisville & Nashville Rail Road & whose attendance could not be had at the trial, supposing the case would not be tried in his absence & not knowing any thing of Judicial proceedings y^r petitioner himself was not at the trial & this a verdict was rendered for the sum of Fifty doll^s ag^st him as he was assaulted & not in fault in the affair & the facts are as stated above I hope & pray your Excellency to remit the fine, I am known as an industrious peaceable man to all my acquaintance whSome of whom join me in this petition & I will ever be grateful

William Rafferty

Sworn to before me a notary public this March 11^th 1861

Pat Joyes N P J C

We acquaintances & friends of W^m Rafferty join in thehis prayer to his Excellency to remit his fine We know him to be an honest industrious & Clever man

John Joyes
James Trabue
R Trabue
W^m Garvin
T. C. Coleman Jr

Louisville City ct

Respite 12 Mo
B. M

Is^d July 30
$50 } assault
W^m Rafferty