To His Excelency Beriah Magoffin
Governor of Kentucky

Your petitioner J. W. Browning would respectfully state that in the month of February A man by the name of Sherwood was arrested & charged with having broken bank money in his possession with the intention of circulating the same. Said Sherwood was an schoolmate ^associate^ of your petioner, & held in years gone by, in high esteem by all who knew him, & was, & is still highly regarded by your petioner. Diferent pursuits sepperated your petioner & the Said Sherwood, & we had not met for two years or more, & hearing of his arrest I felt anxious to aceertain the nature of the proof against him, & talked to the witnesses for the commonwealth, my conversation with a Hackman by the name of Fowler was misconstrued & tortured in to a meaning that was never designed. The conversation with said Fowler was about this; if you are not absolutely certain as to the identity tell the Court so; & as I am conserned in a Livery Stable I will throw business inyourline, in to your hands, but said Fowler made it appear that I said if he would not identify the accused that I

would throw business in to his hands. Your Excelency will percive that no bribe was offered or intended, but simply & incentive or stimulous to tell the truth. Said Fowler is unlettered & ignorant & your petioner knowing this fact simply admonished him not to identify said Sherwood unless witness was absolutely certain.

Your petioner was indicted for a misdemeanor in the Louisville City Court & was fined $50 — Your petioner is employed in a livery stable to buy & sell Horses, salery bearly enough to buy the necessaries of life and if your Excelency should not remit the fine, great will be the hardship on your petioner, as he is very poor.

Your petioner humbly prays that your Excelency will remit & forgive the fine.

With great Respect
I subscribe my self your humble Servant
J. W. Browning

Respite 12 mos
B. M

Louisville City Ct
$50 } Mis
J W Browning
Iss^dApr 24. 1862

J. W. Browning