To His Exellency Beriah Magoffin Governor of the State of Kentucky.

Your petitioners would respectfully represent that David Douglass was arraigned on a indictment at the present April term of the Mason Circuit Court for murder, and that we were the jury empalled for his trial The killing was admitted but there was no proof to sustain the charge of murder; and the commonwealth's attorney in the trial before us abandoned the charge of murder and prosecuted for manslaughter only. There was no one present at the killing, who could explain the circumstances under which it was done. Under the proof we felt bound to find him guilty of manslaugher, but under the circumstances, we think that his case presents strong reasons for an exercise of executive clemency and we respectfully recommend to your Excellency his pardon.