Smithland Ky Feby the 26th 1864 To his Excellency - - - Bramlett Govenor of Kentucky

your undersigned Petitioners would respectfully state that at the Pesent Term of the Livingston Circuit Court A Elmore, & John Burns were found find under a joint indictment two hundred dollars each for keeping a gambling house in the Town of Smithland that the proof in the Cause was this that the said Elmor Elmore & Burns were Coffee house keepers & had a back room to the same & that on several occassions a few of the citizens assemble in said room & entered into a game of Cards & the one loosing forfeited the Cigars, whiskey &c for the Crowd that they would then in passing through the front room stop & get the treat thus forfeited that those thus engaged were respectable citizens of the Town & assembled at said place for amusement only & that the said Elmore & Burns were not present at the time said games were going on & the witnesses stated that they did not believe that either of them knew the character of the game played by them & your Petitioners state that they are satisfied that they did not know it, as the back room was used as a sitting room were where persons would play at cards or for amusement that they fine was imposed rather owing to prejudice than otherwise so your Petitioners believing that there was no intention on the part of the said Elmore & Burns to violate the law, pray that they be released from the said fine.