<title type="main">J. M. Combs to Thomas E. Bramlette Edition created from new transcripts of this manuscript. Initial upload of this work's facsimile images and metadata to FromThePage for editing Kentucky Historical Society Digital Collections Administrator of the CWGK Migration transcription project on FromThePage Kentucky Historical Society Digital Collections Kentucky Historical Society Digital Collections made 6 edits between June 21, 2025 and June 21, 2025. Dynamic TEI export from FromThePage (version 22.10)

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 November 11, 2025 Kentucky Department for Libraries and Archives Office of the Governor, Thomas E. Bramlette: Governor's official correspondence file, petitions for pardons, remissions, and respites 1863-1867 KYR-0001-004-1008 BR11-57 to BR11-59

Louisville, Jefferson County, Kentucky Louisville, Jefferson County, Kentucky 1864-06-03 Petition English Version 1 of page "6": Changes to page transcript. Version 0 of page "6": Empty transcript -- probably initial upload of page facsimile. Version 1 of page "5": Changes to page transcript. Version 1 of page "4": Changes to page transcript. Version 0 of page "5": Empty transcript -- probably initial upload of page facsimile. Version 1 of page "3": Changes to page transcript. Version 0 of page "4": Empty transcript -- probably initial upload of page facsimile. Version 1 of page "2": Changes to page transcript. Version 0 of page "3": Empty transcript -- probably initial upload of page facsimile. Version 1 of page "1": Changes to page transcript. Version 0 of page "2": Empty transcript -- probably initial upload of page facsimile. Version 0 of page "1": Empty transcript -- probably initial upload of page facsimile.
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To His Excellency, The Governor of Kentucky:

Your petitioner, J. M. Coombs, respectfully represents to your Excellency, that on the 8th day of February, 1864, one John Smith, who then was, has continued to be and still is a resident of the State ^of Indiana^ but on a temporary visit to the City of Louisville, was brought before the Police Court upon a charge of drunkeness and disorderly conduct; for which he was required to give bail in the sum of $200. to keep the peace & be of good behavior for the term of three months from said date. That sd Smith sent for your petitioner and desired him to become bound, as his surety on the bail bond, your petitioner being a resident of the City; this your petitioner was induced to do & did -- not for any fee or reward, but purely through friendship, & to relieve from imprisonment a friend in distress, who was away from home, & with whom your petitioner had long been acquainted, they having been raised boys together.

Afterwards, & before the Expiration of the three months, viz: about the 21^12th^ March, 1864, said Smith came again to Louisville on business; and though otherwise a clever & Estimable man, he is unfortunately given to occasional sprees, especially when away from home; and on said 21st^12th^ March, he was again brought before the police court on a charge of drunkeness & disorderly conduct; on the investigation of which, though your petitioner was not present to hear the testimony, yet he has understood it was shown then that sd Smith

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carried concealed a deadly weapon; wherefore he was again required to bond give bond in the sum of $100 to answer to an indictment for a misdemeanor; and his former bond, on which your petitioner had become bound as his surety to keep the peace and be of good behavior, was then, on said 12th March, adjudged forfeited.

By reason of this forfeiture, a scire facias issued on the 21st March 1864 against your petitioner and said Smith, and was served on your petitioner on the 29th March 1864, commanding him to appear & answer thereto at the April term of said Police Court. Accordingly your petitioner appeared on the 19th of sd April to madke defense, but had the case continued on account of the illness & necessary absence of sd Smith, who was then confined with Pneumonia at his home in Indiana. Your petitioner desired the attendance of Smith, to prove that it was no violation of law for him to carry concealed a deadly weapon, as he was a traveller & nonresident of the State of Kentucky; and therefore that no forfeiture should have been had on the bond on which your petitioner was surety. The continuance, as asked, was granted yr petitioner, as before stated, & the case was continued to the May term of the Court, and on the 16 May was again called for trial -- Your petitioner was not present at said trial, being necessarily absent from the City on business; but believeding that his lawyer could as well defend the case without his

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presence, as with it, if Smith were present to testify -- and if Smith were not well enough to be present, that a continuance could therefore be had, as the materiality of his testimony had been, at the former term, shown & the case continued.

But, so it was, the continuance being applied for, on said 16 May, by yr petitioner's attorney, was not granted; though Smith was then still sick at home with Pneumonia & the case, so far as he was concerned was continued, and a judgment for the $200, on account of the forfeiture afsd was, in the absence of your petitioner rendered against him on said 16 May, & a Capias there for is now in the hands of the officer -- And no judgment has yet been had on said bond as against Smith. Nor has any trial yet been had upon the indictment against sd Smith for Carrying Concealed the deadly weapon -- and it has not, therefore, yet been determined by the verdict of a jury that there was any cause to justify the forfeiture of the bond.

In tender consideration, therefore, of the premises, your petitioner respectfully, yet Earnestly prays your Excellency to Extend to him your Executive Clemency, & to remit the portion of the Judgment debt aforesaid, which belongs to the Commonwealth. And, even when this shall be done, there will still remain near $100, counting the attorneys 30 per cent, the officers Commissions & clerk's costs, which your petitioner will have to pay, and

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which he can but illy afford to do -- for it is a claim he has incurred without any advantage to himself and purely to relieve a friend in distress & who, in truth, was by law justified in Carrying the Concealed weapon.

Your petitioner humbly prays & ever will &c June 3rd 1864. J. M. Combs

I am Clerk of the Police Court and was when the matter treated of in the foregoing petition occured; It's true, and so appears from the record of said Court, as stated in the petition, that on the 8th day of February 1864, the petitioner became bound in the bond as surety for Smith, that afterwards, on the 12th of March 1864 said bond was forfeited, said Smith being then before the Court, on a Charge of Drunkeness & disorderly conduct, at which time he was required give bond in $100.00 to answer an Indictment for a Misdemeanor & that afterwards an indictment, which is still pending and untried was returned against said Smith for Carrying, concealed a deadly weapon,

It is also true, that a Scr' facias, issued against said Smith & petitioner on the forfeited bond of $200,00 on the 21st of March 1864, and that no trial as to Smith has yet been had, on said bond, that the petitioner obtained a Continuance, of the Scr' facias on the 19th of April 1864, that affidavits were presented showing said Smiths illness with pneumonia, & non residence, that at the next

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calling of the case on the 16th of May 1864, petitioner through his Council applied for a Continuance which was overruled, and Judgment on said day was entered on said Scr' facias against petitioner for the Amt of the bond to wit $200,00, That the matters on said Scr' facias, were continued and have not yet been tried as to Smith, nor as before remarked, has the Indictment against him for Carrying conealed a deadly weapon, yet been tried, that Case & the Scr' facias are still pending in this Court.

Yours Respectfully Phil Tomppert Jr, C, C, C, L, June 4th 1864.

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Louisville Police Ct vs John Smith & & J. M. Combs Bail Bond $200.

Remit

6th Aug/64