To his Excellency Thomas E Bramlette Governor of Kentucky Your Petitioner George W Graves would most respectfully state that at the February term 1865 of the Marion Circuit Court Ky he was by the verdict of a jury found guilty of selling liquor to a slave of Rev A A Hogue and fined fifty dollars & costs -- Your Petitioner thinks very unjustly At the time the alledged offence was said to have been committed Your Petitioner was the owner and keeper of a Saloon & Restaurant in Lebanon Ky and during the time had the slave of Rev A A Hogue frequently in his employ and while under his control and employment he gave to the slave liquor whenever he thought a dram would not hurt him Your Petitioner denies he ever sold to the slave a drop of liquor in his life -- & Rev A A Hogue stated on the trial that he authorised his slave to work for Your Petitioner & receive the pay indeed he stated he permitted him to work & haul for any & every body & Report to him each night -- Now upon this state of case Your Petitioner was fined & asks a remission of the fine upon the upon the above grounds as well as the difficulty of observing the laws in regard to Slavery just at this peculiar ^time^ in the history of our state -- Your Excellency's interposition is