<title type="main">W. W. Bonner et al. to Beriah Magoffin 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 3 edits between June 22, 2025 and June 22, 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, Beriah Magoffin: Governor's Official Correspondence File, Petitions for Pardons and Remissions, 1859-1862 KYR-0001-020-0163 MG17-91 to MG17-92

McClean County, Kentucky McClean County, Kentucky Petition English Version 1 of page "3": Changes to page transcript. Version 0 of page "3": Empty transcript -- probably initial upload of page facsimile. Version 1 of page "2": Changes to page transcript. 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 Beriah Magoffin Governor of the Commonwealth of Kentucky

Your Petitioner would most humbly represent to your Excellency that at the last Sept Term of the McLean Circuit Court, they your Petitioners were empannelled as a Jury to try Stephen Duval for murder he was tried & found guilty They would represent unto your Excellency that although from the rules of law & the instructions given them they were bound to find that he had mind enough to be found guilty of crime yet it was clearly proven that he was a person of very weak mind a great drunkard & great coward & we had not the least doubt but that he was either lead or forced into a participation in the crime by one or two other bold daring & wreckless & desperate men he being at the time in all probability under the influence of liquor or even drunk From these Considerations, the respectability of his family his widower mother & the universal sympathy that exists in his favor we most humbly Petition your excellency to interpose in his behalf & charge if in your power the punishment of death to that of confinement in the penitentiary for a Term of years. or if you have not such power that you respite him til the Legislataure will clothe your Excellency with it --

We would here state that if it had not been for the position instruction of the Court we would have found the offense manslaughter instead of murder. We can not but think that the executive Clemency would be wisely humanely exercised in this case: Your Excellency as the chief officer of this good old Commonwealth & there has

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been wisely placed in your hands the power to relieve the poor Convict prisoner when from the strict rules of law Juries can have no mercy & we the late triers of the unfortunate Duval become humble Petitioners in his behalf & will ever pray &c

W W Bonner T, B Vackett william Settle Allen Jameson George Dickin Thomas Kennedy Geoge W Tichenor Lycurgno L. Little James Jackson J,, H. Jackson Finis H Little John M Jewell Thomas Lindrum (sen H Griffith James Porter R H Glover G. H. Hoffman L, B, Lillard J S Edwards J W Overstreet Josh Banner Joseph Dalines Joseph Infield Aaron Leet W J Hardin H W C Mosley J S Stewart S Bethel S. F Vaughan C, L, Stuteville J W Smith B W Grady H G Hamilton Augustus Ellis Z. B, Freeman Edwin Jones Andrew Smith Bliar H Williamson Wm H. Thomasson James Waltrop John Lynn R, S, Head S P Caslin John W. Pulliam John H Lemons Geo W Head J M Tailor Jas W, Wilhite N G Wishire A Jordan N. Odaniel

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Stephn Duval

Issue pardon upon condition he will serve in the Penitentiary for life --

B. Magoffin

McLean Co.

Sentence of Death commuted to Imprisonment for life

Nov: 19 1860