<title type="main">John W. Stevenson 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 4 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-0001-020-0835 MG19-313 to MG19-314

Washington, District of Columbia Washington, District of Columbia 1861-03-01 Correspondence English Version 1 of page "4": Changes to page transcript. Version 0 of page "4": Empty transcript -- probably initial upload of page facsimile. 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 0 of page "2": Empty transcript -- probably initial upload of page facsimile. Version 1 of page "1": Changes to page transcript. Version 0 of page "1": Empty transcript -- probably initial upload of page facsimile.
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House of Reps 1st March 1861 My dear Govr.

I am not in the habit of often especially of asking the interposition of Executive Clemency as to a stay of criminal process. I am justified in doing so on the present occasion by the strong equity of the present application. Norman Sebree was fined some two years ago in the Boone Circuit Court for a raffle for some turkeys, which took place in his stable at Bellvue, he keeping tavern there at that time -- He admitted the fact as I learned on the trial but innocently believed that a raffle for four turkeys was not a violation of the criminal statutes agt gaming -- Several Circuit Judges & among them Judge H O Brown & Judge Reid had decided

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on the same Circuit that playing games for segars or raffles for turkeys were not violations of the statute -- He was however for his ignorance fined two hundred dollars -- He was so clearly innocent of any mala fides that I understand Judge Nuttall -- the Comlt Attorney Mr Major the entire Grand & petit Jury who tried it all ask your Excellency to remit -- You stayed it -- & that stay is now about expiring -- I do not think a stronger case could well be presented.

Mr Sebree is a poor industrious man -- & to force him to pay this fine would be almost to break him up -- I do hope

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as he had no intention to violate the law that you will pardon & remit the fine --

Yours truly J. W Stevenson

I concur in the above

L. W Powell

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Boone Cir. Ct $200 } Gaming N. Sebree

Remission Issd Mar 27. 1861