To his Excellency Beriah Magoffin Governor of the Commonwealth of Kentucky

Your petitioners William Wilson, William Murphy, J. C. Wickliffe William H. Newman & J. W. Muir Respectfully represent that at the September term of the Nelson Circuit Court one Henry Smith was held to Bail in the sum of one thousand dollars to appear at the March term of said Court for the present year (1861) to answer an Indictment for murder and being a poor man -- without any estate and a stranger in the said County without relatives or friends, and he having appeared at one term and surrendered himself into custody and was tried & there was a hung Jury, and the trial having developed the fact that the killing of which he was accused was done only after he was provoked to the attack by being first without his offending being fired upon with a pistol in the hands of the slain, the undersigned believing he was guilty only of justifiable ^or excusable^ homicide entered as his bail for his appearance to the March term aforesaid. The said Smith has since contracted an alliance with a young lady of respectability of Said County and with her has gone to parts unknown as is supposed with the intent to marry her which was in opposition to the wishes of her Family. This alliance no doubt has been the prime cause of his forfeiting his recognizance whereby your petitioners will be compelled to pay the sum of one thousand dollars unless relieved by the Executive Clemency of your Excellency & owing to the peculiar financial condition